Steam on the next Xbox: Project Helix could change how we buy games on the new console

Project Helix could change Xbox forever: the big dilemma of Steam and the other stores.

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That Project Helix will run PC games in addition to Xbox titles not only changes the couch where we sit, but also completely changes the decor of Microsoft’s new console. It also raises a much more delicate question for the future of the brand: how the Xbox Store will fit into a machine that could coexist with stores like Steam or Epic Games Store.

This is precisely one of the debates that is gaining the most traction among players. If the next Xbox really approaches the concept of a PC designed for playing from the couch, Microsoft will have to convince its users why they should continue buying within their ecosystem when a large part of the PC audience already has their library spread across several platforms.

Project Helix could force Xbox to give more reasons to stay in its store

A part of the community believes that Microsoft will not stop publishing its games on Steam or other stores, because it would go against a strategy that is already working for them as a publisher. In fact, many users take it for granted that the company will continue to sell wherever there is a market, especially if Helix is not going to be a closed console, but rather a kind of hybrid system between console and PC.

The real focus is elsewhere. If Steam, Epic, or even other platforms end up having a presence within Helix, then the Xbox Store will need to offer clear advantages to avoid losing weight within its own hardware. That’s where ideas like Xbox Play Anywhere come in, possible benefits linked to Game Pass, a more comfortable integration with the Xbox library, or even changes in aspects as sensitive as paid multiplayer, which on PC does not normally exist as an additional barrier.

• There are also those who believe that Microsoft could continue to bet on native Xbox versions to get more out of the system, while others see it as more likely that Helix will allow running PC versions in many cases.

The interesting thing about all this is that Project Helix is no longer being seen just as a new console, but as a machine that could change the relationship between Xbox, PC, and digital stores. And if that ends up being the case, the big battle won’t just be about the games that can be played, but about where people will want to buy them.