Microsoft Wants Steam to be More Integrated with Windows 11

With the upcoming release of Windows 11 confirmed for later this year, there is clearly a lot of potential on offer here for those users who largely reside within the gaming community. Not least of which the fact that the introduction of ‘DirectStorage’ could see load times reduced significantly. Although an arguable point, for the first time ever (because they’ve tried before and largely failed), this new operating system is going to have some genuine performance-enhancing gaming optimisations on offer and, more so, this is clearly a consumer being specifically targeted by Microsoft here.

Just in case you needed some further confirmation of that fact, however, following a report via TechSpot, Microsoft has confirmed that in regards to the future of Windows 11, they are very much interested in making both Steam and the Epic Games Store a more integrated part of the operating system.

Windows 11 Aims Towards Gamers?

Now, to be clear, when talking about integration, we’re not suggesting that either Steam or the Epic Games Store would form a part of the default Windows 11 installation. Albeit, at least in regards to the former, that would probably be more than a little convenient for most users. What Microsoft has said in this regard, however, is that they would like to make both applications available on their Store platform so that they would be, through the more streamlined approach Windows 11 is aiming towards, more convenient for users to access:

“Windows already in many ways hosts those stores, and if we can host it through the Microsoft Store then of course, For sure, it means as others want to come to the Store, they’re very welcome. As a matter of fact, encouraged, and that’s kind of why we’re building out some of these policies.”

What Do We Think?

Sticking purely with Steam, because the Epic Games Store is probably a way too contentious subject, I think there probably is a decent argument that better integration with Windows 11 probably would be a beneficial move for PC gamers. I mean, let’s face it, having Steam on your PC is probably exactly as common as something like Microsoft Teams. Whenever I do a fresh install, it is usually one of the first things I put onto my shiny new operating system.

Will it happen, though? Well, while there is clearly potential on offer for some collaborative efforts, the honest answer is I don’t think so. Not only from the point of view that both Steam and the Epic Games Store are both likely very happy being relatively independent platforms, but also the fact that they wouldn’t want any optimisations towards Windows 11 to potentially undo all the good work they have made with Linux users.

What do you think? – Let us know in the comments!