Microsoft’s Xbox app now lets you install PC games to any folder. Can be accessed freely

Timu · Mar 1, 2022

dallow_bg said:
I do.
I was looking at the Files option like in the OP picture but only see this.

However looking at General, I see something about Enabling Advanced Install features and clicking that only lets me change the folder where it's installed. Not the drive.

Uninstall the game, reinstall and see if it lets you choose the drive.

Super Craig · Mar 1, 2022

dallow_bg said:
I do.
I was looking at the Files option like in the OP picture but only see this.

However looking at General, I see something about Enabling Advanced Install features and clicking that only lets me change the folder where it's installed. Not the drive.

You probably have to move the game to another drive using the old method first before you can select a different folder.

dallow_bg · Mar 1, 2022

Timu said:
Uninstall the game, reinstall and see if it lets you choose the drive.

That did it. Removed and installed fresh.

Timu · Mar 1, 2022

dallow_bg said:
That did it. Removed and installed fresh.

Yeah I'm glad that worked. Funny enough I tried that as well!

elenarie · Mar 1, 2022

b0uncyfr0 said:
Do we have access to the save games now?

You have always had access to those files. This entirely is up to devs to see how they want to implement.

Powerofthecloud · Mar 1, 2022

I completely misinterpreted the topic title as this was an Xbox console app 😂. For a moment I was confused, well more than normal.

Theorry · Mar 2, 2022

Bit more details whats been added

Timu · Mar 2, 2022

Theorry said:
Bit more details whats been added

I wish every game supported it but it's still much needed regardless.

MCD · Mar 2, 2022

Please submit suggestions and feedback via the new option.

RoaminRonin · Mar 2, 2022

Cool, I don't want any troubles when I subcribe for Starfield.

Ifrit · Mar 3, 2022

Weird it doesn't seem to work for me, tried last night but in the preferences - general option, even though it shows that the game can be installed in the XboxGames folder, if I click the change folder option it doesn't allow me to change it.

I even tried intalling a new game, where it prompts that it will be installed in the XboxGames folder, but after the install is completed, there's no XboxGames folder to be found, and the game is still in the windowsapps folder.

It's really strange

Spasm · Mar 4, 2022

I can't get this to work. I've uninstalled and was able to choose the D drive when installing again. When it's done and I right-click, there is no "Manage" option.

I swear that under General settings, there used to be an option for custom game folder, but that option is not there anymore.

Version 2202.1001.9.0

Edit: OK, figured it out. But it seems this feature comes with a pretty big caveat:

Fatmanp · Mar 4, 2022

Would not allow me to do it for Back 4 Blood so I tried uninstalling and reinstalling but it would still not let me do it.

Theorry · Mar 4, 2022

Fatmanp said:
Would not allow me to do it for Back 4 Blood so I tried uninstalling and reinstalling but it would still not let me do it.

I read this in the insider patch notes from last week

We're still tracking these known issues:

Some games show that an update is available but selecting the update button doesn't do anything.
Attempting to encrypt the game install folder from the Windows Shell may cause compatibility issues.
Mods for a version of a game on another platform may not work on the Xbox PC Game Pass version.
The following games are not yet supported:
- Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition
- Back 4 Blood
- Cricket 19
- Phantasy Star Online 2
- State of Decay 2
- Games offering pre-install

Fatmanp · Mar 4, 2022

Theorry said:
I read this in the insider patch notes from last week

We're still tracking these known issues:

Some games show that an update is available but selecting the update button doesn't do anything.

Attempting to encrypt the game install folder from the Windows Shell may cause compatibility issues.

Mods for a version of a game on another platform may not work on the Xbox PC Game Pass version.

The following games are not yet supported:

Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition

Back 4 Blood

Cricket 19

Phantasy Star Online 2

State of Decay 2

Games offering pre-install

Ty for that.

MCD · Mar 4, 2022

Some interesting posts to share.

Enrico Pallazzo · Mar 4, 2022

The update I waited for.

Spasm · Mar 4, 2022

Theorry said:
I read this in the insider patch notes from last week

We're still tracking these known issues:

Some games show that an update is available but selecting the update button doesn't do anything.

Attempting to encrypt the game install folder from the Windows Shell may cause compatibility issues.

Mods for a version of a game on another platform may not work on the Xbox PC Game Pass version.

The following games are not yet supported:

Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition

Back 4 Blood

Cricket 19

Phantasy Star Online 2

State of Decay 2

Games offering pre-install

Adding to this list from my catalog:
(will install to different drive but NOT a custom folder)

Halo Wars: Definitive Edition
Halo Wars 2
Quantum Break
Sea of Thieves
Streets of Rage 4
Thimbleweed Park

panama chief · Mar 4, 2022

does this also mean ease of deletion? cause these files holding my harddrive hostage in the past was no joke.
and its why i stayed away from MS.

Theorry · Mar 4, 2022

panama chief said:
does this also mean ease of deletion? cause these files holding my harddrive hostage in the past was no joke.
and its why i stayed away from MS.

Yes

panama chief · Mar 4, 2022

Theorry said:
Yes

awesome! i might reinstall some of my Games with Gold then. Thank you.

Terbinator · Mar 4, 2022

Does this mean someone may be able to mod in a more permanent RT during gameplay mode for FH5 - and also mean we can't be banned?

TitanicFall · Mar 4, 2022

Even with this update, I feel like there's still a fundamental problem with how these apps are updated. They seem sometimes an afterthought when compared to the Steam versions. Like Forza Horizon 5 has horrible HDR implementation on GP version, but from what I've read the Steam version is fine.

Terbinator · Mar 4, 2022

TitanicFall said:
Even with this update, I feel like there's still a fundamental problem with how these apps are updated. They seem sometimes an afterthought when compared to the Steam versions. Like Forza Horizon 5 has horrible HDR implementation on GP version, but from what I've read the Steam version is fine.

What do you mean? Seems to work fine for me (LG B9).

TitanicFall · Mar 4, 2022

Terbinator said:
What do you mean? Seems to work fine for me (LG B9).

Sky looks white, can't even read signs.

viandante · Mar 4, 2022

dang… possibly the end of flyinj's crusade against PC gamepass and they're banned. sad.. flyinj died so PC gamepass could live i guess

MCD · Mar 4, 2022

viandante said:
dang… possibly the end of flyinj's crusade against PC gamepass and they're banned. sad.. flyinj died so PC gamepass could live i guess

There are still some limitations as noted above (some games don't support it + exe mod support + old UWP games still being a pain).

But I hope if they see this thread, they can still use the new feedback option if they have any problems or give feedback.

Insomniac · Mar 4, 2022

Is there anyone here who has tried playing a game that allows installation to a custom folder (i.e. non-WindowsApps folder) while also running MalwareBytes Premium? Because I noticed yesterday that if I try launching such a game, it will take more than five minutes to launch before inevitably crashing. Happened with several different games (FAR: Changing Tides, Hollow Knight, Infernax, Dragon Ball FighterZ). I thought it was a Game Pass app issue or even an OS issue and did a complete reinstall only for the issue to persist afterwards. Eventually I narrowed it down to MalwareBytes Premium being the culprit. If I disable Malware Protection or whitelist the entire game folder in MB, games start normally. Games installed to the WindowsApp folder (Tested with Crackdown 3) or Steam games are completely unaffected and launch without issue.

Just curious if anyone else has noticed this issue on their end. Will eventually contact MB themselves about the issue.

Timu · Mar 4, 2022

MCD said:
Some interesting posts to share.

UWP is a mistake it seems, wish they weren't like that.

MCD · Mar 10, 2022

KillLaCam · Mar 10, 2022

Can you finally mods that need to target the exe?

MCD said:
Some interesting posts to share.

Rip there's my answer

Edward850 · Mar 10, 2022

Super Craig said:
Worth noting that a game has to support it. Don't get the option on my Forza Horizon 3 install.

Kinda. We don't have to manually add support for it (Doom64 for example supported it out of the box without us touching anything, I was testing how it handled supplying command line parameters for modding (it worked, by the way)), but rather it seems to depend on when/how the game was packaged. It may be one of those things that requires updated XVD support.

Edit: Or yeah, it may just need to be a modern GDK application rather than the older UWP shell. Which makes sense as UWP is fully sandboxed.

Dinjoralo · Mar 10, 2022

Theorry said:
Bit more details whats been added

MCD said:

The fact they have patch-notes and even acknowledged the lack of EXE permissions is pretty stunning. It's about damn time they started looking like they're doing something.
Though yeah, without those EXE permissions the update ends up moot for me. No adding to Steam means no convenient remote play, or screenshots with a macro on controller, or per-game controller rebinding, so on.

diablogg · Mar 10, 2022

They're slowly getting there it seems... I feel like we're 30% of the way too where it should be.

Sambumbia-PR · Jun 22, 2022

Hope im the only one but it seems the App is not installing to custom folders anymore even after the app's general settings say it is.

It just installs to the default Windowsapp. Ive tried reinstalling all xbox services but no dice. The deleting registry entry fix that seems to work for many people also did not work. This is on Windows 11, version 22H2.

If someone has a fix, id be grateful.

Ifrit · Jun 23, 2022

Sambumbia-PR said:
Hope im the only one but it seems the App is not installing to custom folders anymore even after the app's general settings say it is.

It just installs to the default Windowsapp. Ive tried reinstalling all xbox services but no dice. The deleting registry entry fix that seems to work for many people also did not work. This is on Windows 11, version 22H2.

If someone has a fix, id be grateful.

That happened to me. The Xbox app has a move to folder option, some games worked with that if I moved them to another drive and back again, otherwise I had to reinstall some games to get the XboxGames folder

SmartWaffles · Jun 23, 2022

Sambumbia-PR said:
Hope im the only one but it seems the App is not installing to custom folders anymore even after the app's general settings say it is.

It just installs to the default Windowsapp. Ive tried reinstalling all xbox services but no dice. The deleting registry entry fix that seems to work for many people also did not work. This is on Windows 11, version 22H2.

If someone has a fix, id be grateful.

Depending on game. There are some older games that don't support the new installation file management system so they will still be installed to WindowsApps folder and can't be accessed.

Timu · Jun 23, 2022

SmartWaffles said:
Depending on game. There are some older games that don't support the new installation file management system so they will still be installed to WindowsApps folder and can't be accessed.

Yep, like Gears of War 4.

Sambumbia-PR · Jun 23, 2022

SmartWaffles said:
Depending on game. There are some older games that don't support the new installation file management system so they will still be installed to WindowsApps folder and can't be accessed.

Theres some sort of warning message when thats the case, like Killer Instinct. I had Danganronpa installed in the custom directory. Now, I unisntalled it, reinstalled and its on the Windowsapps folder. My settings said to install it on the custom folder.

Hope people that update Windows 11 dont run into this problem like it just happened to me.

Microsoft’s Xbox app now lets you install PC games to any folder. Can be accessed freely

Game Developer

Honest Work

We're still tracking these known issues:

We're still tracking these known issues:

Honest Work

We're still tracking these known issues:

Honest Work

Honest Work

Prophet of Truth

Software & Netcode Engineer at Nightdive Studios