Backup your data. Microsoft will KILL Xbox Companion App this August

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The fate of the Xbox Companion App has been sealed. The green console bids goodbye to the app, and it’ll be effective starting August 28, 2023. That means, there’s no first-party way to access your Xbox clips or screenshots on Windows PC. 

“If you were impacted by this and are looking for ways to continue to engage with Xbox games, services, and communities on your Windows device, the Xbox app for Windows will keep you connected to all things Xbox and gaming on your Windows device,” says Microsoft in a recently-updated support page of the app. 

The million-dollar question is, Why? It was only four years ago when Xbox renamed the Windows 10 Xbox app as the Xbox Console Companion and became a pre-installed software in Windows 11 desktops. This decision did raise a lot of eyebrows, especially as Microsoft just launched the controversial new Xbox Home screen and a built-in Xbox Game Bar for Windows

Though, perhaps Microsoft wants to consolidate all Xbox-related functions into the Xbox app, which is a separate application. As the transition concludes, users will be redirected to the Xbox app, granting them access to various features. These include downloading and playing PC games, remote playing Xbox console games on their local network through their PC, and utilizing Xbox Cloud Gaming if they have a subscription to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

What are your thoughts on Microsoft ending support for Xbox Companion App? Let us know in the comments!

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