The big picture: Combined with compatibility layers such as Wine and Proton, third-party apps like Heroic Games Launcher have made games from multiple PC storefronts accessible on Linux and macOS. The Xbox Store, including Game Pass, remains a notable outlier, but work has recently begun to address that gap.
An unofficial project to make games purchased through the Microsoft Store or downloaded via Game Pass playable outside Windows has recently made notable progress. While a release date remains elusive, the developers have already overcome many of the project's core technical challenges.
Project Xodus aims to bring the Xbox Store to Mac and Linux gaming devices such as the Steam Deck and Steam Machine. One of its primary developers, Pawel Lidwin, previously contributed to Heroic Games Launcher, which manages games from the GOG, Epic, and Amazon storefronts on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Lidwin claims that Xodus can already log into Xbox accounts, access Microsoft's store, and download games on non-Windows operating systems. Using Wine and Proton, which provide compatibility layers for running Windows software on Linux, the developers aim to support Xbox Store games distributed in GDK and MSIXVC formats.
According to the project's GitHub page, MSIXVC2 support is one of the last remaining obstacles. Unfortunately, Xodus likely won't support UWP titles, with Gears of War 4 serving as a prominent example.
If the project succeeds, Xodus support could extend beyond Game Pass to potentially include Minecraft Bedrock Edition and backward-compatible Xbox titles.
Microsoft recently began testing Xbox backward compatibility on PC by releasing four original Xbox games that never received PC ports. More titles, including Xbox 360 games, are expected to follow in the coming months and years. Although the Xbox division recently pledged to refocus its efforts on Xbox Series consoles, these updates indicate that Microsoft remains committed to supporting PC.
The Xbox PC storefront, along with Game Pass, forms a pillar of Microsoft's gaming strategy. Earlier this year, the company partially reversed a massive Game Pass price hike after losing 4 million subscribers and is reportedly planning cheaper subscription tiers.
While Microsoft has positioned Game Pass as a selling point for Windows, it also promotes cloud streaming as an alternative entry point beyond its operating system. A working compatibility layer for natively running Game Pass titles on Mac and Linux devices could broaden the subscription service's appeal.