Xbox App Beats Steam & Epic: Up to 60% Faster [2026]

Microsoft handed Xbox Insiders a rebuilt Xbox app for Windows on 5 November 2026, and the headline claim is speed. Microsoft says the Xbox app now launches up to 60% faster, with the Home, Store and Game Pass pages loading up to 50% faster and in-app windows opening up to 65% faster. The same update adds a Library tab that pulls cloud-playable games, owned or included in Game Pass, into one place.

That lands in a busy fortnight for PC launchers. Epic announced its own redesigned client on 14 October 2026, still labelled Preview, and the older Epic Games Launcher keeps shipping numbered updates, with 0.113.0 now the newest entry in its release notes. Steam sits between the two, the incumbent most Irish players already open every day. If you split your library across all three, the question is no longer which store has the better sale. It is which client deserves to be the front door.

This comparison sets the Xbox app, Steam and the Epic Games Launcher side by side on speed, library tools, subscriptions, ownership rules and Irish pricing. Two honest limits apply from the start. Microsoft’s speed numbers come from its own internal tests, and no independent benchmark exists yet. The research for this piece also turned up far more verified detail on the Xbox app and Epic’s launcher than on Steam’s desktop client, so the Steam column sticks to what is confirmed and says so where it is not.

What Microsoft changed in the Xbox app on 5 November 2026

Xbox Wire published the announcement under the title “A Faster, Simpler Xbox Experience Is Coming to PC, Web and Cloud”, and the update started rolling out to Xbox Insiders the same day. Microsoft’s own line is short: “The app now launches up to 60% faster.” The other numbers follow the same pattern, with Home, Store and Game Pass pages up to 50% faster and in-app windows up to 65% faster. Microsoft adds that results vary by device and configuration, the standard caveat for internal testing.

Speed is only half the story. The preview simplifies library navigation, updates the filters and widens search so it covers games, installed titles, add-ons and people. Social features move into the main navigation, so friends sit one click from the library instead of buried in a side panel. The new Library tab matters most for anyone who buys games in more than one place, because it groups cloud-playable titles together whether you own them or reach them through Game Pass.

Cloud play gets its own change. Pure Xbox reports that Microsoft is adding an option to buy cloud-play time and stream selected games you own outside a Game Pass subscription. Combined with the Library tab, that turns the app into a place where the question “what can I play right now, on this machine or from the cloud” has a single answer.

Now the limits. The redesigned app is an Insider preview. Microsoft’s announcement gives no public version number and no general-release date, and no source confirms that the refreshed app has reached every Irish user. Until it does, do not describe the older layout as the final design. Nothing in the research suggests the app is being renamed, retired or folded into another product. It remains an active, expanding client for Xbox purchases, PC Game Pass and Xbox social features.

One more detail shapes everything below. The Xbox app can list games from other launchers, since an April 2026 update let players add installed Steam and Epic games to one Xbox library by hand, according to Xbox’s own update post. That is a shortcut and a launch convenience. It does not move licences, saves, achievements or Game Pass rights from one store to another.

Xbox app vs Steam vs Epic Games Launcher: specs side by side

The table below sticks to confirmed facts. Where the research found nothing solid for a cell, it says so rather than guessing. Read “not confirmed” as a gap in the evidence, not as proof that a feature is missing. Players who want the Steam side filled in can open the client and check in a minute, since the app is installed on most gaming PCs already.

Three patterns jump out. First, the Xbox app and Epic’s Preview are converging on the same idea, a single window that shows everything you can play. Second, only Microsoft has attached numbers to the claim. Third, the subscription row separates the Xbox app from both rivals. Epic and Steam sell games, while Microsoft sells games and also a catalogue you rent.

The research method is worth stating. The facts here come from pages fetched for this article, mostly Microsoft’s, Epic’s and Steam’s own announcements plus Pure Xbox’s coverage. Anything that appeared in only one place is hedged in the text and kept out of the tables. That choice costs some detail, but it keeps the tables honest.

Speed claims: what Microsoft measured and what nobody has

Every speed figure in this fight traces back to one place, Microsoft’s own testing. Several outlets repeated it within a day. Xbox Wire carried the original and Pure Xbox ran the details. IGN’s headline summed it up as “Microsoft Updates Xbox PC App, Says It’s 60% Faster”, and Digital Trends framed it as a fix for the app’s biggest frustrations. That is one benchmark reported many times, not several independent measurements, and readers should weigh it accordingly.

“Up to” does a lot of work in those claims. A launch that is 60% faster on a fast NVMe drive with a clean profile may shave less on an older laptop with a crowded startup list. The comparison point matters too. Microsoft compares the new build with the old build, not with Steam or Epic, so the figure says how far the Xbox app has climbed, not where it now ranks.

Think about what 60% faster means in seconds. If the old app took ten seconds to appear, the new one would take about four. That is a real gain for someone who opens the app a dozen times a day, but it is a small one for a player who launches it once and leaves it running. The page-load claims matter more in practice, because the Store and Game Pass pages are where people spend their time browsing.

For a fair test at home, time three things on your own machine before and after you join the Insider ring: a cold launch from a fresh boot, the first load of the Store page, and the time from clicking a library entry to the game window opening. Repeat each run five times and ignore the first. That takes ten minutes and tells you more about your setup than any press claim.

Library tools: one window for every game

The library is where a launcher earns daily use. The Xbox app’s redesign targets a specific annoyance, the split between games you own, games you rent through Game Pass and games you can only stream. The new Library tab lines up the cloud-playable ones in one list with sorting and filtering, regardless of how you got access. If you bought a game on Xbox and also subscribe to Game Pass, you stop wondering which door to use.

Epic’s Preview launcher chases the same outcome from the other direction. Its announcement describes a unified view of owned PC libraries, collections, grid and list views, customisable favourites, search and filters, download monitoring and built-in social and voice tools. The pitch is that you see what you own across stores, then launch from one place. The fine print matches Microsoft’s: a combined view does not combine ownership.

The established Epic launcher has not stood still while Preview matures. Epic’s release notes list versions 0.109.0 to 0.113.0, and early November builds reportedly added a collapsible Social Panel, installer rollback when the installer is closed, keyboard navigation in the Library grid view and plugin-update controls. Version 0.111.0 reportedly made view preferences persistent and added a “Go to store page” shortcut on library entries. Small changes, but they show where players have been asking for polish.

Steam’s library tools did not feature in the fresh sources this check could confirm, so this article makes no feature-by-feature claim about them. What the research does confirm is that Steam and Game Pass remain separate storefronts, and that a game you own on Steam is not a Game Pass entitlement or an Xbox licence.

If your library is mostly one store, the combined-view features barely matter. If you own forty games on Steam, a dozen on Epic and play several more through Game Pass, a single front door starts to save real time. Our look at how Xbox, PS5 and Steam handle digital libraries covers the console side of that same question.

Game Pass on PC: plans and Irish prices

The subscription is the biggest structural gap between the Xbox app and its rivals. Steam and Epic sell you a game once. Microsoft also rents you a rotating catalogue, and the app is where that catalogue lives on a PC. Official Xbox material currently names Game Pass Essential, Premium and Ultimate, plus PC Game Pass for Windows players. Anything that still calls it only “Xbox Game Pass for PC” is behind the times.

Two caveats on that table. The Irish store page for the mid tier, Premium, also showed €12.99 a month with the same €1.00 trial on 6 November according to the retrieved listing, but that single reading is why its price sits outside the table. The Essential tier is described on the Irish listing as 50+ games with five cloud hours a month and no price in the retrieved page, so treat its cost as unconfirmed until you check Microsoft’s store yourself.

Do not copy US prices into an Irish budget. A US store page showed $13.99 for PC Game Pass, $14.99 for Premium and $22.99 for the top tier, and it advertised 500+ games for the top tier against 400+ on the Irish page. Catalogue sizes and availability vary by market and date, which is Microsoft’s own wording. The listing also states that the subscription renews automatically unless you cancel, so put a reminder in your calendar before the trial ends.

Game Pass access also lasts only while you pay and while a title stays in the catalogue. Microsoft lists Football Manager 27 for PC Game Pass from 10 November, according to Xbox Wire, while Football Manager 26 leaves the service the same day. A rented game that rotates out is gone, and that is the core trade-off against a purchase on Steam or Epic.

For the tier-by-tier breakdown, our guide to Xbox Game Pass tiers goes deeper, and the rivalry with other services is mapped in our Game Pass, PS Plus and Switch Online comparison. The point for this article is simpler. Neither Steam nor Epic offers a first-party subscription to match, so a player who values a rotating catalogue has one obvious client.

Xbox Play Anywhere: what it covers and what it does not

Play Anywhere is the other Microsoft feature people confuse with Game Pass. It is not a subscription. Xbox describes it as a buy-once model: eligible games work on Xbox consoles, Windows PC and supported handhelds at no extra cost, with progress synced through your Xbox account. The idea is older than the redesign. Microsoft’s 2016 announcement put it plainly: “The new Xbox Play Anywhere program lets gamers buy a game once and play it on both their Windows 10 PC and Xbox One console with shared progress, game saves and achievements.”

Xbox describes Play Anywhere as letting supported games run on Xbox console, PC and supported gaming handhelds at no additional cost, with progress synced through the Xbox account. It applies only to designated eligible games, not to ordinary Steam or Epic purchases. The programme is active, and a game’s official listing is the place to check whether it carries the Play Anywhere designation.

The limits matter more than the headline. Play Anywhere applies only to eligible digital purchases made through Xbox and the Microsoft Store. It does not convert a Steam or Epic purchase into an Xbox licence, and it does not mean every Xbox game qualifies. A title can be in Game Pass, carry the Play Anywhere badge, both or neither. The Irish store listing for Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival shows how this works in practice. It reportedly costs €39.99 for the base edition and €49.99 for the Deluxe Edition, it carries the Play Anywhere label, and its cloud play requires both a Game Pass tier and the game purchase.

Compare that with the other two clients. No source in this check confirms a Play Anywhere equivalent on Steam or Epic. If you want one purchase to cover your PC and an Xbox console, the Microsoft route is currently the only one with an official programme behind it. If you only ever play on one PC, the feature adds nothing, and the store you pick should turn on price and library instead.

A practical rule helps here. Before you buy anything on a Windows PC, look for the Play Anywhere badge on the Xbox listing. If it is there and you own a console or plan to, buy through Xbox. If it is not, compare the same game’s price on Steam and Epic and pick the library you want it to live in. Our refund policy comparison is worth a read before you commit, since each store handles returns differently.

Cloud play inside the app: monthly hours and owned games

Cloud gaming used to be a footnote on PC. In the new Xbox app it sits in the library. Microsoft has moved cloud play from broadly unrestricted use to monthly allowances by plan, with the top tier at 15 hours, Premium at 10 and Essential at 5, according to the research behind this piece. The top-tier figure is confirmed on the Irish listing. The Premium and Essential figures rest on a single reading, so check the plan page before you rely on them.

Two consequences follow. A subscriber who streams every evening for two hours will hit a 15-hour ceiling in about a week, so heavy cloud users should read the allowance before they pick a plan. And Microsoft’s new paid option for extra cloud time, including for selected games you own outside Game Pass, gives owners a reason to stay in the Xbox app even when the game came from elsewhere. The sources do not list prices for the extra time, so none appear here.

Steam and Epic come at streaming differently. The research confirms SteamVR streaming improvements, and Steam’s news posts report a Steam Client Preview update on 22 and 23 October with a Remote Play Together HDR overhaul and new HDR settings. That is streaming from your own machine to another screen, a different product from renting server time. Epic’s sources confirm nothing equivalent.

If streaming is your main interest, the services themselves matter more than the launcher. Our comparison of Xbox Cloud Gaming, Boosteroid and Shadow PC covers catalogue and latency trade-offs, and the Remote Play angle is mapped in our Remote Play and Steam Link guide.

Epic and Steam: two clients, two very different transitions

Epic Games Launcher: Preview and the old client in parallel

Epic is running two launchers at once. The established client keeps getting numbered releases, and the redesigned version sits in Preview. Epic has been upfront that Preview may show beta issues, with feature work, optimisation and updates still to come before a general release. The Linux note stands out: Epic’s page lists support for Ubuntu 22.04 or newer and Debian 12 or newer, with Fedora coming soon, and says other distributions may work but are not officially tested.

On content, Epic keeps its identity as a store with a rotating giveaway programme, which our look at Epic, Prime Gaming, GOG and Steam free games covers in detail. The store also runs indie showcases. Epic’s Triple-i Initiative page names Brotato: Primal Dread arriving on 2 November 2026, Hela: of Mice and Magic on 1 December 2026 and Outward 2 in early access on 8 February 2027. None of those are subscription perks. They are purchases.

The key limit is the one the Epic client shares with the Xbox Library tab. A unified view of your PC libraries helps you launch, but it does not give you Game Pass rights or Play Anywhere entitlements for Epic purchases. Epic’s own materials in this check do not describe a first-party all-you-can-play catalogue.

Steam: the incumbent keeps working on the edges

The research found no current official Steam source, so this article makes no claim about the newest Steam client, recent Steam launches, price changes or renames, which is not a criticism. The recent activity sits on the edges. Warhammer Survivors is reportedly one of Microsoft’s November Game Pass additions, due on 10 November.

That last detail captures the new reality. The same game can sit in Steam’s store, the Xbox app’s Game Pass catalogue and the Epic store at once, and each copy is a separate entitlement even if the game is identical. Nothing in the research suggests Steam is joining Game Pass or Play Anywhere.

Because the research found no current official source for Steam pricing in euros, subscription plans, family-sharing rules or cloud-save behaviour, this article does not describe them. For a deeper Steam-specific view, the rivalry between stores is mapped in our Steam, Epic and GOG comparison.

Seven real-world examples: where one game lives in each client

Abstract feature lists only go so far. These seven current titles show how the three clients behave when you actually want to play something this month. The research found few current Irish store prices, so confirm any price in your own store at checkout.

• Football Manager 27. Xbox Wire lists the PC edition for PC Game Pass on 10 November, with a console edition under Game Pass and Play Anywhere the same day. A PC-only player is covered for as long as they pay. Anyone who wants to own the game needs a store purchase, which is a different product with the same cover art.
• Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival. The Irish Xbox Store reportedly lists it at €39.99, or €49.99 for the Deluxe Edition, with the Play Anywhere label. Cloud play needs a Game Pass tier and the purchase. It shows how Play Anywhere and Game Pass stack instead of replacing each other.
• Bluey’s Happy Snaps. The Irish listing reportedly shows €39.99 or more and notes that a game purchase is required to stream it with Essential or Premium. A subscription does not always unlock a title, so read the listing for the phrase about purchase before you assume a cloud tier covers it.
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Vault Edition (Windows). The listing is a full Xbox on PC product for Xbox Series X and S and Windows, and it reportedly says the game is not on Game Pass this year. Big publishers often sell outright on every store, then add a subscription tier later or never.
• Warhammer Survivors. Steam News reportedly confirmed Steam Deck Verified status on 16 October, and the game lands on Game Pass on 10 November. One title can serve a Deck owner, a Game Pass subscriber and a PC buyer at once, each with a separate entitlement.
• Brotato: Primal Dread. Epic’s Triple-i Initiative page says it headed to the Epic Games Store on 2 November 2026. It is a straight purchase with no subscription angle, which is where Epic’s indie showcases fit.
• Terrible Lizards. The Irish Xbox Store reportedly listed it at €24.99, temporarily cut to €19.99 in a listing updated on 5 November. Short promotional pricing like that appears in every store, so compare before you click buy.

Taken together, the seven cases give a simple test. Ask three questions of any game you want. Is it on Game Pass? Does it carry the Play Anywhere badge? Is it cheaper on Steam or Epic? Three answers take thirty seconds and tell you which client should hold the licence.

What the industry voices say about launchers and lock-in

Features are the loud part of a launcher fight, and history says they are the weak part. Epic’s chief executive Tim Sweeney made that argument in 2019 when Epic’s store was young. Polygon reported him saying: “We believe the lock-in effect of having a large library of games on a dominant storefront is more powerful than features, and hence a dominant store can only be challenged through exclusives.”

In the same period PC Gamer’s coverage of his 2019 comments quoted Sweeney making the point more bluntly: “There is no hope of displacing a dominant storefront solely by adding marginally more store features or a marginally better install experience.” Those are 2019 statements about 2019 markets, and Epic has changed since. They still frame a fair question for 2026: will a launch that is up to 60% faster move anyone’s library?

The honest answer is that speed fixes a complaint, not a loyalty. Microsoft’s own strategy points at that. Instead of competing on speed alone, the Xbox app pairs its redesign with the two things Sweeney said matter, a library and a reason to keep buying there. Game Pass supplies the library effect through a catalogue you can rent, and Play Anywhere supplies the lock-in effect through purchases that follow you between console and PC. Both depend on an Xbox account at the centre.

Lock-in cuts both ways for you as a buyer. A big Steam library gives you a reason to stay there, and a Play Anywhere library gives you a reason to stay with Xbox. Our look at game preservation across GOG, Steam and Ubisoft Connect covers what happens to purchases when a store changes its rules.

The industry-data side is thin this month. No independent survey in the research ranks the three clients by satisfaction or load time. What exists is company claims, press repetition and developer-facing statements like Sweeney’s. That is useful context, but it is not a substitute for testing a client on your own hardware over a week.

Which client for which player: six use-case recommendations

The right pick depends less on features than on how you already play. These six profiles cover most Irish PC gamers. For a wider look at the category, our gaming coverage hub collects the related comparisons.

• The Game Pass subscriber on a PC. Use the Xbox app as your main client. It is where PC Game Pass lives, and the Library tab is built for you. Join the Insider ring only if you are comfortable with preview software, and keep the stable build on a work machine.
• The Xbox console owner who also games on a PC. Buy Play Anywhere titles through Xbox so one purchase covers both machines. Keep Steam for games that lack the badge, and check the Irish Xbox listing first so you see the euro price.
• The Steam-first player with a handheld. Stay on Steam. The research confirms SteamOS and Steam Deck compatibility work continuing, so the handheld route stays healthy. Add the Xbox app only if you want Game Pass.
• The free-game collector. Keep the Epic launcher installed for its giveaway programme and indie launches, and try the Preview build only on a secondary machine for now.
• The Linux desktop player. Epic’s Preview now lists Ubuntu and Debian support, and Steam Deck compatibility work continues on the Steam side. The Xbox app has no confirmed Linux support in this research, so cloud play through a browser is the likely route.
• The small indie developer or publisher. Treat the three clients as audiences, not rivals. Xbox gives Game Pass exposure, Epic runs showcases like Triple-i, and Steam holds a large existing library. Pick based on where your players already are, and check each store’s current terms before you sign anything.

A useful shortcut: count where your last ten purchases came from. If seven or more landed in one store, that store is your main client and the others are add-ons. If they split evenly, the combined library views from Xbox and Epic start to earn their keep, though neither one removes the need to open each store for purchases.

Migration guide: building a one-front-door PC setup in 10 steps

You do not migrate games between these stores. Licences stay where you bought them. What you can migrate is your habit, and the order below keeps the process low-risk. Set aside about an hour.

1. List what you own. Open each launcher and note the number of games in each library. Write the totals down so you can judge later where your centre of gravity is.
2. Check your Xbox app version. Open the Xbox app settings and see which build you run. If you want the redesign, join the Xbox Insider programme, accepting that it is preview software with no general-release date.
3. Time your baseline. Record a cold launch, a Store page load and a game start before you change anything. Use the five-run method from the speed section.
4. Add installed Steam and Epic games to the Xbox library by hand. The April 2026 update added this option, according to Xbox’s own post. It only creates launch shortcuts, so your saves and licences stay put.
5. Look for the Play Anywhere badge on future purchases. Check the Xbox listing first. If the badge is there and you own a console, buy through Xbox.
6. Price the subscription against your habits. Compare PC Game Pass at €12.99 a month with what you would spend on the games you actually play. Use the €1.00 14-day trial to test the catalogue, then cancel before renewal if it does not pay off.
7. Test the Epic Preview on a secondary setup. Epic says Preview may show beta issues, so keep the established launcher on your main machine until the general release.
8. Keep Steam where Steam is strongest. Leave Steam-only games, Deck-verified titles and Remote Play setups alone. There is nothing to gain from moving them.
9. Re-time after two weeks. Repeat the three baseline tests and compare. If the new build saves you noticeable seconds, keep it. If not, leave the preview ring.
10. Review quarterly. Preview builds change fast. Epic’s release notes show 0.109.0 to 0.113.0 arriving in a matter of days, so what is true today may not be true by January.

The point of the exercise is to cut the number of places you hunt for a game, not to shut any store. Your Steam and Epic libraries stay intact whichever way you go, and you can reverse any step in minutes.

Pros and cons of each client

The pattern is consistent. Microsoft offers the most features and the least maturity, Epic offers the cleanest redesign story with the same caveat, and Steam offers continuity with the least new information. None of them removes the need to hold a licence in the store where you bought a game.

Verdict: pick the Xbox app for Game Pass, keep Steam as the anchor

On the evidence available now, the Xbox app is the most interesting client and Steam is still the safest. Microsoft has the strongest case: a redesign claiming up to 60% faster launches, a Library tab that merges owned and subscription titles, a PC Game Pass price listed at €12.99 a month in Ireland and a Play Anywhere programme that links PC and console purchases. Epic’s Preview launcher is a close second on library design but has no subscription and is still in testing. Steam offers the continuity most players want, though the fresh data on its client is thin.

The recommendation splits cleanly. If you subscribe to Game Pass or own an Xbox console, make the Xbox app your front door. If you buy mostly on Steam, keep Steam as your anchor and add the Xbox app only for the catalogue. If you collect free games, keep Epic installed and wait for the Preview launcher to leave testing before you rely on it. Whatever you pick, do not let a launcher’s speed claim decide where you buy. Licences, prices and the games themselves matter far more.

Two things would change this verdict. An independent benchmark showing the Xbox redesign beating Steam and Epic on real hardware would strengthen the Microsoft case. A general release date for the redesign would remove the biggest risk in recommending it. Until either lands, treat the 60% as a promise, test it yourself and let the result drive your decision.

FAQ: Xbox app, Steam and Epic Games Launcher

Is the redesigned Xbox app available to everyone in Ireland?
No. Microsoft announced the redesign on 5 November 2026 for Xbox Insiders first. No source confirms a general-release date or that every Irish user has it. Players outside the Insider programme still run the older interface.

How much faster is the new Xbox app?
Microsoft says it launches up to 60% faster, with Home, Store and Game Pass pages up to 50% faster and in-app windows up to 65% faster. These figures come from Microsoft’s internal testing and vary by device. No independent benchmark was found.

What does PC Game Pass cost in Ireland?
Xbox’s Irish store listing showed €12.99 a month after a €1.00 14-day trial on 6 November 2026. Check Microsoft’s store at checkout, since prices and catalogues vary by market.

Does Xbox Play Anywhere work with my Steam or Epic games?
No. Play Anywhere applies to eligible digital purchases made through Xbox and the Microsoft Store. A Steam or Epic purchase does not become an Xbox licence, and the Xbox app’s library view only helps you launch those games.

Can I add my Steam and Epic games to the Xbox app?
According to Xbox’s April 2026 update, yes, you can add installed games from other storefronts to one Xbox library by hand. It is a shortcut and a launch convenience. It does not transfer ownership, saves or Game Pass rights.

Is the new Epic Games Launcher ready to replace the old one?
Not yet. Epic announced the redesign on 14 October 2026 and still labels it Preview, with possible beta issues. The established launcher keeps receiving updates, with 0.113.0 the newest in its release notes.

Which launcher works on Linux?
Epic’s Preview lists support for Ubuntu 22.04 or newer and Debian 12 or newer, with Fedora coming soon. Steam Deck compatibility work continues on the Steam side. The research found no confirmed native Linux version of the Xbox app.

Should I switch my whole library to one store?
No. Licences stay in the store where you bought them, and changing your buying habits rarely saves money. Pick a front door for launching and keep buying where each game is cheapest or where its Play Anywhere badge helps you.

Niamh Kelly

iGaming Editor

Niamh Kelly is the iGaming Editor at Tech Insider, where she previously worked as a freelance fashion journalist for The Irish News for three years and honed her media skills during her time at the BBC. At Tech Insider, she leads Ireland’s coverage with hands-on experience testing consumer and business technology, delivering in-depth analysis on AI, cybersecurity, cloud computing, and hardware trends shaping the future. Kelly was featured in RSVP online as part of their “Women of Style” series and has interviewed notable figures such as Katie Price and Louise Redknapp for major beauty product launches.

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