According to a report by The Verge, the latest update for the Xbox PC app indicates that Microsoft is working on bringing Xbox Game Pass to China. The app’s files were datamined and found to mention “Project Saluki,” with a description that reads, “China market expansion for Game Pass, Rewards, and subscription tiers.” No additional details regarding this seemingly upcoming version were discovered.
This new service suggests that Xbox plans to offer a specially curated selection of games for the service for the Chinese market, which would make sense given the region’s strict gaming regulations. Additionally, another update for the app, called “Positron,” was discovered. This is speculated to be a feature that would “enable Disc2Digital.” This could mean that Microsoft is working on introducing digital licenses tied to physical disc games, a controversial feature that many players have criticized and that the company has reportedly been exploring for quite some time.
Last month, Microsoft released a mission statement for Xbox, revealing that the company is reevaluating its approach to exclusivity and AI. This suggests that its strategy of launching games across multiple platforms is being reconsidered. “Along the way, we will reevaluate our approach to exclusivity, windowing, and AI, and share more as we learn and decide,” the statement reads.
Additionally, the company announced that it will rebrand from Microsoft Gaming to Xbox, stating that the new name better reflects its broader ambitions. “Our best work happens when the full stack moves together. ‘Microsoft Gaming’ describes our structure, but it does not describe our ambition. So, we are going back to where we started and changing our team’s name. We are Xbox,” the statement reads.
