New Xbox PC branding pops up in game promos

Mention of the newer Xbox PC branding has once again appeared in official game promo materials.

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Yesterday, the official Xbox YouTube channel published a gameplay trailer for MIO: Memories In Orbit, a new stylish Metroidvania. The footage showed clear mention of Xbox PC and guided users to download a free demo that's available on Windows PC. What's notable is that MIO is a third-party game that's published by Focus Home Interactive and it's not a first-party title, but it is however featured on Xbox Game Pass, which could denote a partner deal is in place.

The snippet was caught by Windows Central, who noted the Xbox PC handle could be part of Microsoft's new gaming efforts for Windows 11.

This isn't the first time the Xbox PC label has popped up; we've seen mention of it in the Gears of War Reloaded announcement issued directly from Microsoft.

From the gist of it, "Xbox PC" is an umbrella term that represents the full ecosystem of Microsoft's Xbox-branded gaming products, content, and services that are available and sold on Windows PCs. This includes digital games sold on the Xbox app and directly in the browser store as well as content accessed via Xbox Game Pass (the PC fork of which is still called PC Game Pass).

This is also a marketing term that publishers may have discretion on whether or not to adopt the new branding.

For example, there's been multiple new game trailers released on the Xbox YouTube channel that do not mention Xbox PC. These are games that have both appeared on Xbox Game Pass and are also sold on Xbox's digital PC storefront.

These include two titles that are currently on Game Pass, both of which have partner deals in place with Microsoft: a new trailer for Atomfall's Wicked Isle expansion from Rebellion, and a trailer for Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess from Capcom.

Ultimately, it is unclear how and if the Xbox PC branding will be used by widespread partners and third-party publishers, but it seems like a good idea to try to standardize Microsoft's gaming services to make things easier for consumers to understand.