This site may earn affiliate commissions from the links on this page. Terms of use.

Windows 10: One product family, one platform, one store

Microsoft appear it has made some significant backend improvements to the Windows 10 Store that technically let for offline play — but the number of hoops you lot'll demand to jump through to enable this characteristic remains meaning. Offline play is 1 aspect of the Windows Store that's lagged well behind competitors like Steam or even services like Origin, so it's skilful to see Microsoft making an try to offer this feature.

There are more details on how to enable this capability over at the Xbox back up site, and you'll desire to read about the capabilities and restrictions of the mode earlier you start fussing with it. The first matter to know is that unlike Steam, which allows offline play from any device associated with your account, the Windows x Shop only allows you lot to take one designated offline device — and you can only alter which device is designated three times a year. To set an account to offline, perform the post-obit steps:

  • Brand sure that you're online.
  • Check that your device has the latest Windows updates: Become to Start > Settings > Update & security > Windows Update and see if whatever relevant updates are available.
  • Open the Store. You'll be prompted to sign in if you lot haven't already.
  • Select the Me icon (this is your profile motion-picture show).
  • Select Settings, and and then under Offline Permissions, make certain that the toggle is set to On.

In one case you've completed this stride, you'll need to launch each title individually that you desire to play in offline mode. You volition need to sign into your Xbox Alive account from within each title, though it's not articulate why this footstep has to exist performed. One time information technology is, even so, you lot can run titles while remaining offline (provided yous properly followed the steps higher up). While it'due south great to run across Microsoft adding this feature, the procedure of really playing offline is cumbersome at best.

Rise of the Tomb Raider

You tin can play great games like Rise of the Tomb Raider… and I'm sure in that location's others. Probably.

If Microsoft really wants to compete with Steam, it's going to need to do better than offering poor imitations of a better process. Adding capabilities is good, merely they need to be at to the lowest degree as easy to use on Microsoft's own platform as they are on a third-party utility. Almost games tin be played offline through Steam by simply setting the store to offline fashion. There are exceptions, and games practise need to be launched at to the lowest degree once earlier offline manner tin be engaged, but this has been the general rule for a number of years.

With the Windows Store, simply existence immune to alter your "Offline" device three times per year is ridiculously strict — so much then, ane suspects that Microsoft's goal was to offer bullet-indicate adequacy for comparisons against Steam, but not to create a feature anyone would actually want to utilise.