Xbox and PC Game Pass services currently offer limited access to the Windows ecosystem. However, the Heroic Game Launcher group is working on a new project for Linux and Mac platforms to change this.

The development team is working on an open-source launcher called Xodus that aims to provide access to Xbox and PC Game Pass games from systems other than Windows. This project aims to allow users to access their game libraries without being dependent on Windows.

Linux and Mac paths are opening for Game Pass

Within the Xodus project, users will be able to log in with their Xbox accounts, verify the licenses of the games they own or can access through Game Pass, and install the games directly. The team has already made the Xbox login and license verification systems operational.

The most critical stage ahead of the project is the process of running the games. Developers are working intensively to support Microsoft’s newer GDK and MSIXVC formats with a counter-engineering formula.

However, not all Xbox PC games are expected to be supported by this launcher. In particular, older UWP-based games from the early days of Windows 8 and Windows 10 will be excluded. For example, it is stated that games like Forza Horizon 3 cannot be run via Xodus.

Technical details and expectations

To play supported games on Linux, various compatibility layers such as Wine, DXVK, or VKD3D-Proton will be required. Mac support is currently in the development stage.

The completion of the Xodus project will be a valuable development, especially for Steam Deck, Steam Machine, and other Linux-based computer users. This will allow users to access the PC Game Pass library without needing a Windows operating system.

While the project’s development process continues, a detailed release schedule has not yet been shared. How do you think the addition of Linux and Mac will affect the number of Game Pass users?