By Major announcements for PC and Xbox Cloud Gaming
- by Ben Kerry
The July 2025 Xbox refresh has started deploying to every Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S setup, Windows PC and other compatible devices this week, bringing a slate of substantial tweaks, especially for console and desktop experiences.
Brief highlights of what’s inside the July 2025 cycle are showcased below, and full information can be found over at Xbox Wire:
PC-focused Improvements
Put your personal games library in the cloud on PC
At the start of the month, Microsoft kicked off a preview of the “Stream Your Own Game” capability on the Windows Xbox app for insiders; it is now fully available for every PC owner. A concise explanation of what’s new:
“Effective immediately, Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can stream over 250 titles they possess outside the Game Pass catalogue through the Xbox PC app, across the 28 regions where Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta) operates. Recently supported hits include Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, Mafia: Definitive Edition, The Callisto Protocol and more.
The function (named Stream Your Own Game) saves storage space, skips lengthy installs and gives you on-the-go access. Crucially, you can now jump into console-exclusive releases that were never playable on PC before.”
Unified cross-platform play history & quicker cloud access to console titles on PC
An earlier insider trial added a fresh Play History tab that merges your sessions across devices. The team has clarified how it currently functions, still gated to Xbox Insiders:
“Game Pass Ultimate members in the Insider rings can now launch every cloud-compatible game within their Xbox PC app, even console-only releases from the original Xbox onward. Owned or Game Pass titles sit in one unified list, and a new cross-device Play History pane displays exactly where you left off—console, PC, or browser—so you can resume instantly.”
Rewards with Xbox – collect perks just for playing via the PC app
The final PC-centred feature revolves around Microsoft Rewards. New progress meters will surface while you’re in-game, launching first in selected markets:
“Tracking weekly bonus milestones just became effortless. The PC Xbox app now surfaces a live indicator showing how close you are to earning playtime rewards.
Availability is initially limited to certain regions for players 18 or older with a linked Microsoft account. Be sure to authenticate points before they’re credited to your Rewards balance.”
The remainder of the July roundup on Xbox Wire dives into other ecosystem upgrades—newly minted Play Anywhere titles, Retro Classics additions for Game Pass, a further batch of entries joined to the Stream Your Own Game pool, and plenty more. Head to the source article below for a granular look at every tweak.
Which one of these new toys will you be trying first? Drop your thoughts on this month’s Xbox patch in the comments.
[source news.xbox.com]
Ben is a Pure Xbox news writer who enjoys action, racing and straight-up gun-slinging across any Xbox title he can snag. When he’s not death-gripping an Xbox pad like relic-hunters cling to ancient treasure, he’s cranking decades-old tunes, glued to football broadcasts or hunting for yet another snack.