Microsoft’s Xbox PC app hints at China expansion for Game Pass

Microsoft appears to be expanding its Xbox Game Pass subscription to China. References to “Project Saluki” were discovered in the latest Xbox PC app update this week, with Microsoft describing the codename as “expanding the Chinese market for Game Pass, rewards and subscription tiers.”

While Microsoft offers a variety of games in China through Activision Blizzard, it does not currently make Xbox Game Pass available in the country. Microsoft sells Xbox consoles in China, and Launched for the first time Xbox One in China in 2014, becoming the first video game console to do so 14 years later Government ban On game consoles.

The Chinese Xbox Store has a much smaller catalog of games in the country, as titles must be approved by Chinese regulators. This has complicated any plans to bring Xbox Game Pass to China in the past, but Project Saluki may offer a smaller selection of games tailored to this unique market. We’ve asked Microsoft for comment on Project Saluki, and will update you accordingly.

The Microsoft Xbox PC app also mentions the Positron codename, which is said to “enable Disc2Digital.” It’s not clear exactly what Positron is, but it could be a return to Microsoft’s original plan to convert disc games into digital licenses. Microsoft was planning to do this with the Xbox One, but backlash from publishers and game vendors forced the company to abandon the plans.

Windows Central Positron is expected to be in the works for Project Helix, Microsoft’s next-gen Xbox console. Microsoft is increasingly moving towards discless consoles, after launching an all-digital Xbox Series S console in 2020 and Xbox Series In white in 2024.