Jez Corden Says Microsoft Could Walk Away From Steam, Xbox PC Plans Shift

Xbox strategies for PC are back under the spotlight after journalist Jez Corden discussed the possibility that Microsoft could, at some point, move away from Steam—though he stressed that nothing is currently confirmed. Corden’s comments came amid broader talk of changes in how Xbox will operate on PC, and he later clarified that his original question was hypothetical: whether a future scenario could exist where Microsoft stops supporting Steam.

What Corden actually said about Steam and Xbox on PC

During the Xbox Two podcast, Corden indicated that he understands Microsoft is preparing changes for its PC business. He did not provide specifics, saying he needed to be careful with what he shared. Still, he said the company has been considering options that could eventually include cutting ties with Steam.

Importantly, he did not claim Microsoft is actively pursuing this right now. After multiple outlets repeated his remarks, Corden returned to the topic to correct the framing: the core question was posed as a hypothetical “what if” scenario—whether Xbox’s PC ecosystem growth could open the door to such a move someday, not whether the company is studying it immediately.

If the idea advanced, it would mean Xbox games would stop launching on Valve’s platform, a shift from Microsoft’s long history of releasing Xbox titles on Steam—an approach that has been in place for roughly 15 years, beginning with isolated releases before becoming more consistent over time.

The practical outcomes if Xbox stopped releasing on Steam

Corden laid out three possible directions that could follow if Microsoft ever chose to reduce or end Xbox releases on Steam. While he acknowledged uncertainty about how any such shift would work for Valve’s storefront itself, the scenarios were framed like this:

• Xbox games no longer release on Steam: This would be the most straightforward outcome. Under this model, once Microsoft starts its new PC strategy, Xbox titles would launch on PC but only through Microsoft’s own ecosystem such as the Microsoft Store.
• Microsoft Store first, Steam later: A less drastic approach would still involve Steam, but only after a delay—releasing first on Microsoft Store and then bringing the games to Steam months afterwards.
• Steam-listed Xbox games are removed: This is the most controversial possibility. Corden noted it could happen, but it would represent a level of backlash tied to how little control players often feel they have over digital libraries.

Why Steam would matter—and what Xbox would gain

Even without confirmation, the stakes are clear: Steam is presented as a major discovery and sales platform for PC players. The article cites that by late July 2026, Steam saw peak concurrent users above 38 million, reinforcing how large the audience reach would be.

From Xbox’s perspective, the advantage would be reducing dependence on Valve for distribution. Instead, Microsoft could funnel purchases toward its own channels—such as the Microsoft Store and PC Game Pass—aligning with a PC-first, platform-controlled approach.

How this ties to Xbox’s next hardware direction

Corden’s discussion also connects to Microsoft’s upcoming hardware plan. The source notes that the next Xbox, codenamed Project Helix, is described as a hybrid between PC and a traditional living-room console. The argument is that Xbox would prefer purchases to stay within Xbox-related platforms rather than relying on Steam as the primary place where games are bought and played.

In that context, the notion of a “console you buy to play Xbox games” while those games only end up being accessed through Steam is framed as unlikely—making the Steam question feel less outlandish even if the outcome remains unconfirmed.