Why can't my Xbox One gaming rig allow installing Windows 8 software? [closed]

This may be off-topic for this particular board but I couldn't find a better one and a question I had was bothering me. I am looking at purchasing some new PC games to play but my gaming PC is outdated. I don't want to drop another $1k + to play games after just purchasing an Xbox One (gaming computer basically)

Why CAN'T I install Windows 8-compatible games on it? Why restrict it to only Win8 apps? Assuming that if Xbox One can run Windows 8 apps it has everything there necessary to install other software that they are just restricting content.

pc xbox-one

Best Answer

You can't run Windows games on an Xbox One because an Xbox One is not a Windows PC. The Xbox One uses a custom CPU (based on AMD's Jaguar architecture) and a custom OS ("Xbox OS" with a custom kernel).

That said, both of these things are based on standards similar to that used for PCs - Jaguar is x86-based, and the underlying kernel of Xbox OS is a "custom Windows kernel."

Thus, Windows applications don't work because the system is customized from what a "stock" PC would use. However, these customizations were done on purpose to differentiate it from a PC running Windows. Why Microsoft made these choices is not something I can really answer.

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Why can't my Xbox One gaming rig allow installing Windows 8 software? [closed] - Man Holding Black Game Controller

Why can't my Xbox One gaming rig allow installing Windows 8 software? [closed] - Person Holding Microsoft Xbox One Controller

Why does it keep saying installation stopped?

The most common cause for installation stopped Xbox One is that your console is trying to download an update for the game while the game is installing. Another common cause is that the game files you saved locally get corrupted.

Why is my Xbox game not downloading PC?

Also, check the Microsoft Store for any updates on the Xbox apps and its services. Then try this: Go to windows settings > apps > search for gaming services app > click on it and select advanced options. After that, click repair and then restore, open the app and try again.

Liz Phair - Why Can't I? (Official Video)

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