Many Games Will Not Launch on PC GamePass

rawginpi · Mar 20, 2022

Since reactivating GamePass 4 months ago (never had an issue before), many (seems like just indie) games have all had the same problem with launching. The game will give an error ("This app can't open, check the store for more info...") and isn't able to launch. It often will launch for a few moments, showing a company logo or even a menu, but then close suddenly and only show the "check store" message after that (ex. among us). Some games will play for one time initially after install (ex. outer wilds), and then show the same error after an attempt to launch a second time (a reinstall resets this and allows another first launch).

I've had this problem on Windows 10, then updated and am still having it on Windows 11. I've tried everything suggested on previous posts multiple times. I have no other issues on any other platform or with any other software (Ryzen 3900x, 2080ti system).

This is a big issue and seems to happen on at least half the games I've tried playing (almost always indie titles).

:)

XBF-JoannaDark

Hello,rawginpi,

I hope you are doing well today. Welcome to the Xbox Community. Thank you for reaching out to Xbox Forums. Your having issues launching games on PC Game Pass? Is this for all games or the games you mentioned in this thread? Could you please give me a small list of the games you have had issues with? Also, could you let me know what suggestions you have attempted before I provide some on my end to hopefully find a solution to your problem?

Thanks,

rawginpi

Most games do not work. Big games like Halo, Forza, Guardians of the Galaxy, Mass Effect Trilogy all work as expected. But indie games usually do not work. Dead Cells and Darkest Dungeon work, but games like Death's Door, Among Us, Far, Twelve Minutes, Olija, Deer Simulator, and The Pedestrian do not work.

Outer Wilds will work the first time it runs, but then it will return the same error (works again after fresh install, but only the first run). Lonely Mountains: Downhill would not work previously, but I tried again after a few months, and now it works fine (the only one that changed to working).

I've tried the following (plus a bunch I forgot):

-reinstalled xbox app

-reset windows store

-cleared store cache

-ensured windows and apps are up-to-date

-ran sfc /scannow as admin, no errors found

-uninstalled/reinstalled games

-windows troubleshooter

Farscape247

gamepass pc has a completely different catalogue of games and ea access is not part of the gamepass pc side yet (ea access is on console only)

in the gamepass pc version there are some xbox one games which are play anywhere titles (not many).

Alasdair5849

If you have gamepass installed on your pc try launching the game through that

[Farscape]

it is part of gamepass ultimate for console, it is getting launched to the gamepass pc side of things later this year as it was delayed.

gamepass ultimate consists of

Gamepass for console

Gamepass for PC

Gold for console

Xcloud

EA Play on console

EA Play on PC later this year.

Many Games Will Not Launch on PC GamePass