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Using Windows 10 and trying to add some Steam games to the My games list in the Xbox app. When I click on the Add a game from your PC it shows a list of apps that have shortcuts in the Start Menu. I've created and copied lots of Steam game shortcuts to the Start Menu folder, which in my case is:

%userprofile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu

Despite this, the Xbox app refuses to detect any of these shortcuts. Does anyone know how to make adding third-party games to your collection as easy as it is with Steam?

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  • From what I understand you're saying that you're adding shortcuts? Try locating the actual .exe for the individual games and adding that. If you don't know where those are located they should be in the within the steam directory on your computer. I don't remember the file structure off the top of my head but it's easily findable online.
    – BlueBarren
    Commented Jan 3, 2017 at 16:12
  • I removed the steam games, re installed them, then they came up to add in Xbox.
    – Brok3n
    Commented Jul 1, 2017 at 6:52
  • Is there a way to do this on the updated version of the app, as it does not have an add games function anymore?
    – Nathaniel A.
    Commented Jan 10, 2022 at 22:48

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I think your path is wrong. Try:

%userprofile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs

The official Microsoft Website says that is the path it should be (you are missing Programs at the end). It also says:

At this time, the “Add a game from your PC” feature doesn't recognize desktop shortcuts, but you can use the desktop shortcut to create a Start menu shortcut so you can add your game to the My games list in the Xbox app.

To explain how to do this:

Open File Explorer and copy and paste the following path into the file path bar:

%userprofile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\

This is the Start menu shortcut location. You now can copy and paste your desktop shortcut into this file location. If the Xbox app is still open, close and restart the app. The new programs will now appear in the “Add a game from your PC” list.

From this, you need to put your desktop shortcuts into the start menu. It will now recognize the desktop shortcut as a start menu shortcut.

I would first try moving your shortcuts into the Programs folder. It sounds like they are already Start Menu shortcuts so you should be fine. If it doesn't work, try the rest of the solution to make your desktop shortcuts a start menu shortcut.

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  • Sorry, it does seem I didn't paste the full path. As you say the Programs folder is the final folder and that is indeed where I have my shortcuts placed. Oddly, I just created some shortcuts for other games such as Diablo 3, StarCraft 2 and they seem to be detected fine. It just appears to be shortcuts created by going to Properties in Steam, then browsing to local files, right clicking on the game executable in there and using either Pin to Start or by manually creating a shortcut and copying it to the Program directory in the Start Menu folder path. Steam games appear problematic.
    – Darren Evans
    Commented Jan 4, 2017 at 17:44

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