Windows Store games under lock - workaround for keyboard & mouse profiles

[GODzillaGSPB]

Today I will play The Outer Worlds as part of the Xbox Game Pass (1€ / 3,99€ per months) as I considered this a good way to see if I like the game. If I do like it, I will buy it. In the Epic Store. And there is a simple reason for this:

 

Games bought in the Windows Game Store are under lock. You cannot even open the game folder. Why is this a problem, apart from things like modding? Most if not any mouse and keyboard drivers / software (like Logitechs GHub or Razers Synapse 3) work with profiles that need to "hook up" to the games exe files. This is impossible if you cannot access the games folder or if the exe itself is inaccessable.

 

Now while there are ways to change the security rights to open and read the games folder to my own user profile - I did that - I found no way to actually change the security attributes of the exe file of the game and whenever I try and add the game to GHub, clicking on the path and the exe, I get a message that I lack the right to open this file and there is no possibility to add the game to the profile list. All my macros and the lighting profile depend on these profiles, so now I don't have them ingame. No button to make a screenshot, no button to record videos.

 

Now I do understand that Windows Game Store games are protected this way to make pirating them impossible and I think it works...at least for those games exclusive to this shop and DRM. But since The Outer Worlds is also out in the Epic Store, how does this make sense? Is it really worth handicapping your paying customers like this? :(

 

Okay, something more constructive now, here is my workaround for this problem: You cannot connect the game to your drivers software, but you can connect the Xbox App! :)

First you need to follow these instrcutions to make the folder of the App accessible, because it is under the same lock as the game folder:

https://www.intowindows.com/how-to-access-windowsapps-folder-in-windows-10/

Once you can access the folder, you will find the executable of the Xbox App in a sub-folder named something like "Microsoft.GamingApp_[...]" and there is another subfolder called "app". In there is the "Xbox.exe" and the good news is that this executable is not locked the same way the game exe is. You can add this to your profiles. As long as you make sure to highlight the Xbox App window before starting the game, the profile will stay active. It worked for me with the Logitech GHub at least.

 

Good luck and happy gaming! :)

[Pidesco]

Thanks for the info. Moved to Technical Support.

[GODzillaGSPB]

Mhm...technical support, you sure? I don't think this is a bug, something that can be fixed with a game update.

Windows Games Store games have been like this since the very first release. Of course, if Obsidian Entertainment, now part of Microsoft, can somehow forward this to Microsoft and maybe, just maybe facilitate a change of thought...but I guess that's too much to hope for.

[Pidesco]

While this isn't something that can necessarily be fixed by a patch, it is a technical issue. It can also possibly be the cause of issues other people are experiencing.

[GODzillaGSPB]

You're right of course. That was also the reason why I initially decided to not only complain but also provide a temporary solution. ^^ Thank you.

 

PS: I wasn't so sure about the tags. What else would make sense for people with this issue to find this?

Edited October 25, 2019 by GODzillaGSPB