Cannot open xbox app / cannot update gaming services

Question

Cannot open xbox app / cannot update gaming services

Jakub 25

After a long time I got my eyes on forza horizon 6 thats avaiable to play only through ms store. It was telling me that my gaming services weren't up to date. I updated all xbox apps on ms store and after that I tried to launch xbox app. It starts and tells its updating. When it finishes I get "Try updating once more, code 0x80073cf6". Gaming repair tool, on "xbox app" got 0x80548225 and at the "Installing gaming services" 0x8000ffff. When uninstalling got 0x80073cf1, menaged to get around that and after that installed it from freshly downloaded XboxInstaller.exe. Now I still cannot open it because "Try updating once more, code 0x80073cf6" even after fresh install. Now in Gaming repair tool, xbox app update is completed, but "Installing gaming services" ends with 0x80548225. When going through direct link in ms store after gaming services finishes downloading it shows 0x80070002. I've done a few steps inbetween but I don't remember all of them.

RJ 0 Reputation points

2026-06-19T02:25:42.5433333+00:00

I'm experiencing the same issue. I followed the steps provided and upon restarting and relaunching I did see the xbox app install something but then gave the same error as before. I've done all the same steps as the OP originally did and nothing has worked. the repair tool has failed, uninstalling and reinstalling, running the code through power shell to delete everything (in admin mode of course) still no luck. when I launch Forza horizon 5 or 6 or Sea of Thieves on steam nothing happens.

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RJ 0 Reputation points

2026-06-19T02:25:42.5433333+00:00

I'm experiencing the same issue. I followed the steps provided and upon restarting and relaunching I did see the xbox app install something but then gave the same error as before. I've done all the same steps as the OP originally did and nothing has worked. the repair tool has failed, uninstalling and reinstalling, running the code through power shell to delete everything (in admin mode of course) still no luck. when I launch Forza horizon 5 or 6 or Sea of Thieves on steam nothing happens.

Answer 1

Rayyan Fawad 1,170

Hi Jakub,

Man, getting hit with error codes like 0x80073cf6 and 0x80548225 just when you're trying to play Forza Horizon 6 is the absolute worst. As you mentioned, since the Gaming Services repair tool and standard reinstalls are looping, the Microsoft Store registration is completely choked up.

Since you’ve already tried the XboxInstaller.exe route, you usually have to nuke the Gaming Services registry keys to force Windows to pull a clean copy. Give this a shot:

Right-click the Start Menu, open PowerShell (Admin), and run this command to completely wipe the broken service: get-appxpackage *gamingoperators* | remove-appxpackage -allusers

Open the Registry Editor (cmd -> regedit) and navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services

Delete the GamingServices and GamingServicesNet folders if they are still there.

Restart your PC, open the Xbox App, and it should finally let you install a working version of Gaming Services without throwing those error codes.

Let me know if that finally gets you past the loading screen!

Jakub 25 Reputation points

2026-06-04T23:18:29.3466667+00:00

Hello, I tried it already once, but with xbox app registry not the gaming one and it didn't work. Now this solution worked like a charm. Thank you very much. Have a nice day, or good night:D
Rayyan Fawad 1,170 Reputation points

2026-06-04T23:21:39.3333333+00:00

Awesome to see that modifying the gaming registry instead of the standard Xbox app registry solved it for you, Jakub! Dealing with Windows gaming services can be a massive headache when it decides to act up, so I'm glad it's finally working like a charm.

Thanks for dropping back in to share what worked—have an amazing day (or night) ahead as well!