This seems like a long way to go for “we know that this device is an Xbox and Xbox doesn’t support printing, let’s tell the user”
Only it doesn’t tell the user. It leads them down a path implying implementation is possible.
On the other hand, I now know why so many issues I’ve troubleshooted on MS products end in tears and complete confusion as to why they wouldn’t just say “this is not a feature you can use on this device.”
You're missing the fact that Xbox can run apps developed for (desktop) Windows, and that the scenario in the article is about the platform <-> end user relationship and does not involve the app developer at all.
Doesn’t the platform: 1. Know that is a windows app 2. Know that it is Xbox
So it could override the “print” request with a user appropriate notification?
"apps that assume that printing works will still behave in a reasonable manner: You’re just on a system that doesn’t have any printers and all attempts to install a printer are ineffective."
Maybe the underlying assumption is that the users will give up before spending an "unreasonable" amount of time on these tar pit features.