Xbox Play Anywhere is a new cross-play initiative from Microsoft, allowing players to purchase games at one price for two platforms. Announced during Microsoft’s E3 Press Conference today, the program bridges the gap between PC and XBox One gamers.
The first title to take advantage of the program will be Gears of War 4, opening new possibilities for eSports and online multiplayer. Other titles include:
- Forza: Horizon 3
- Halo Wars 2
- ReCore
- Scalebound
- Sea of Thieves
- State of Decay 2
- We Happy Few
Currently the program is mostly made up of Microsoft’s first-party titles, with a few smaller indies thrown in, like Ark: Survival Evolved. Ark will be free on Windows 10 to those that bought it on Xbox One, “thanks to Play Anywhere,” according to Microsoft. While all Play Anywhere games will come with console and PC copies at no extra cost, the program is limited to digital purchases only. Also, not every Play Anywhere game will feature cross-platform multiplayer by default.
For those games that do feature Play Anywhere, both versions of the game will automatically sync. For example, buying a game on Xbox One will automatically add it to the users’ Windows 10 library, and vice versa. Saved games, achievements, and other information will carry over between the two versions, as well.
Gears of War 4 is scheduled for release on October 11 for both Xbox One and Windows 10.
