The state of Xbox Play Anywhere

[Hanley Gibbons]

By my count there are currently only 46 titles that are Xbox Play Anywhere (11 of those are Microsoft Studios) and most of them are indie or casual titles.

I feel like Microsoft missed an incredible opportunity with the Xbox One X to push UWP/Play Anywhere. After all, Xbox Play Anywhere titles are all UWP and have different graphics presets for PCs that would have made it easier to scale and optimize for Xbox One X enhancement.

If Windows Core OS gaming is ever going to take off I feel like Microsoft needs to really start incentivizing devs with a combination of carrots and sticks to start building the catalog for when x86 support is no longer standard.

What are your thoughts?

 

[mbrooks78]

I think problem is that the average console gamer primarily uses their pc to update a resume, browse the internet (porn) and little else. Most people who are pc gamers aren't interested in games from the store because of the lack of customization. I'm not sure if they have made any progress in bridging the gap between the store games and the x86 games.

 

[Legellan]

The major publishers are technically losing money with Xbox Play Anywhere (XPA). They only sell 1 license. I admit not many people were going to buy the game for X1 and PC but they are still out there. And we all know how much they like to earn their monies.......

At least for online games I think that cross platform multiplayer has taken the wind of of XPA's sails. I can now just buy it once and play with everyone, not just my chosen platform.

 

[Kieran Jeffery]

I think, like you say, there aren't that many people that can take advantage of it. The main selling point I would guess is for those that travel a fair amount and have a powerful enough laptop to take advantage. It would surprise me if that demographic was more than 2 percent of the entire Xbox owners. It would be great to see games like Fallout, Battlefield, CoD etc come to the program.

Overall though, it's just a nice thing to have for those that can take advantage of it. Hopefully by the time the next Xbox launches, MS can either make it essential for all xbox releases to support it, or provide a huge incentive for developers to take advantage of it. If I were MS looking at the long game, I would force Devs to support it and offer them half their MS store commission back if they did support it for the first month or three after release. Really expand the store.

 

[unmorphed]

By my count there are currently only 46 titles that are Xbox Play Anywhere (11 of those are Microsoft Studios) and most of them are indie or casual titles.

I feel like Microsoft missed an incredible opportunity with the Xbox One X to push UWP/Play Anywhere. After all, Xbox Play Anywhere titles are all UWP and have different graphics presets for PCs that would have made it easier to scale and optimize for Xbox One X enhancement.

If Windows Core OS gaming is ever going to take off I feel like Microsoft needs to really start incentivizing devs with a combination of carrots and sticks to start building the catalog for when x86 support is no longer standard.

What are your thoughts?

I think we've seen in the past, with WP development, that Microsoft can't force developers to do anything regardless of incentives.

 

[Hirox K]

I think, like you say, there aren't that many people that can take advantage of it.store.

Agree. I do use XPA on my Alienware or Surface Pro when I travel or go out. I'm, most likely, the minority.
And... I'm looking forward to dock a small WoA on my gamepad. Not eager to run Middle Earth but some indie / computation cheaper titles.

MS can either make it essential for all xbox releases to support it

Don't think MS can force devs into doing anything.

 

[MatsuDano]

I think if Xbox Play Anywhere is going to gain traction it is going to have to pursue it on a mobile front. Most of the assumed use-cases I hear of is "I play on my xbox, then I go play on my gaming PC". But that doesn't make any sense, because those two are very similar experiences. Play Anywhere should be about scaling up OR down.

I'm thinking closer to the Fortnite (I know it's not XPA but it's an analog to the experience) model where I can play on my phone, or on my PC, or on my console. For some games it won't make sense, like Gears of War. However, other games that have more simplified controls and/or lesser system requirements can become more universally accessible.

 

[ashram]

Love the idea, but most publishers see the xbox and PC as 2 platforms, so 2 possible sources of revenue. Granted, people that own the same game on both are few and far between.

 

[Johnathan Dalipsingh]

There is a lot of people in the world that double or even triple buy games for their different systems (me included), if MS can tap into this and get a section in their Xbox Profile area for the Nintendo Switch(first), Playstation and others, where you can manage all your game collections, if you have a game on another platform that is verified, Let's say Minecraft Switch Edition, you can get a 20% discount by getting it for your xbox and vice versa. In this way, the various app stores will get their full cut, but is only the publisher that will get the shaft, they can get it cause you already bought the title for the full price on one platform, now the other buy will be just surplus. I think if MS does this, Xbox Play Anywhere will be a huge hit, and well if you get it on the Xbox, obviously the game will be free to get on Windows.

You know, imagine this ad comes across your TV. Buy it for your Xbox, and get deep discounts for your other consoles.... Xbox Play Anywhere...

A man can only dream

 

[boydtoven]

FWIW -- I played most of ReCore (and, to a lesser degree, Everspace) going back & forth between XB1 and my HP laptop. Play Anywhere allowed me to enjoy a game I like while other people in the house used the tv with the Xbox.

I'm not a serious or hardcore gamer by any stretch, but I like having that option.

 

[Paul Josephson]

​

As far as PlayAnywhere. I believe it is a work in progress in getting larger properties on board. I think the larger, more popular AAA third-party games will gravitate to using it as a selling point. But, it will take time. But, then again at one point, I thought first-party games would toss in BC versions along with newest version as a selling bonus (e.g. Red Dead Redemption 2 gets RDR BC game). But, that never materialized either. So, I am batting 0 in predictions. However, there are lot of games (mostly indies) outside of Microsoft studios that are PlayAnywhere and that is better than what other consoles offer. So, I am not going to complain too much here. And Microsoft's offerings from their first-party aren't too shabby either. Better to have it period then not to have it at all. Would I like to see Wolfenstein or Doom or COD PlayAnywhere? Sure! I am not holding my breath looking for ways to get it to happen.

 

[John20212]

The only way Play Anywhere would succeed is if Microsoft partnered with an established PC Gaming partner such as GOG or Steam and make the Play Anywhere titles available through there.

The Windows Store will never succeed with PC Gamers many of whom remember the last time they invested in a MS PC platform and got screwed (GFWL). Plus with the well established main PC game distributors as GOG and Steam, there is nothing Microsoft is offering above and beyond that would entice even some PC gamers to use their store.
Microsoft was stupid enough to not even leverage the biggest assets they had when launching Play Anywhere, that being the Halo Universe. But that once again brings back bad memories for PC gamers of getting the shaft from Microsoft when they got abandoned after Halo 2 was the last PC release.

Age of Empires, another legendary Microsoft PC property is all but dead with the demise of AOEO and the incredible potential it had if managed well and with the failed launch of AOE DE, and no word for months of the other remasters and AOE4. Not to mention the talent that Microsoft trashed with Ensemble Studios.

This all concludes in the fact Microsoft should not even try to get back into the PC Gaming market, because they don't have the skill and talent to pull it off and they are incapable of understanding what PC gamers are after. Just like countless other Microsoft ideas Play Anywhere was mismanaged from the start and will never live to the full potential it could have reached if headed by people who had a clue about PC gaming.

 

[Drew Neilson]

There's another point that has not yet been mentioned. Many people are still running Windows 7, and I presume some of them are gamers. I presume that most PC game developers won't be ready to abandon Windows 7 users until the market share of Windows 7 among each game's target audience is low. As for me personally, I have an Xbox One S and a 2017 Surface Pro and so I hope that more game developers and publishers adopt Xbox Play Anywhere. Adopting Xbox Play Anywhere does not mean that publishers have to abandon other online stores; Microsoft has said that UWP apps can be distributed outside of the Microsoft Store.
Hmm, Cuphead is a Play Anywhere game and yet, it is also available from Steam and works on Windows 7. Maybe that takes down my entire point.

 

[JohnnyBawesome]

I wish Destiny 2 was Play Anywhere. That would be freaking awesome!

 

[Jason Rosenthal]

Some of it maybe the design of the store app. It doesn't ask if you want to install a game the everywhere. Not everyone is going to search for the game they just bought on their Xbox in the windows store or realize that they could. I also have game pass which includes some play anywhere games which most people aren't aware of.

 

[T5UN4M1 17]

Xbox Play Anywhere is awesome! We get the best value for our games when we only have to buy them once! I've got Killer Instinct, Marvel vs Capcom Infinite, Resident Evil 7, Recore, Cuphead, and Super Lucky's Tale.
Only two things going against it. Gamers who have a big Steam library may prefer to keep games on one platform.
And the other is that the Microsoft Store is poorly organized and impossible to navigate. Come on Microsoft!!!

 

[larspassic]

As long as the first party titles keep coming, I still perceive Microsoft to still be running the long game with post anywhere.

 

[Hirox K]

The only way Play Anywhere would succeed is if Microsoft partnered with an established PC Gaming partner such as GOG or Steam and make the Play Anywhere titles available through there.

Steam and GOG will have to start making UWP installation available, and support XBL to cross-save (if dev don't want to code their own cloud save).

The Windows Store will never succeed with PC Gamers many of whom remember the last time they invested in a MS PC platform

1. How many got brunt?
2. Are you saying, investing Win10 + UWP for Box, BC, FC, XBA and GamePass are all short term investments?
3. Does games on Steam and GOG support s-mode or ARM64?
4. Is Win core, Win10 on ARM (also for IOT, AR, MR) short term investment? A no future?
5. How difficult is for MS or OEM to release a 6" ARM Windows PC? ARM is always small-screen-friendly no? ARROWS Tab V567/P + Snapdragon 1k is just a matter of time tbh.
6. 2 devices in front of a Xbox user, 1 is Android, 1 is 6" WoA capable of running XPA...
I don't think MS will need to worry about Steam and GOG, there's quite a lotta irreplaceable features and synergy here.

 

[Hirox K]

MS is building infra for Streaming.

And Mixer so far,
1. Streamer can sell MsStore products and get a cut.
2. Devs can open XBA game's API to Mixer. Try search We are Jack, and there are more.
One day, viewers might be able to pick an item from their inventory and trader with streamer when a streamer yells "legendary axe!!!". This means a lotta thing in business and fan building.
I think these efforts are all part of the investment / infra.

I think this is what we will see in the market months or years later.
1. Run game natively on Xboxes.
2. Run AAA XPA natively on Gaming NB or Desktop.
3. Stream newest Xbox games on older Xbox.
4. Run computation cheaper XPA natively on non-gaming NB / desktop, WoA NB (big, small or dual screen).
5. Stream AAA XPA on non-gaming NB / desktop, WoA NB (big, small or dual screen) or mobile (non-windows).

 

[greedo_greedy]

Seems like Resident Evil 2 Remake isn't getting the "Play Anywhere" treatment :crying:

Sad I bought RE7 digitally (my first digital game in the series) specifically for this feature.