Microsoft has announced that online multiplayer play will be supported for cross-platform users on Xbox One, Windows 10 and other “online multiplayer networks.”
The news effectively means that Xbox Live will be able to welcome players from Sony‘s PlayStation Network, along with other networks. An announcement was made on Xbox.com by Chris Charla, director of ID@Xbox, writes Tamoor Hussain for Gamespot.
Microsoft calls on developers to support cross-platform play
Charla said that “it’s up to game developers to support this feature,” and claimed that Microsoft owners would “always have the option of choosing to play only with other Xbox Live players.”
“In addition to natively supporting cross-platform play between Xbox One and Windows 10 games that use Xbox Live, we’re enabling developers to support cross-network play as well,” Charla explained.
“This means players on Xbox One and Windows 10 using Xbox Live will be able to play with players on different online multiplayer networks–including other consoles and PC networks.”
Rocket League becomes first game to do so
Psyonix’ Rocket League will be the first game to allow Xbox One and PC players to face off. Microsoft says that it has extended “an open invitation for other networks to participate as well.”
As it stands Rocket League will also allow PS4 and PC players to compete against each other. When the game first came out on Xbox One, there was no cross-platform functionality.
“The Xbox platform doesn’t allow for cross-play matchmaking between other systems as a general practice across all titles,” developer Psyonix said at the time.
“To say that the team here at Psyonix is both honored and excited to have Rocket League as the first cross-network game is a massive understatement. Cross-network play has been the number-one most requested feature our community has asked for since Rocket League was first announced on Xbox One, and now that we are able to pursue complete online unity on all platforms, today’s announcement is a dream come true,” said VP Jeremy Dunham in a blog post.
Now that Microsoft has decided to support cross-platform functionality, we could be set for rapid developments. That is assuming that game developers also back the idea, but with consumers keen to play against users of other platforms it would seem like a logical next step.
