Yesterday Microsoft revealed the news that they are making their rather successful ‘XBox Live Services’ available on other platforms. Nintendo Switch, iOS & Android are all on board and it means cross platform play is a much simpler prospect for all games including third party across many different devices.
Add to this the integration of your friends lists, multiplayer gaming and achievements and you can enjoy your games on any platform while still benefiting from Microsoft’s XBox Live features.
Details are skant at the moment but it’s expected to be covered in more detail with a press release next month.
Potential Smash Hit
If Microsoft build on this and add their ‘streaming device’ (I covered this in detail here……https://geekgasm.org/2018/07/31/xbox-new-console-2019/) We could have a new hands down victor in the console wars. Imagine having a subscription and availing of Xbox cloud processing power while playing the game you want, on the device you want? It sounds like a million dollar idea and if it cuts out the cost of buying hardware, then we all stand to win!
Sony getting Bitch-slapped?
Even if the streaming across devices doesn’t come to pass (although I don’t see why it wouldn’t), just by offering it’s services to other platforms, Microsoft look set to increase their users from 400 million devices to 2 billion devices. Offering cross platform gaming and especially having a strong partner in Nintendo all makes Sony look like the bad guy. Sony have already received grief for not allowing cross play on it’s games and has only folded in extreme circumstances (Fortnite being the Catalyst). If Microsoft continue to team up with others and offer integration of their live services, they’re set to tower over Playstation and leave them looking foolish.
My Thoughts
I have always been a Playstation guy. Mainly down to the exclusives and the fact that in my college days, the PS2 was my all in one entertainment system. But I can’t help but feel that Microsoft are making all the right moves lately. It’s necessary for the underdog to take bold risks and it looks to me that their ideas are going to pay off.
Whatever happens, I look forward to the future. XBox have come out swinging, so lets see what Playstation are going to fight back with!
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