While cross-platform play between PC and consoles isn't exactly new, Xbox Live's newest feature takes it one step further. Announced today by Microsoft, those using Xbox Live on PC or Xbox One will soon be able to play games online with gamers using other gaming networks like Steam, and possibly, even the PlayStation Network.
Rocket League will be the first game to support the new functionality, as detailed in a post from developer Psyonix.
"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," reads the developer's announcement. "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."
Chris Charla, director of ID@Xbox, shared more details about the new feature, saying that Xbox users will always have the ability to only play against other Xbox players if they so choose and that it will ultimately be up to developers to support the functionality. That means the ball is in Sony's court if it wants to allow those playing on PlayStation Network to compete against those on Xbox. If Sony does give developer Psyonix the green light, Rocket League may be the first of its kind, with players on Xbox One, PC and PS4 all playing with and against one another.
That, however, isn't the reality quite yet. Psyonix says cross-play between Xbox One and PC will be coming this spring, with details about "other platforms" coming soon. It's an interesting move on Microsoft's part. In an age when the number of players for online games can drop drastically in the few months after a title's release, having the ability to double or even triple the online player count with cross-network play is a big deal.
Of course, we'll have to wait and see just how many developers will be in support of such a feature. It remains to be seen if big-budget titles like Call of Duty and others will allow users on other platforms and networks to play with one another. However, for smaller indie games, whose player bases are much smaller on any given platform, being able to unify fans regardless of platform has the potential to be huge.
