The concept of social gaming just took a new twist after Microsoft allowed cross-play between Xbox One and Windows 10 PC users. Redmond is officially rolling out the feature to the Gears of War 4 game.
According to The Coalition, the game's developer, the cross-platform play transpires in Social Quickplay for Xbox One and Windows 10 users. Social Quickplay was officially listed in the cross-play playlist on Jan. 27.
Xbox vs. PC Gamers
Under the newly introduced game mechanics, Xbox One and PC users will now be able to fight each other when playing Gears of War 4 Versus Multiplayer mode. We have already seen a variant of this type of gameplay in the case of Rocket League.
The first few months will still serve as a trial period. This is really not surprising. Although it already had an initial run via the cross-play testing that The Coalition staged last year, it was only for one weekend. The company, therefore, may still be in the process of ironing out some kinks and issues as the wider tranche of gamers join the fray.
Cross-Platform Play Turnout
This is particularly important because this new game feature seems to be a hit in the making. During the previously mentioned weekend cross-play test, The Coalition boasted that more than 750,000 matches have been played by more than 115,000 participants.
The company also noted that the breakdown of participants indicates comparable levels of interest and engagement from among Xbox One and PC gamers. To underscore this, The Coalition cited that 90 percent of the matches involved a mix of Xbox One and Windows 10 players.
The motivation behind the decision to hold a trial period is probably the reason the game developer is keeping Core and Competitive modes platform-independent at this point.
The company may be anticipating some snags within the trial period, which could affect gaming experience. Gamers concerned about their ranking will no doubt raise their pitchforks if their performances are hampered by glitches and potentially ineffective matchmaking. One should note that Gears of War has already been criticized for this latter flaw.
Positive Player Response
Players in both Xbox One and PC platforms seem pleased about the new development. Several players have even expressed their excitement, noting how multiplayer for PC looks like a ghost town sometimes.
There are also those who express reservations. For example, a member of the Gears of War forum noted how a good chunk of Xbox One users he was able to play with were inexperienced, easily decimated by more experienced PC gamers. The mismatch could, therefore, affect gaming experience for those looking for more challenging play. Some are also concerned that it could turn some Xbox One players off, especially those new to the game.
There is no word yet if cross-platform play will get implemented in other titles soon. The same is also true in the case of the possibility of cross-platform play between Xbox One and PlayStation 4 users. Microsoft, however, is aggressively pushing for this, particularly with its Xbox Play Anywhere initiative.
