Microsoft recently confirmed that four of its Xbox and PC exclusive games will soon be available on additional gaming platforms. This strategic move doesn’t include high-profile exclusives like ‘Starfield’ or ‘Indiana Jones and the Great Circle,’ which will retain their platform exclusivity. At the same time, the Xbox Game Pass service, having amassed over 34 million subscribers since its inception, continues to grow.
Game Pass Core Principles Reaffirmed
Matt Booty, the head of Xbox Game Studios, reiterated the company’s commitment to the Game Pass service, emphasizing that all first-party titles will be accessible on Game Pass from launch day, though the service remains exclusive to Xbox consoles. Booty highlighted the importance of providing a seamless gaming experience across platforms, focusing on cross-play and cross-save features to fulfill Xbox’s promise of allowing players to game on their preferred devices and with friends regardless of location.
Cross-Play and Cross-Save: The Future of Gaming
Booty acknowledged that while not all games currently support cross-play and cross-save capabilities, these features are essential to the Xbox ecosystem and will become more prevalent as more developers become part of Xbox Game Studios. Despite some titles not yet utilizing these functionalities, the integration of cross-platform play and saving remains a fundamental aspect of Microsoft’s gaming strategy, benefiting both the players and the first-party developers closely linked to the platform.
Moreover, ‘Diablo 4’ from Blizzard Entertainment, set to release on March 28, will be available to Game Pass subscribers on both PC and Xbox consoles. While Microsoft has not confirmed other specific additions to the Game Pass lineup, it teases future announcements, hinting at the potential release of a new ‘Call of Duty’ installment in October.
This move by Microsoft not only diversifies the gaming experience for players across different platforms but also strengthens the unique selling proposition of the Xbox Game Pass, offering a comprehensive gaming library from the very first day of each game’s release. Gamers should stay alert for upcoming announcements, as Microsoft appears to have more in store for the near future.
