Microsoft opens Xbox Live to cross-platform multiplayer

Xbox will support cross-network play. This makes it possible to play multiplayer games on different platforms together. The first game to support this is Rocket League. Initially, it applies to Windows 10 PC and Xbox One. Other platforms will follow later.

With this, Microsoft opens the Xbox Live platform so that users of other platforms can also play on it. Rocket League developer Psyonix says on his blog that he is honored to offer the first game with cross-network play. Ultimately, Psyonix wants to allow as many platforms as possible to play against each other. Initially, the cross-network option will apply to Xbox One and Windows 10 PC. Information on other platforms will follow soon, but it seems only a matter of time that the next platform is PlayStation 4.

Rocket League already supports cross-platform play between PlayStation 4 and PC. The Xbox variant of the game did not support this functionality because the Xbox platform did not support it. However, game makers must add the function to Xbox games themselves, writes ID@Xbox director Chris Charla on his ID@Xbox blog. Microsoft invites other platforms to participate.

ID@Xbox is a publishing program for Xbox from mainly independent developers. The first games via this platform became available in 2014. The third Game Developers Conference around ID@Xbox is currently underway. In addition to cross-network play, Microsoft announced that the XNA framework was quietly added to an open source solution MonoGame some time ago. For example, certain XNA games can also be played on the Xbox One.