Xbox Live by Microsoft is coming to Android and iOS devices. The company is bringing the latest cross-platform software development kit (SDK) for mobile, which will allow game developers to apply the functionality of Xbox Live into Android and iOS-based games. With this, several Xbox Live features such as hero stats, clubs, achievements, etc. will be accessible on Android and iOS.
Microsoft’s goal is to bring Xbox services and games to different platforms. Parts of Xbox Live will be chosen to join other developers’ games. It will be activated by only one Microsoft account sign-in. The identity network of Microsoft is being used to assist privacy, child accounts, log in and online safety.
Kareem Choudhry, the chief of Microsoft gaming cloud, promptly explained to the media this week: “We believe so strongly in community, and Xbox Live is at the heart of our gaming community. If you watch what we’ve done, especially with Minecraft, over the past few years, we’ve taken Xbox Live to as many platforms as Minecraft is on as possible. Uniting all those communities together with a consistent singular experience for those gamers.”
Microsoft is looking forward to various game developers including Xbox Live into their games just like Minecraft did. Already there are some Android and iOS games that use Xbox Live Achievement, however, they are all just titles from Microsoft Studios at present. The latest SDK is expected to open up more possibilities to a wider range of games.
It takes a bit longer than usual if you want to see it on Nintendo Switch. Choudhry shared that: “Our goal is to unite the 2 billion gamers of the world, and we’re big fans of our Xbox Live community, but we don’t have any specific announcements as it relates to Switch today. If you’ve watched us for the past few years, we’ve taken a very inclusive approach. Phil [Spencer] has been very proactive on issues like crossplay, cross-progression, and uniting gamer networks, and we’re willing to partner with the industry as much as we possibly can.”
It is unlikely for PlayStation 4 to have Xbox Live, yet Microsoft seems willing to deliver on that idea if Sony is too.
The latest SDK on mobile is just a small piece in a huge plan of Microsoft for cloud gaming. This software giant is releasing Microsoft Game Stack for different developers in the upcoming GDC. It is a combination of various platforms, tools, and services from the company’s developers, along with PlayFab and Azure - the platforms that support developers to create and release cloud-connected games. Microsoft gets its hand on PlayFab in 2018, and this is considered as the first key milestone.
PlayFab being included in Microsoft's cloud tools and Azure lets developers create multiplayer game servers with user-generated content, as well as chat services and matchmaking. DirectX, Havok, Mixer, Windows, Mixer, Simplygon, Xbox Live, are all included in Microsoft Game Stack. It is considered as a large combination of the most influential game development tools under one handy platform.
In order to bring games to devices other than Xbox and PCs, the software giant actively working on its xCloud and Xbox Game Pass game streaming projects. This week marks the first time Microsoft reveals its latest xCloud service. It also promises to open public trials for streaming games on PC and MAC to Android and iOS in the coming months. Minecraft is also being brought into Xbox Game Pass, which is known as “Netflix for game” service.
Xbox Game Pass is a major part in the plan of Microsoft to push its games onto multiple devices. It costs $9.99 a month to subscribe to this service. It lets its owners download and install over 100 games, including Forza Horizon 4, Sea of Thieves, Crackdown 3 and many more. The software maker also announced that all its upcoming games, such as Forza, Halo Infinite and the next Gears of War will be included in Xbox Game Pass right at launch.