The annual GDC (Game Developers Conference) is in full swing this week and while Xbox doesn't have a massive presence, it does have some news to share.
The headline, or so I think, at least, is a juicy little nugget of information around how good Xbox Play Anywhere is. But for developers, not for players. We already know how good it is for players.
"As announced last week, over 1,000 titles are now supporting Xbox Play Anywhere (XPA). When players purchase an XPA game, they can play on Xbox and Windows 10/11 PCs at no additional cost, bringing their saves, progress and achievements across devices. This means players can access their favorite games in more places which has led to these titles getting 20% more play time"
You can't argue with cold, hard facts. Xbox Play Anywhere is unique in that you can buy a game (or play it through Game Pass) on your Xbox console, and on your Windows PC through the Xbox app. No other platform offers this.
Want to play Spider-Man 2 on your PS5 and your PC? Better buy two copies, then.
Xbox Play Anywhere is a killer feature that doesn't get the attention it deserves, so hopefully this and the recent news on the strength of the library helps elevate it.
In a world where gaming handhelds are becoming more and more popular, it makes even more sense. Play on your Xbox console at home, pick up your handheld and carry on wherever you are. It's magic.
If Play Anywhere titles are getting 20% more game hours played than those without, why wouldn't you use it as a developer?
Play Anywhere also ties into the ID@Xbox focus of the company's presence at GDC. 11 titles from indie developers are being shown off at the event to attendees, all of which are Play Anywhere enabled.
Xbox has also detailed that ID@Xbox developers have seen payouts to the tune of $5 billion since 2013. That's a lot of dollars. And let's not forget even some of the more recent hits to come from the program, such as 2024 GOTY contender Balatro, and STALKER 2.
As a closer to the news, Xbox is looking ahead to some of the great titles coming to ID@Xbox and Game Pass in the future with Play Anywhere. These include Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Descenders Next, and FBC: Firebreak.
And a little title you may have heard of before... Hollow Knight: Silksong. Naturally, there's absolutely nothing more than a mention. No date, no new trailer (the one above is from 2022), but that it's mentioned at least means it still is coming.
At this point, you'd be forgiven for thinking it had disappeared off the face of the planet. It's not quite GTA 6 levels of anticipation, but it's certainly up there.
When it does finally surface, you'll be able to play it across the "whole Xbox universe." I don't know about you, but that sounds like Xbox will be the very best place to play it.
The wait for that continues, but in the meantime, there are plenty of other Xbox Play Anywhere games, existing and forthcoming, to keep you entertained.
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