When we addressed at the beginning of this week, over 1,000 developers will now use Play Xbox everywhere (XPA) For your games, bring your amazing experience for players on a variety of devices that you own.
If you have never heard of XPA, you will receive a refreshment: If you buy a digital game that supports XPA via the Xbox Store or the Windows Store, you can play on your Xbox console, Windows 10/11 PC and supported handheld -gaming devices without additional costs. It is even better that your progress occurs with you on all platforms.
While the advantages of XPA are clear to players, we wanted to show them how developers took this function for their games. At this year's annual ID@Xbox Showcase event at GDC we talked to the teams behind the upcoming XPA games Clair Obsur: Expedition 33Present Detective DotsonPresent And Towerborne To learn more about what has influenced your decision to implement this function and what advantages it offers for your syndriaks.
“I mean, I think it's all about discovery,” says Detective Dotson director Sharlin Shodhan. “Making a game is difficult enough, but it is super difficult to sell a game in 2025. This only gives us all the surfaces that Xbox and Microsoft have as a common access point to sell our game.”
When he maintains more with Shodhan, he quotes that it is an important advantage to connect the Xbox Play everywhere to players on several platforms. It is important that all types of players access their game and know that it can be played on several devices of several ownership because they expand the surface on which humans can access it – and share them.
The upcoming Clearly dark: expedition 33Starting day one with Game Pass on April 24th, the Xbox Play will also support the start. This was also regarded as an enormous advantage for a new studio, since a variety of syndicate on various platforms come together thanks to XPA.
“The formation of new friendships with players who discover our game is really the best we can hope for,” explains Clearly dark: expedition 33 Producer and studio co-founder François Meurisse. “It is ideal to have players able to play our game on different devices that they already have at home. This helps you to discover the game and a link with the universe to feel the characters and maybe even track. [for] future games [we make]. “”
From the beginning, Xbox had other teams with whom I spoke to their thoughts. In conversation with Towerborne Game Director Daniel McLaren, whose game focuses on co-op. The implementation of XPA was necessary so that everyone could join their community, regardless of whether they are on PC or Xbox.
“We set up a game that plays together. From the couch co-op to the online co-op or even with someone next to you who tells you how to play. We had to implement Xbox Play anywhere so that someone can connect our community, whether it is on PC or Xbox,” says McLaren. “No matter how you access your Xbox, be it through a game pass or direct purchase, it was important for us that we had the maximum number of players who were able to put them anywhere at any time and simply play together.”
And it's not just about using XPA to connect with your syndriaks. As a player, these developers are also big fans of what it means to play games they own with their friends and family and then implement this experience they have learned into their games. If you chat more with McLaren, it is a great advantage both personally and professionally to have XPA as an option for playing on platforms.
“Well, the fact that I don't have to separate my audience [is what I like most about the Xbox Play Anywhere feature]. When trying to create an online game, it is [would be]'It is absurd that in some games I can't sit on my PC and play with my buddy, who is not a PC person at all who only has an Xbox console, but only my mind. So, to be able to … I don't understand why everyone wouldn't do it, ”says McLaren.
Shodhan also looks at it from the player. “This is how it should be: If I have a game and several devices, the developer wants me to play his game on as many devices as possible without paying or having to go through different branch methods.
“As a player and a member of the player, I really enjoyed the experience,” says Meurisse. “I don't have a Steam deck yet, but to be able to play on my iPad (with Xbox Cloud Gaming) while in bed is fantastic. The larger screen of the iPad, combined with a controller, ensures a pleasant gaming experience.”
Xbox Play Anywhere offers developers incredible comfort and a strong advantage in promoting a cross -platform community for their games. And just having to buy one game to play it on both Xbox and PC is a great advantage for playing on Xbox, wherever you are. If you are a developer, you only want more people to play your game at the end of the day – XPA is here to achieve this.
