Microsoft has today revealed that it is bringing its Xbox Live network to iOS and Android devices.
As part of its GDC 2019 announcement, the tech giant revealed that it is launching a new cross-platform mobile SDK (software development kit) for game developers to allow for Xbox Live functionality with iOS and Android games.
According to The Verge, the push for Xbox Live functionality across multiple platforms will allow game developers “to pick and choose parts of Xbox Live to integrate into their games, and it will all be enabled through a single sign-in to a Microsoft Account. Microsoft is using its identity network to support login, privacy, online safety, and child accounts.”
“We believe so strongly in community, and Xbox Live really being at the heart of our gaming community,” explains Kareem Choudhry, Microsoft’s gaming cloud chief in a media briefing this week. “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. Really uniting all those communities together with a consistent singular experience for those gamers.”
“Our goal is to really 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,” reveals Choudhry.
“If you’ve watched us for the past few years, we’ve taken a very inclusive approach,” says Choudhry. “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.”
So it looks like for the moment, Xbox Live on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 looks unlikely at this stage but this first step creates an opportunity for future discussions with Nintendo and Sony.
For more on Microsoft’s latest cloud gaming development, including the announcement of a new Microsoft Game Stack for developers, check out the full article from The Verge, here.