Some small-minded PS4 and Xbox One players are caught in a contest of one-upmanship. Of course, an ongoing debate about which console is more powerful, or which has better exclusives, is something that Microsoft and Sony probably don’t mind; it keeps their brands in the headlines. This generation, Xbox fanboys have been feeling a little bit put out, and the impending possibility of Xbox One exclusives also finding their way to Windows 10 PCs seems to be the last straw. What they don’t understand is that this is probably the best thing that Microsoft could have possibly cooked up to bring new life to gamers on PC and Xbox One alike.
Windows 10 on Xbox One and PC, combined with the power of DirectX 12, is going to make for some gnarly possibilities in the very near future. We’re already seeing the first fruits. Take Rise of the Tomb Raider , for example. Here we have a fantastic Tomb Raider game from Crystal Dynamics, and Xbox One players are still enjoying a timed exclusive release deal. PS4 players are still waiting to play this game on Sony’s console, but Rise of the Tomb Raider did find its way to the Windows 10 store. That made some Xbox players a little salty. They were even more perturbed to learn that Quantum Break will be releasing simultaneously on Xbox One and PC. “What gives,” asks the fanboy, “why is Microsoft making the Xbox One irrelevant when it was already struggling to hold its own?”
Snap out of it, man! The Xbox One isn’t struggling at all. The fact that the PS4 has consistently outsold XBO 2-to-1 doesn’t mean that Microsoft’s console isn’t doing well. It is; it’s doing really well. If you’ll take a second to think, you’ll realize that Microsoft bridging a gap of exclusivity between XBO and Windows 10 PCs is a stroke of genius that will benefit everybody in the end: Microsoft, developers, and gamers.
If you really just want to be salty and flaunt awesome games that PS4 owners can’t play – you’ll still be able to do that. Rise of the Tomb Raider may be headed to PS4 eventually, but Quantum Break is not, and if Rise of the Tomb Raider is an indication, you guys want Quantum Break on the PC as well. RotTR sold over three times as many copies on PC its opening month than on Xbox One during a comparable window of time. That means way more money for Microsoft – and way more money for Crystal Dynamics – than if the game had stayed put on Xbox One until the PS4 version released. Now consider Remedy and Quantum Break . Let’s assume that it sees an even greater measure of success and you guys love this game. You’re pretty much guaranteed a fantastic sequel, great DLC, or a whole new, bigger concept from Remedy the next go around. They have more raw cash to work with from greater sales, and Microsoft will be much more willing to invest in something that it knows will reach a greater audience. And, yes, at the end of the day you can still be brat and go to all of your favorite comments sections to tell PS4 players what they’re missing.
Don’t you see, though? It’s not just a one way thing where PC gamers will get all of your precious Xbox One exclusives. Xbox One players are also going to be getting the most successful PC games as well; at least the ones published by Microsoft. DirectX12 as a common foundation will make porting a complete nonissue, and the fact that the Xbox One is running on a Windows-10-based OS makes things even easier. This is a dream come true for developers, who will see wider audiences with minimal transition pains, and in the end, it’s you who will benefit the most.