Microsoft: Xbox One and PC cross-platform play "makes sense"

Cross-platform play between consoles like the Xbox One and PC "makes sense," according to Microsoft corporate vice president Phil Spencer. Speaking with AusGamers, the executive said such a connected ecosystem is in fact where he believes the industry is headed.

"I’m not allowed to leak things," Spencer said when asked about the possibility of cross-platform play between Xbox One and PC. "But I think what you’re talking about makes a lot of sense."

Spencer said there still exist differences between console and PC gaming around control and input, which represent potential obstacles. He also pointed out that 2007's Shadowrun--which featured cross-platform play between Xbox 360 and PC--"didn't have tremendous success."

However, Spencer said Microsoft "learned a lot" from this experience and applied it to other games with forms of cross-platform play and connectivity like Skulls of the Shogun and Halo: Spartan Assault.

"This connected ecosystem across all the different devices is definitely where I think the future of gaming is going," Spencer said. "You don’t have to do it as a developer, but you have the capability and I think a system like Xbox Live across all those screens where you know who someone is and who their friends are, what their Achievements are, and their progression is really critical to that."

The Xbox One launches on November 22 for $500.