Cross-platform games on XBOX/PC: what to play on Microsoft devices?
Yuriy SheremetThe diversity of the gaming industry can hardly surprise anyone. In 2022, gaming keeps evolving rapidly and video game developers have to find more and more extravagant ways to keep the gamers’ attention in conditions of tough competition.
Cross-platform games can help to deal with the gaming world creators’ headaches. To be honest, there is no simpler way to attract players at the moment.
Cross-platformers are comfortable and frequently affordable, and the main thing is that they are more economical in terms of development than AAA projects. It seems that the ideal formula has been found to satisfy users on various gaming devices.
But it is one thing to find it and another to realize it. It is not always made well but if the game is made properly and with heart, it will become popular and massive pretty quickly.
In this article, we provide you with a list of games available both on XBOX and PC. It may seem that Microsoft has issues with it but everything is not that poor in practice.
The best cross-platform games on XBOX and PC
Call of Duty
It is impossible to make an improvised top of the best cross-platform XBOX/PC games without CoD, therefore there is no point in delaying its inclusion in the rating. The queen of video games, Call of Duty will become a nice addition to the XBOX and PC owners’ library.
The series of games is not just about action, cinematography, and dynamics but availability and accessibility. That is why starting from fresh games in the series (2018), CoD has been released on almost all available platforms, including PC and Xbox.
Cross-platform gaming is available in multiplayer and also the spinoff – Call of Duty: Warzone and Call of Duty: Warzone 2. It is also available on both past-gen consoles, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Fortnite
This is another must-have guest of the top cross-platform XBOX/PC games. Just like Call of Duty, Fortnite provides this opportunity to the owners of different systems.
Epic Games’ multibillion hit has deserved the title of the most epochal game of modernity if not the most popular one. Regular collaborations with world stars, regular updates, wild events, and diverse gameplay. All of these are available in Fortnite on XBOX and PC.
By the way, Fortnite supports Xbox Cloud Gaming, which is another advantage.
FIFA
We continue our rating of the best and most popular cross-platform games on Xbox and PC with another mastodon of the gaming industry. This time, it is not a shooter but a football simulator.
FIFA games have been securing the title of the main sports simulator for a long and it is unlikely to lose it. All of this is due to EA’s unpretentious formula, which is realized by them every year. Of course, it is also thanks to being available on different platforms, including PC and Xbox.
Minecraft
The cult sandbox is part of our rating of the best cross-platform PC/XBOX games. Mojang Studios’ creation was loved by games and Microsoft, so the last one even became a regular publisher of the game series.
Needless to say that “the green ones” port all games properly on their platforms. Minecraft is available on all Xbox console generations, including Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S, and also on Windows PCs. Although, it is hard to imagine a platform where you can’t play the iconic product of the gaming industry.
Apex Legends
The Battle Royale by Respawn and the ideological successor of Titanfall also finds its place on the list of the best cross-platform Xbox and PC games. Just like CoD but with a smaller scale, the Apex matches gather users from various platforms.
It is not surprising: the fast-pacing gameplay and beautiful graphics attract not just an average gamer but a hardcore fan. Apex is one of the most complicated Battle Royale games and you can read more about it in our material.
Rocket League
Speaking about excitement and drive in Apex Legends, we can say the same about Rocket League. One of the fastest esports disciplines is available for XBOX and PC gamers. By the way, just like almost all games from our rating, it is free-to-play.
You can try it now and it does not matter whether you have a PC monitor or a widescreen TV.
PUBG
The next representative of our top is once again a monumental game. PUBG, the progenitor and popularizer of the battle royale genre, is available on XBOX consoles and PC.
Developed by the KRAFTON studio, PUBG has quickly become popular and one of the most demanded games in history. At one moment, PUBG was the most desired game on Steam, having broken the record of simultaneous players (more than 2 million people).
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Initially, PUBG was developed exclusively for PC and it moved to Xbox a few months after its release and fabulous success. PUBG was released in early access on Xbox on December 12, 2017, and it had a full release on Microsoft devices on September 4, 2018.
Gears of War
Let's move from the recognized classics to a more niche but cult series called Gears. The game is a real Microsoft exclusive and as a result, it is available on PC and Xbox.
The games in the Gears of War series have been following PC and Xbox constantly since the release of the first part in 2006. GoW (not to be confused with God of War) was available only on Xbox 360 back then but it was launched on PC a year later.
The project evolved with Microsoft devices over time. Gears of War is available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox Gaming Pass, and has an iOS and Android spinoff.
Sea of Thieves
It is another representative of Microsoft exclusive games. This exclusivity means that the cross-platform game is available only on Xbox and PC.
The action-adventure game was developed by the company Rare and published, just like Minecraft and Gears, by Microsoft. That’s why Sea of Thieves provides so many options for fun pastimes for Xbox and PC players.
Roblox
The next member of Microsoft’s hall of fame is the favorite of the young public, Roblox. But it is not surprising.
Roblox is a pretty unique project, at least, among all the above-mentioned games. Some will call Roblox a prototype of the metaverse and they will generally be right. The sandbox allows players to create their worlds with special rules and laws, which are sometimes mad but interesting for sure. Also, you can evaluate the other players’ creations.
In general, this is what you need for leisure. What is more, you can play it on almost any platform from Xbox and PC to mobile iOS and Android devices.
Forza Horizon
Racing simulators are also part of our top cross-platform projects on Xbox and PC. Especially if we are talking about the game of the Forza Horizon level.
The main competitor of Gran Turismo, it is available only on Microsoft platforms and is played nicely both on Xbox and PC. This is facilitated by the mix of racing genres: simulator and arcade.
The developers of Forza Horizon have found a happy medium and they do not change the general concept of the project from a game to a game.
Halo
We will finish the top cross-platform PC and Xbox games with the true classic by Microsoft. Halo is the last on the list but not least.
The flagship of “the green”, the first game in the Halo series had its debut on the screens of Xbox and PCs in 2001. The developers of the original, Bungie grew up in a standalone studio, having gained experience, however, this did not finish the franchise.
The games about Master Chief continued to be released under the direction of 343 Industries and the last one, at the moment of writing, was released in 2021. The legendary shooter is both available for Xbox owners and PC users, however, the franchise even tried to enter the mobile market in the middle of the series. The idea failed but it is still alive on other devices.
What’s more?
There will be even more cross-platform games for Xbox and PC in the future and this is a fact. Phil Spencer who is responsible for the development of the Xbox gaming division has stated many times that the company will continue evolving the Game Pass service.
The accessibility of Microsoft games is the key to success in the so-called console war where their eternal opponent is Sony. “The green” skimp on money to do so.
For example, Microsoft has declared its desire to buy Activision Blizzard, one of the biggest independent publishers. The sum of the deal will amount to 68,7 billion dollars and if it is approved by antimonopoly committees, the list of cross-platform games will expand on Xbox and PC: it will include Diablo, Hearthstone, Overwatch, Warcraft, and other Blizzard creations.
But our list does not claim the truth of the last resort. We can’t wait to see the list of your favorite PC and Xbox games in the comment section.
Yuriy Sheremet – Expert in mobile gaming and esports among shooters and MOBA games.
At EGamersWorld, Yuriy, as in 2020 when he joined the portal, works with content, albeit with adjustments to his area of responsibility.