Microsoft is developing a new software development kit that will allow your Xbox Live data to sync to your iOS, Android, and Nintendo Switch devices. The new SDK will allow those devices to access your Xbox achievements, clubs, friends lists, and more in supported games on the above listed devices.
Microsoft already has a few games with Xbox Live support across mobile devices, most notably via Minecraft, which requires an Xbox Live login on Android, iOS, and Nintendo Switch. Until now, Microsoft reserved Xbox Live support on those platforms for its own games, but now now, Microsoft is aiming to bring Xbox Live cross-platform play to even more titles. Developers will be able to bake cross-platform Xbox Live achievements, social systems, and multiplayer, into games built for mobile devices and Nintendo Switch, as part of its division-wide effort to grow Xbox Live’s userbase.
The information is courtesy of the GDC 2019 scheduling website, which describes Microsoft’s future plans for Xbox Live.
Xbox Live is one of the largest, most engaged gaming communities on the planet with decades of experience providing managed game services to developers that save you time and unlock all of the social and engagement features that players love.
Now Xbox Live is about to get MUCH bigger. Xbox Live is expanding from 400M gaming devices and a reach to over 68M active players to over 2B devices with the release of our new cross-platform XDK.
Get a first look at the SDK to enable game developers to connect players between iOS, Android, and Switch in addition to Xbox and any game in the Microsoft Store on Windows PCs.
Takeaway
- Xbox Live players are highly engaged and active on Xbox and PC, but now they can take their gaming achievement history, their friends list, their clubs, and more with them to almost every screen.
- This will break down barriers for developers that want their communities to mingle more freely across platforms. Combined with PlayFab gaming services, this means less work for game developers and more time to focus on making games fun.
The new SDK will offer developers the ability to build cross-platform Xbox Live achievements, social features, multiplayer modes, and much more in their games for the iOS, Android and Switch platforms.
More details on the new Xbox Live SDK should be available in March.
