Microsoft was all about unity at this year’s E3, emphasizing their continuing goal to make gaming a universal experience. They announced their plans to make Xbox Live available on any device, from Xbox One to PC to tablets and phones. Sticking to that promise, Microsoft also announced new Bluetooth Xbox One controllers. Xbox Wire, the official Xbox blog, noted that the new controller “gives you easy wireless connection to your Windows 10 PCs and tablets.” That doesn’t sound super revolutionary at first glance. Consider the deeper implications, though. A Bluetooth controller could let you stream Xbox One games on your smart phone or tablet.
Mike Ybarra, Xbox’s director of program management, told The Verge that, “We want to be on any device that a gamer has, whether that’s a competing platform or our platform.” The first step is bringing Xbox Live to mobile devices, a feature that will arrive with the Xbox One October update. The Xbox Live app will enable users to manage their profiles, chat with friends and follow each others’ activities on their mobile devices. But there could be more exciting news to follow.
As The Verge explains, remote streaming from Xbox One to iOS or Android could be a probable next step. With Bluetooth technology and a dedicated mobile app, Xbox could be preparing to allow remote play on rival handheld platforms. While there may be potential hurdles to face before this becomes a reality, we already know the technology is in place. Sony allows PlayStation 3 and 4 users to stream games remotely on the PlayStation Vita with ease. Microsoft’s Japanese competitor even implemented remote play with Windows PC and Mac in a recent hardware update, allowing you to stream PS4 games to your personal computer.
Remote streaming is certainly looking to be the way of the future, and Microsoft isn’t one to miss out on a slice of the action. The company also announced their Play Anywhere program that lets customers buy a game once for Xbox One or PC, and allows them to play it on either platform for free. In-game progress and achievements will carry over between systems.
“Gamers have never had more choice in how and where they play,” said Spencer. “We are bringing our biggest games lineup ever to Xbox One and Windows 10, uniting gamers across networks on Xbox Live and expanding the Xbox One family of devices with the addition of Xbox One S and Project Scorpio to give gamers more choice in how and where they play. There’s never been a better time to be an Xbox gamer,” Spencer told the audience at the E3 2016 press event.
Microsoft is serious about breaking down boundaries in the gaming industry. The slew of new features grant Xbox access to more platforms than ever before. We might be playing Xbox One games on our smart phones and tablets sooner than we think.