Xbox Play Anywhere Is Convincing People To Buy Their Multiplatform Games On Xbox

It just makes sense if you have a good PC

by Fraser Gilbert 1 hour ago

Xbox Play Anywhere Is Convincing People To Buy Their Multiplatform Games On Xbox

Last night, it was reconfirmed that 007 First Light will be supporting Xbox Play Anywhere when it releases on May 27th, which means anyone who buys the Xbox Series X and S version will also get a free PC version on the Xbox PC app.

That's obviously huge news if you're a big PC gamer, which includes Windows handheld devices like the ROG Xbox Ally, and therefore we've seen plenty of comments from people suggesting Xbox will now be their chosen platform for the game, rather than the likes of Steam or PS5. Here's a look at some examples:

It's not just 007 First Light either — we've come across a lot of positive reception to Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade being an Xbox Play Anywhere title ahead of its release later this week, and even yesterday in our feature about the ROG Xbox Ally X, plenty of Pure Xbox commenters told us how much they're loving the program.

Here are just a couple of examples of those:

"I recently swapped out my choice for which system to buy DQ7 Reimagined on from the Switch 2 to the Xbox Ally X because it was Play Anywhere compatible. Allowing me to play on my Series X or Xbox Ally X with no additional work is brilliant. I find myself checking every title I buy now to see if its Play Anywhere compatible. If it is, whether I had planned on the PS5 or Switch 2, I shift it over to the Xbox ecosystem."

"I have a SteamDeck running Windows, a SeriesX, a powerful PC connected to a big screen upstairs in my office. And a gaming laptop. Being able to load the same game/save on all 4 machines is superb, and why I'll always choose to get a game from the Xbox store if it's Play Anywhere, rather than Steam/PS5."

What's clear to us is that, although it might not be convincing the masses just yet, Xbox Play Anywhere is having an impact on where plenty of people choose to buy their multiplatform games. 007 First Light will undoubtedly shift a lot more copies for Xbox consoles and Xbox PC as a result of this move, and the same goes for countless other upcoming titles that will be adopting the Play Anywhere initiative as well.

When we polled the Pure Xbox community about this in November, a whopping 41% of Pure Xbox voters told us that Play Anywhere was "really important" to them, and 36% told us that they "always" look for Xbox Play Anywhere games.

The poll has since concluded, but you can see the results below:

How Important Is Xbox Play Anywhere To You? (1,063 votes)

It's actually really important to me!41%
Yeah, I'm definitely paying attention to it more22%
It's somewhat important I guess4%
It's not a big deal for me, but I like that it exists12%
Not interested in it at all to be honest!21%
Other 0.1%

Has It Changed How You Buy Games? (903 votes)

Yes, I ALWAYS look for Xbox Play Anywhere titles!36%
It kinda has, I've based multiple decisions on it24%
A little bit, but not in any major way6%
Only once or twice 0.7%
Nah, it hasn't changed how I buy games!33%
Other 0.2%

It's going to be interesting to see just how much Xbox promotes Play Anywhere throughout 2026, as it feels like it's finally getting some momentum and causing people to take notice — we've seen people suggesting it's Xbox's best "underrated" feature, and now Microsoft will be hoping it gets a lot more mainstream attention as the year rolls on.

What are your thoughts on Xbox Play Anywhere? Is it convincing you? Tell us in the comments below.

Fraser is the News Editor at Pure Xbox, where he spends his time reporting on the biggest stories in the world of Xbox and beyond.

1
Fiendish-Beaver
1 hour ago

I'm confused by this, what is the difference between the capabilities of Play Anywhere, and buying it on Steam and playing it either on a gaming PC or on their handheld? Surely both offer the same portability?

Is there some advantage that Xbox offers over buying it on Steam, which is often cheaper too...?

2
FraserG
1 hour ago

@Fiendish-Beaver It's the advantage that you can play across console and PC with just one purchase, whereas with Steam you only get a PC version. When you buy 007 First Light on Xbox Series X, for example, you'll also get a native PC version that appears for free in the Xbox PC app.

A lot of Play Anywhere titles feature cross-save functionality as well, meaning you can jump between console and PC seamlessly and carry on where you left off on either device.

3
Gabrie
1 hour ago

It's a great feature. Not only can you share your purchases between your PC and Xbox console, but also your achievements, saved games, time played... Oh, and you also get the game to play on the Xbox cloud.

The big problem for me is the lack of support. At least for now, many games never get to use it, and I don't understand why.

4
fatpunkslim
1 hour ago

Xbox Play Anywhere is always one of the first things I check before picking up a game. The fact that I can play it wherever I want — on my Xbox, my PC, a handheld device, or even through the cloud — adds a ton of value. It doesn’t stop me from buying titles that don’t support it, but it’s definitely a strong incentive to buy through the Xbox Store.
What’s great is that more and more games now include Play Anywhere support — you can really see publishers embracing it more and more.

5
Divide_and_Wander
1 hour ago

Play Anywhere has a big impact on what platform I buy my games now. I have a Switch 2, ROG Ally X, and Xbox Series X, so if a title im interested in is a Play Anywhere title, thats where Ill get the game so that I can play it on both the console and handheld.

6
IronMan30
1 hour ago

Switch 2 is "Play Anywhere" by default. I can play it at home or on the go.

7
IOI
57 mins ago

It’s a nice feature for the very niche audience that has both an Xbox console and a capable PC (and endures using the subpar Xbox PC app), but lets not kid ourselves by citing 3 tweets as a major trend making lots of gamers buying games on the Microslop Store, that just ain’t happening…

8
Naughtyottsel92
55 mins ago

Don't care because the Windows Store sucks on PC.

9
Zenszulu
50 mins ago

I mean you could argue a Switch or Switch 2 is playing anywhere since it is able to be both portable and dock with a TV. You can also make the argument that any Steam capable handheld is the same if you also have a decent PC and then the upcoming Steam Machine and that has cloud saves that you can sync across those devices.

10
Scribedby
46 mins ago

It's a great feature that will be very beneficial in the next generation. Most gamers who are savvy in that respect, know this. I think it's forward thinking because Microsoft knows Steam has entered the room.

11
Fiendish-Beaver
43 mins ago

Thank you, @FraserG. Still a little unsure what the advantage is over a Steam purchase though. I mean, I can see an advantage if you own an Xbox, the Xbox ROG Ally and a gaming PC, but if you own just an Xbox and a Xbox ROG Ally I don't see what advantage that offers you over a gaming PC and the Steam Deck, particularly as games are most times cheaper than on the Xbox, and also there are far, far more titles that are Steam Deck verified over those that are Play Anywhere titles.

I am just curious as to whether there is a distinct advantage that Xbox has in this regard because if the next Xbox is indeed basically a PC, then if you are in the market for an Xbox handheld combo, then would it not be better to buy your games more cheaply on Steam, and then have the Steam Deck?

I am just genuinely curious as to which way people would be best to go. Which one would be the best option?

12
Fiendish-Beaver
40 mins ago

When it comes to buying games on either Steam or on the Xbox, I have seen reports suggesting that Microsoft hope to keep people within their ecosystem by rewarding people with points for earning achievements, which would only be possible, of course if people buy their games in the Xbox Store, and this would obviously be an advantage for Xbox over a Steam version, but only if Microsoft are much, much more generous with their points to gift card conversion rates because firstly, how often do we earn all the achievements in a game, and secondly games are often £10 or more cheaper at launch on the Steam Store than they are on the Xbox. Thus for earning achievements to convert to £10 they would have to be worth around 12 Microsoft points per achievement point, and as I said, you would have to earn every achievement in order to get back that £10 you could have saved had you bought the game on Steam. I mean, I like the idea of earning money from unlocking achievements, but I think most people will take the easy route of saving money, and just buy their games on Steam where the savings are guaranteed, whereas, of course, unlocking all the achievements in a given game are not.

Basically, I remain unconvinced over the advantages of Play Anywhere over a Steam purchase, which I think is going to prove an enormous dilemma for Microsoft come the release of the PCBox...

13
Pichuka97
40 mins ago

@IOI yeah this seems like an Olympic level stretch. An Xbox first party game being Play Anywhere is a given. It's getting third parties onboard that's a struggle. Switch and Switch 2 are "Play Anywhere" and so is Steam. It's only a plus if your invested in the Xbox ecosystem like these people in the article. It's just a few people on Twitter who replied to the official post. And Gaming Prophet NYC is just an Xbox shill account 😂 why are we citing them as an accurate source for how the layman feel about this?

14
BacklogBrad
34 mins ago

It does make the xbox store more appealing to me. It might not be at Steam's level yet but its up there. I think next gen will really bring this idea home and open up the possibilities with our xbox libraries.

Buying games for playstation and nintendo doesn't make much sense to me at the moment. I wouldn't even entertain the notion of getting a multiplat game on those platforms. Im not in the market for a game that can only be played on one device, possibly not even the next gen system from each.

15
Agamembar
23 mins ago

It has made me more likely to buy games on xbox instead of steam, I also do the home console swap option with a friend so getting a game on xbox means we both get it (hope they never change that)

I do like taking my games with me on steam deck which ease of use does factor in though, might finally have to figure out the decky loader stuff and start side loading some xbox games.

16
FraserG
21 mins ago

@Pichuka97 @IOI Those Twitter posts are just examples, they're far from the only comments I've come across suggesting the same thing.

The idea isn't to portray this as a "major trend" by any means, but to highlight that for some people, Xbox Play Anywhere is playing a role in whether they buy their games on Xbox or not. I'd say the poll results back this up as well.

17
FraserG
19 mins ago

@Fiendish-Beaver Yeah, I think if you have a decent gaming PC and a Steam Deck, buying on Steam makes a lot of sense.

This is just for people who are using Xbox consoles and also want to play on PC sometimes, whether that's a Windows 11 PC or a Windows handheld like the Xbox Ally.

18
Gabrie
17 mins ago

@IronMan30 I would say it's the other way around. Switch 2 is the most closed platform there is; outside of that device, it's impossible to play its games. In fact, I avoid buying digital games from the Nintendo store because I feel like those purchases will easily be lost in a few years, as I don't see it as very feasible that they can be transferred to other devices. I feel the same way about PlayStation.

In the end, I only have digital libraries on Steam and Xbox, as they are the only places I am confident will still be around in the future (although I'm not entirely confident xD), since the software is not tied to a single device.

19
fatpunkslim
13 mins ago

@FraserG Another key difference is the ability to play in the cloud — Xbox Play Anywhere titles are automatically available via ‘stream your own game’. All the Xbox Play Anywhere games I’ve purchased are playable in the cloud

20
PinkDecember
7 mins ago

Absolutely this is true. I purchased Arc Raiders XBOX so I could play on PC and XBOX. I would have purchased on Steam otherwise. If I see Play Anywhere on a title now, Steam will always loose.

Show Comments

Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...