Skip to main content

Xbox Live to expand cross-platform support for Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch

Microsoft is preparing to expand cross-platform support for its Xbox Live online service to gamers on Android and iOS mobile devices and on the Nintendo Switch, as revealed by a scheduled session at the upcoming Game Developers Conference.

A session titled Xbox Live: Growing & Engaging Your Gaming Community Across iOS, Android, Switch, Xbox, and PC was spotted by Avers from G4G Media on the Game Developers Conference schedule published online. The session’s description revealed that it will be presented by Xbox Principal Program Manager Jeffrey Shi and Xbox Software Engineer Ramsey Khadder.

Recommended Videos

The Game Developers Conference sessions will preview a new cross-platform SDK that will allow game developers to connect players on the Xbox One, PC, Android, iOS, and Nintendo Switch. Once cross-platform support is expanded on Xbox Live, players will be able to access their gaming achievements, friends list, clubs, and more on several devices.

The session will target game services engineers who are looking to save time and expand their customer base by allowing Microsoft’s Xbox Live to handle multiplayer interactions, and game producers who are planning a multi-platform strategy that will allow players to access their games on different devices.

Microsoft already has a handful of games with Xbox Live support across multiple platforms. One of these titles is Minecraft, which requires an Xbox Live login on Android, iOS, and Nintendo Switch. Microsoft has reserved cross-platform support for its own games, but it looks like it is now planning to expand the feature to more titles.

Xbox Live cross-platform support on Android, iOS, and Nintendo Switch is likely not yet coming soon, but this is still a major move for Microsoft as it continues its shift to a strategy of games as a service. Other initiatives under this strategy include the Xbox Game Pass subscription program, the Project xCloud game streaming service, and the rumored next-generation Xbox that will exclusively stream games.

Microsoft’s plan for cross-platform support does not include the PlayStation 4, as Sony only recently opened up its console to cross-play, starting with Fortnite in September. It appears that Microsoft will soon be pulling ahead even more with its cross-platform SDK for Xbox Live.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

Aaron Mamiit
Aaron received an NES and a copy of Super Mario Bros. for Christmas when he was four years old, and he has been fascinated…
Android 16 might give its own spin to iPhone’s Dynamic Island alerts
The DynamicSpot Dynamic Island at the top of the Pixel 7 Pro.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve come across some interesting details about the next major build of Android. Currently in development under the apparent codename of Baklava, Android 16 will reportedly bring a cool new feature called Priority modes for notifications.

If that sounds familiar, that’s because Apple already offers a bunch of focus modes toward the same goal and bolsters the system with AI-assisted priority notifications in iOS 18. It seems Google doesn’t want to be left behind, and in doing so, could very well lift from a popular iPhone trick.

Read more
All cross-platform games (PS5, Xbox Series X, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC)
Players take on an Alpha Doshaguma in Monster Hunter Wilds.

Cross-platform support is becoming more important in the world of video games. Multiplayer hits like Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 and Fortnite have pushed crossplay into the limelight, and now most upcoming video games release with at least partial cross-platform support. Finding every cross-platform game is no easy feat, though, so we did the hard work to bring you a comprehensive list of games that support crossplay.

Unfortunately, there aren't any rules when it comes to crossplay, so each game handles the feature a little differently. To make matters more confusing, certain backward-compatible games on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X still support crossplay on the most recent hardware, even if there isn't an official release for that hardware.

Read more
iOS 18 gives your iPhone a super-handy charging feature. Here’s how it works
The display on the iPhone 16 Pro.

Now that iOS 18 is rolling out, we're finding new features that are even more exciting than some of the larger-scale changes -- like a new setting that alerts you if you're using a slow charger on your iPhone.

If you're anything like me, you probably have a lot of old charging cables and bricks around the house. You might not realize that some of those are dated and aren't capable of supporting fast charging, especially if you tend to power your phone up in the evenings while you sleep.

Read more