Microsoft is bringing Xbox Live cross-platform support to Nintendo Switch, iOS and Android devices, according to Eurogamer.
The announcement was teased from the conference schedule details for GDC 2019 – which has since been taken down – and will take place next month.
Xbox Live achievements, friends, game history and multiplayer abilities across the other platforms will be available after the release.
The description read: “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 2bn 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.”
Currently, players can sign-in to their Xbox Live accounts on Nintendo Switch for certain games that have been released on cross-platforms, such as Minecraft.
Unlike Microsoft, Sony was hesitant to join the cross-platform movement. Back in early September, Sony CEO, Kenichiro Yoshida, said their way of thinking was that PlayStation offered the best experience for Fortnite players.
Shortly after, Sony announced they would start offering cross-platform play with games such as Fortnite and Overwatch, getting heavy support from developers.
This new relationship between Xbox Live and non-Microsoft games and platforms, marks a new era where players could theoretically earn Xbox achievements while playing a game on the Nintendo Switch, something that has never been available before.
While we wait to hear the concrete details from Microsoft, read about how Nintendo has wanted to help publishers incorporate cross-play and check out IGN’s interview with Nintendo of America president and COO, Reggie Fils-Aime, on why certain multi-platform games are not on the Switch.
