Xbox Play Anywhere release date and game list: Microsoft unveils first batch of cross-platform games for Xbox One and PC

At E3 2016 just a few weeks ago, Microsoft announced it was killing its own Xbox One exclusives, and replacing them with something called Xbox Play Anywhere. Simply put, Xbox Play Anywhere is the most important part of Microsoft’s grand scheme to unite PC and Xbox owners – and it’s actually pretty clever.

The idea is simple. After buying a specific game on your Xbox One or PC, you’ll be able to play the same title on your other device, without having to buy it twice. Of course, the feature will need nail a few factors to work, and the most important thing is probably the games themselves – but again Microsoft appears to be in good shape.

According to Microsoft’s corporate vice president Yusuf Mehdi, “every new title published from Microsoft Studios will support Xbox Play Anywhere and will be easily accessible in the Windows Store”.

That’s a very encouraging sign, and to make things even better, Microsoft has unveiled the following list of games we can expect to play come Xbox Play Anywhere’s 13 September release date.

• Gears of War 4

• Phantom Dust

• Killer Instinct: Seasons 1, 2, and 3

• Forza Horizon 3

• ReCore

• Cuphead

• Slime Rancher

• The Culling

• Everspace

• ARK: Survival Evolved

• Sea of Thieves

• Scalebound

• State of Decay 2

• Halo Wars 2

• We Happy Few

• Crackdown 3

Whatever you think of the concept, it’s clear that Microsoft is using its publishing clout to give the feature every chance of success. While games such as ReCore, The Culling and Everspace certainly have their place, it will be titles like Crackdown 3, Forza Horizon 3 and Gears of War 4 that really make or break the service.

We’ll be updating this article as more games are unveiled, and we’ll also be looking to test out Xbox Play Anywhere come September.