Microsoft has launched a new cross-save feature within its PlayFab platform, enabling games to synchronize save files across different devices, starting with cross-save support between Xbox consoles and Steam. Microsoft‘s PlayFab is part of the company’s Azure service and provides game developers with tools to launch and expand multiplayer games while also managing online player activities.
While cross-progression is not a new concept in the gaming industry, it has always posed challenges for developers. For a game to save player progression across different platforms, it must enable communication between all versions while maintaining synchronized builds. Several popular games have successfully implemented cross-save functionality, including Hades and Final Fantasy 14. That said, most developers skip it due to its costs and challenges.
Microsoft’s Cross-Save Service Could Be a Big Quality-of-Life Improvement for Gaming
As announced by Microsoft, PlayFab is aiming to provide faster and easier ways to implement cross-progression in games. The company’s new cross-save service links players’ progression to the game itself rather than platform-specific accounts or devices, allowing gamers to continue from where they left off on any platform. PlayFab’s cross-save functionality is currently in preview for developers, limited to cross-progression between Xbox devices, Steam, and other select PC storefronts.
With Microsoft’s Xbox ROG Ally just around the corner, many believe this new service could be a game changer for handheld gaming’s future. Since the Xbox ROG Ally will be compatible with Steam, supporting cross-save could let players continue their favorite PC games on the go without worrying about losing progress. The main downside for now is that players might still need to purchase the game separately on each platform to use cross-save, except for Play Anywhere titles within the Xbox ecosystem.
One of the best aspects of PlayFab’s cross-save feature is its built-in tools for preventing and recovering corrupted save files. According to Microsoft, the service helps developers maintain synchronized builds across platforms and allows players to easily transfer their files while maintaining a consistent point-of-progression. Even better, it supports both offline and online play. For example, when a player is in a game offline without an internet connection, their progress is saved locally and synced across devices and platforms as soon as they go online again.
Recently, Microsoft also introduced cross-device play history, which syncs players’ data across the Xbox ecosystem, including home consoles, the PC app, and the mobile app. Ideally, these new features and tools will help and encourage more developers, especially smaller studios, to implement cross-progression, making the gameplay experience seamless for players who enjoy gaming on the go across multiple platforms and devices.
- Date Founded
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April 4, 1975
- Headquarters
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Redmond, Washington, United States
- CEO
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Satya Nadella
- Subsidiaries
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activision blizzard, Microsoft Studios, Mojang Studios, Microsoft Game Studios, Xbox Game Studios
