Microsoft Talks More on Key Windows 10 Xbox Features

Microsoft’s is talking more about why its Window 10 operating system isn’t just another chance at life for its vision of a universal operating system and store for tablets, smartphones, notebooks and desktops. Xbox Head Phil Spencer discusses the company’s plans for Xbox on Windows 10 in a new interview.

In the  interview with GamesRadar, Spencer doesn’t share a lot of fresh details about Xbox on Windows 10, but does share some of thought processes behind the company’s vision. Generally, the outlet asked Spencer, who is the head of Xbox at Microsoft, about how it sees itself compared to rival services like Steam. Though he didn’t come close to naming games specifically, Spencer does seem to hint at some big titles launching on Windows 10.

“If you’re an Xbox developer, there are some tools that we’re providing that allow you to seamlessly move from Xbox to PC — Xbox Live and Universal app Platform will be helpful for those guys,” Spencer says. Spencer says that the company has been “active in signing up content” for Xbox on Windows 10. He also declares that the Xbox team is “fully committed” to Windows 10 as an Xbox gaming platform.

Making Xbox available on Windows 10 was one of Microsoft’s surprise announcements at a company-wide briefing earlier this year. Now that it has successfully launched the Xbox One console, the company is doubling back, retooling an rethinking its approach to PC gaming.

With Windows 8, Microsoft lets users earn achievements that are tied directly to their Xbox Live account. Some apps in the Windows Store offer multiplayer, but developers are in charge of maintaining that experience. With Windows 7, Microsoft mostly took a hands-off approach, leaving developers like Electronic Arts and Valve build their own stores and platforms to sell their own games.

Xbox on Windows 10 lets developers build full Xbox Live functionality into their games for the first time. A big focus of the Xbox on Windows 10 app is community access. With the app Windows 10 users get the same connections to Xbox Live that they do on the console. Users can browse their own achievements, look at the achievements of their friends, see who is online and send messages.

Read: More Xbox on Windows Details Incoming

In addition to that they can record video and take pictures from their favorite games using GameDVR. GameDVR then uploads that content back to the same Xbox Live account that’s used on the Xbox One and Xbox 360. Game developers can link in matchmaking and online play to Xbox Live itself. Microsoft even has plans to let buyers of its Fable Legends game on Windows PCs play against those on an Xbox one console. The Xbox One Controller works on Windows 10 devices too.

The company even plans to add streaming so that users can play their Xbox games on their Windows PCs over their home network. With Windows 10, Microsoft is also releasing DirectX 12, a key update to the underlying framework that PC games run on today.

Read: What is Windows 10?

There are other features for Windows 10 coming, like a refreshed Start Screen/Start Menu hybrid. The operating system will detect what inputs users have and refresh its interface too. For example, Windows Store apps will run in the Desktop alongside rivals like iTunes.

Any user who has a copy of Windows 7 and Windows 8 will be allowed to upgrade to Windows 10 free of charge. Microsoft is planning to launch the operating system, complete with the new Xbox app and core Xbox experiences sometime this summer.