Microsoft is bringing Xbox Live to iOS and Android with a new SDK
Microsoft is rolling out a new cross-platform mobile SDK that will mobile mobile developers bring Xbox Live features to iOS and Android.
This means mobile games on the iOS and Android could soon be taking advantage of features like gamerscore, Xbox friend lists, achievements and even clubs on mobile devices. It fits with Microsoft’s recent ‘play anywhere’ ethos, even if we’re unlikely to see the next Gears of War launch on Apple’s tiny rectangle of joy.
Developers will be free to pick and choose which aspects they want to integrate into their development, and gamers will be free to log in and use the features merely by using their Microsoft Account.
In the announcement, Microsoft has pointed at the success of Minecraft, which has popped up on nearly every platform Microsoft has access to. The company currently operate a buy-one, play-anywhere deal that lets you pick up say… Crackdown 3 on the Xbox store and then play it on your PC or Xbox as suits. They’re also doing work on xCloud, a streaming service looking at bringing Xbox games to iOS, Android, Mac and PC games. They’ll be running out a test later this year.
If that doesn’t suit, there’s always Microsoft’s Game Pass, a netflix-alike subscription service that lets you have a blast on a wide variety of games on the Xbox for a low monthly fee.
The mobile SDK seems to have come via PlayFab, the cloud services company that Microsoft acquired back in 2018.
Want to get more Gamerscore on your iPhone? Makes sense to us. Why not brag about some of your best achievements or gaming stories to us on Twitter. We’re at @TrustedReviews.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.