At E3 this year Microsoft announced Xbox Play Anywhere, their cross-buy initiative that allows people to buy the game once from either the Xbox or Windows Stores and then play it on both PC and console with access to shared game saves in the cloud and (in some cases) cross platform multiplayer.

With high profile titles such as Gears of War 4, Forza Horizon 3 and Halo Wars 2 part of the program there is certainly potential for it to take off in a big way if players are willing to commit to digital purchases. The first game to release under Xbox Play Anywhere will be ReCore on September the 13th which should be noted is also selling at a slight discount to Microsoft’s usual pricing so it will be interesting to see if it helps get the ball rolling.

This initiative certainly isn’t new – Killer Instinct and Quantum Break have previously provided similar features across Windows 10 and Xbox One but come September we should expect to see it become a more regular occurrence with Microsoft’s own releases. And with a new Xbox console (Scorpio) coming at the end of next year this might also be a means to ensure that some game releases are better prepared for running on newer hardware.

Of course this doesn’t make a lot of difference to either PS4 or PC gamers tied to PlayStation Network or Steam respectively but the prospect of Xbox game purchases being even more portable in the future is an intriguing concept.

Will it catch on with indies and other publishers who don’t have as big a stake in it as Microsoft? Might it change your choice of platform when buying games? Have Microsoft lost their minds in allowing the majority of their upcoming games make the jump to Windows? Please leave your thoughts below in the comments.