In a new interview with Games Industry, Xbox Executive Kudo Tsunoda, who is working on “Microsoft HoloLens, Xbox, and other innovative Windows experiences,” said they’re doing things that can’t be done on any other console.
Discussing Xbox One and PC cross-play and cross-buy, Tsunoda explained:
For a long time we’ve had PC gamers and console gamers who weren’t really able to play together. That’s why cross-play is still such a powerful idea. You should be able to play what you love, and play together, regardless of what device you’re playing on. It’s about connecting people.
It’s a really unique value that only we can offer. You still need very gamer-focused values, but there’s lots of things you can do with our technology. We’ve really got a lot more going on [than our competitors]. We’re doing things that can’t be done on any other console.
Letting people play games wherever they want, on whatever device they choose, and making that easy. Long term, that’s really what we’re trying to do as a platform.
It is worth noting that certain PlayStation 4 games, like Rocket League and the upcoming Street Fighter V, do support PC cross-play.
As for Xbox One backwards compatibility, Tsunoda says it’s something they know gamers want. “It was the number one most requested feature for Xbox One by far,” he added.
During E3, Sony was asked numerous times about backwards compatibility. At the time, PlayStation Europe President Jim Ryan said they are taking a “different path” than Microsoft and are instead betting on Share Play, Suspend/Resume, and Play as You Download.
[Source: Games Industry, Kudo Tsunoda (Twitter)]
