While many have speculated that this was down to Microsoft, citing its interest in establishing the Windows Store as a major Steam competitor, it seems that this decision was actually made by Activision. In a statement sent to Windows Central, a Microsoft spokesperson explained, “We support cross-play between devices and platforms for partners who want to enable it.”
Microsoft’s stance on cross-play has been a widely praised and discussed topic as of late. For instance, in addition to its Play Anywhere program, the company has also expressed interest in letting Xbox One and PS4 players play together despite the consoles being in competition with one another.
There is some suggestion that Infinite Warfare’s multiplayer is not compatible between the two platforms because of different operating system requirements. The Steam version of the game supports the Windows 7 operating system and it’s possible that there are technical difficulties involved in making it work with the Windows 10-only Windows Store version. This is unconfirmed for now, though, and Activision has yet to comment.
Understandably, fans are feeling frustrated. The information that the Steam and Windows Store versions are not compatible is not clearly available on the Infinite Warfare or Modern Warfare Remastered Windows Store listings, meaning that players may have downloaded the games’ huge files before realizing. There’s also disappointment as the basic and Digital Legacy versions of Infinite Warfare are significantly cheaper on the Windows Store than on Steam, so although gamers may save money in the short-term, but in the long-term they may find themselves with significantly less people to play with.
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare is out now for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
Source: Activision, Windows Central
