Windows 10 Gaming

[J4MES OX4D 10,025]

Seems that Microsoft are really serious on getting back into the PC gaming market and despite some early indications that they were doing this out of desperation after poor Xbox One sales; it looks like it might not be a bad idea and could be quite beneficial to gamers. The Windows store is a pile of utter disorganised dogshit but there are a few decent games cropping up that would never have made it onto PC if it wasn't for Microsoft getting back into the fore. Rise of the Tomb Raider selling 4x as many copies on PC in a week than the XB1 version sold in the first year was the ultimate wake up call for them no doubt.

Forza Horizon 3 released last month and there is also an astonishing quality port of Gears of War 4 releasing on Tuesday which is cross platform with Xbox Live like FH3. Halo 5 Forge is also available and with Sunset Overdrive planned; it looks like it could be a nice extra line of PC games that don't have to be held back to sub 1080p and running at below 30fps. Quantum Break also appeared in September in the Store but is also now available on Steam.

I've yet to be all that convinced or interested in Windows 10 gaming but it could be great going forward and a good excuse not require an Xbox One but also to not miss out on some decent games it has along the way. Not only are the games cross platform which really compensates the potential lack of players on PC when compared with the Xbox Live community at this time; if you own a game digitally on Windows 10, you can also download it on an Xbox One if you happen to buy one in the future with any saved games/stats transferring over so you can play between both devices.

Halo 5 Forge is free for starters and there is also demos available for Forza Horizon 3. You'll need the latest Windows 10 Anniversary update and most of the games are quite chunky downloads plus being £50 which is pricey as hell for a PC game but this certainly could be worth a look now and then especially if the games are decent exclusives with full crossplay support. 

[The3rdWalker 1,271]

If it drives competition between Ubisoft, Origin, Steam and now Windows then great. What I would hate to see is launcher exclusives.

[J4MES OX4D 10,025]

I got Gears of War 4 refunded in the end as the Windows Store is quite literally the worst platform I've ever encountered - even more comical than the uPlay alpha build. I installed the 73gb which took about 3 hours but was pretty plain sailing but then like many thousands of other users; we couldn't download the update without getting an error message so those affected couldn't play the game. Microsoft offered no solutions and seemed pretty confused and no fixes given by users worked consistently. The products in the store are also tied to the C:/ drive and you can't install to another one, not even an SSD which is laughable and you are required to have the amount of total disk space that the game takes available just to install updates even if they are below 100mb for some stupid reason. Users were even reporting the store syncing and removing the game which is really the last straw. 

I got into the Microsoft Live chat and told the guy that the platform was the worst thing I've ever seen and I want my money back and he fully agreed and granted me a refund

I know MS are a bit rusty and trying to get back into PC Gaming but this is embarrassing.   

[Auptyk 4]

Yeah... it's hard enough for me to buy a game outside of Steam. hah, but it is ridiculous in my opinion that they would try to get into this market. Steam is by far the best, but, granted, they have been in the game the longest.

Windows 10 / X1 streaming is quality though. They should just really push that. From the XBOX app on my computer I can turn on and manage my X1. Then if I want to play a game, just boot it up and it streams to my computer monitor. I can either run it full screen or "in app". I haven't play MP, but in all the single player games, the picture was great and the latency wasn't noticeable. All X1 controllers are compatible with Windows so not an issue there, or if you are set up like me the controller can still reach the X1 so I don't even switch my controllers over to the PC. 

...not that I have a shortage of controllers... *facepalm*

 

[J4MES OX4D 10,025]

On 10/16/2016 at 5:28 AM, Auptyk said:

Yeah... it's hard enough for me to buy a game outside of Steam. hah, but it is ridiculous in my opinion that they would try to get into this market. Steam is by far the best, but, granted, they have been in the game the longest.

Windows 10 / X1 streaming is quality though. They should just really push that. From the XBOX app on my computer I can turn on and manage my X1. Then if I want to play a game, just boot it up and it streams to my computer monitor. I can either run it full screen or "in app". I haven't play MP, but in all the single player games, the picture was great and the latency wasn't noticeable. All X1 controllers are compatible with Windows so not an issue there, or if you are set up like me the controller can still reach the X1 so I don't even switch my controllers over to the PC. 

...not that I have a shortage of controllers... *facepalm*

 

 I recently just got an XB1 controller for my PC after my Xbox 360 one finally died after 10 years. Hoping this one will last equally as long and if I ever get an Xbox One; I can use it on there too. I think Microsoft left it a bit too late to get a foothold back in the PC gaming market and after the Games For Windows Live nightmare, I'm surprised they gave it another shot and it seems they are suffering the usual fundamental problems that caused GFWL to struggle. The whole Windows 10 Gaming platform seem to be a bit of a rushed job too and whilst I can seem them improving the format in the next few years; they perhaps would have been better just swallowing their pride for slacking over the years and just publishing the games through Steam and taking the 30% a key hit. Forza 3 and GOW 4 would have sold in droves on there without any hassle and it makes you wonder how many are holding back or not buying at all because of the platform. 

Hopefully they'll turn it around and expand the catalogue in time but they've certainly got themselves in a pickle right now!