One of the biggest points of contention for gamers this year in relation to online video game platforms has been cross-play capabilities. Sony was especially put on blast earlier this year with their initial lack of cross-play for the popular game Fortnite, which has since been made capable in the game. Microsoft on the other hand has taken greater steps towards making their platform more connected to games that also run on competing platforms. Now, according to a Steam beta update, it seems that greater cross-play capabilities with Steam may be coming soon.

Dataminers have recently shared their findings from the Steam beta update on GitHub. According to their research, the source code included with the latest Steam update includes references to Microsoft’s platform, such as one line that lists “xbox_pairwise_id”. It’s not clear to what extent this would allow for functionality between the two platforms, and for what games, but it could potentially establish a significant bridge for both parties. It would especially come as a relief to those that find frustrations or inconvenience with cross-platform play that must be performed through the Microsoft Store.

It should be noted that there already are some Xbox games that have some cross-play functionality with Steam, such as Microsoft’s new take on Killer Instinct. Many Windows 10 games have released on both the Microsoft Store and Steam, while more recent titles like Sea of Thieves have been exclusive to the Microsoft Store.

Hopefully, this update leads to more cross-platform opportunities for games to take advantage of, and give Xbox owners a nice benefit that Sony seems to be lagging behind in. Now, hopefully all of this means Gabe Newell will be a DLC character in Killer Instinct. Do you guys think this Steam beta update will bring Xbox One cross-play? Let us know in the comments below!

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