PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds could get cross-play between Xbox and PC eventually

PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds is the latest early access game to hit the big time, shifting over four million copies in just three months on PC. However, the player base could increase even further later down the line as cross-play between Xbox One and PC versions of the game might be implemented later down the line.

Cross-play between different platforms is something Microsoft has been opening up to so far this generation. With millions of players already on the PC version of PUBG, having access to that larger player base could end up really helping the Xbox version in the long run. However, that doesn't mean the developers aren't aware of the other challenges that come from cross-play between PC and console.

Speaking with VG247 this week, Bluehole Studios producer, Chang Han Kim said that while they “don't anticipate” any technical issues with cross-play, the competitive side of the game could be an issue:

“Cross network play between the PC and the console is definitely something we want to do down the road, and we don’t anticipate we’ll have any technical issues with that. But… when you consider the competitive side of the game, I do feel that there’s a balance issue between controllers and keyboard and mouse. That’s what’s making it difficult for us to do right away. If we’re going to allow players to use controllers we need to have the aim assist added in and things like that. We’re not going to be supporting it right away, but it’s something we’d like to look into later.”

Balancing a multiplayer game that involves shooting for both a console and PC audience will be a challenge. After all, the mouse is inherently quicker and more accurate than the analogue stick on a controller. Still, perhaps Bluehole will be able to strike a good middle ground to keep everyone happy.

KitGuru Says: For competitive games, I think cross-play between consoles makes a lot of sense but issues can arise when PC is also thrown into the mix. However, games like PUBG aren't entirely built around shooting so they may manage to make it work. 

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