By Bridging Xbox, Windows and Cloud play in one place
- by Ben Kerry
Today Microsoft unveiled a noteworthy tweak for Xbox gamers, pushing the platform ever closer to a single cohesive ecosystem spanning console, Windows and the cloud. Currently shipping to Xbox Insiders, a freshly minted ‘Play History’ section will appear on both console and PC, letting you instantly revisit the titles you’ve touched on any supported gadget.
The row of thumbnails that normally sits at the foot of your Xbox Home screen will gain an extra tile labelled ‘Play History’. This pane surfaces more of your recently played libraries—including sessions that started on a PC or via Xbox Cloud Gaming—right there on the console.
Below is an early (admittedly grainy) mock-up from Xbox illustrating the tile’s placement:
And here’s the team’s own description:
“Whether you’re on your console, PC, or a Windows handheld, you can find your play history at the end of the “Jump back in” list on the Home screen. While the large tiles highlight games you’ve recently played on your current device, the play history tile shows games you’ve played across any Xbox device, making it easy to pick up where you left off.
With these updates, Xbox is making it even easier for you to jump into your favorite games, wherever you are, whenever you want.”
The timing is fascinating: Xbox is shifting from a box-in-the-living-room into the broader Microsoft gaming identity. Note the explicit mention of ‘Windows Handheld’—a clear nod to the upcoming ROG Xbox Ally handheld.
At the moment the perk is live inside the Insider builds on both console and Windows, with plans to propagate it to everybody in the following wave of updates.
Keen on this forthcoming ‘Play History’ panel? Sound off in the comments.
[source news.xbox.com]
Ben is a News Writer at Pure Xbox, favouring action, racing and plain old shoot-em-ups on any Xbox title he can sink his teeth into. Away from the pad he’s usually blasting decades-old playlists, glued to a football broadcast on the sofa, or hunting down his next meal.