Windows 10 Delivers Gaming Enhancements

Windows 10 will deliver new features that integrate it further with Xbox One and enhance PC gaming, which could entice some customers to make the upgrade.

Xbox Integration

Windows has worked with the Microsoft-hosted Xbox Live service since Windows Vista. PC games can interact with the service, and a client application that acts as a portal to an Xbox Live account (exposing items such as friends lists, game achievements, and activity feeds) has been offered under various names, such as Games for Windows — LIVE, Games, and SmartGlass. Features have been changed and added over many versions, and a new rendition of this application, probably just titled Xbox, will be included with Windows 10. (The application has been available in Windows 10 technical previews since Jan. 2015.)

The new Xbox application retains features currently offered in the SmartGlass application with a new user interface layout. It also offers a new capability to stream Xbox One games to Windows 10 devices running on the same subnet. This will let players view and play Xbox One games on, for example, a PC or tablet connected to their home networks. The streaming feature works with any game (existing and future) that runs on the console’s primary games OS. However, it will not work with Windows Apps that will run on a planned Windows 10—based OS on Xbox One. Streamed games can be played on Windows 10 devices using compatible controllers, but Kinect voice and gesture input is not supported on devices receiving a stream.