What Microsoft revealed about Xbox and Windows 10 today at GDC 2015

Microsoft's Phil Spencer just wrapped up their presentation on Xbox, gaming and the future with Windows 10. The stream is expected to be up later, but for now, here are the big things we learned.

Certainly, more information will come out later today and tomorrow, but for now here is what we know.

  • Microsoft doesn't count the sales in the Windows 8 store as a success (as in sales volume was lower than they wanted)
  • Cross platform gaming is going to include cross-buy as well. Buy from one device, download and play on another device 
  • Developers will submit their apps and games into one store. This store includes Xbox One as well 
  • Pinball FX2 is coming to Windows 10 (free if already bought on Xbox One) 
  • Xbox Live SDK Preview is going live today
  • DirectX 12 adds a 20% GPU boost to the Xbox One 
  • A Universal Development center will allow devs to develop games from one application 
  • Xbox will bring games to Hololens 
  • HoloLens APK should be available around the time of BUILD 
  • Implementing crossplay is "super simple and easy" 
  • ID@Xbox is now helping devs for Windows 10, including Phones 
  • Porting Shovel Knight to Xbox One and implementing cross play only took 1 day for the devs of the Yacht Club 
  • Game 4 from Behemoth is coming to Windows 10, as well as Swordy, This War of Mine, Wasteland 2, Cuphead, Shovel Knight 
  • Battletoads are coming to Shovel Knight 
  • A wireless adapter for Xbox One controllers to work with Windows 10 will be coming out later this year 

  • Gigantic from Motiga is a shooter, moba, rpg mash up coming later this year to Windows 10 and Xbox One 
  • Phil Spencer is teasing that most first party games will be available for both platforms

We'll have more on Microsoft at GDC later today and tomorrow. As soon as the stream from today's event is posted, we'll let you know! Stay tuned.

Daniel Rubino
Editor-in-chief

Daniel Rubino is the Editor-in-chief of Windows Central. He is also the head reviewer, podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been covering Microsoft since 2007, when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, laptops, next-gen computing, and watches. He has been reviewing laptops since 2015 and is particularly fond of 2-in-1 convertibles, ARM processors, new form factors, and thin-and-light PCs. Before all this tech stuff, he worked on a Ph.D. in linguistics, watched people sleep (for medical purposes!), and ran the projectors at movie theaters because it was fun.