Project Rainway: Xbox Reportedly Planning for a Feature We Fell Hopelessly in Love With in Diablo 4, World of Warcraft
There’s no denying the fact that 2024 has marked a dramatic change in Xbox’s future going forward. Microsoft has started publishing the console’s first-party games on rival platforms such as Nintendo and PlayStation.
However, Microsoft’s multiplatform effort isn’t the only thing it’s striving towards. New reports have surfaced suggesting that team green is working on “Project Runway,” which brings a feature that gamers couldn’t get enough of Blizzard Entertainment’s Diablo 4 and World of Warcraft.
Xbox’s new feature will shake up the gaming industry
It’s been known for a while that Xbox is working on a handheld console. This is not surprising considering the popularity of portable consoles, which has blown up in recent years, all thanks to Steam Deck, Nintendo Switch, and Asus ROG Ally.
However, Microsoft is not stopping its innovation engine right now. According to Windows Central, the company is working on a type of “cross-platform Xbox guide” that’s going to be used for multiple gaming systems. This feature is currently called Project Rainway.
It’s clear that Microsoft has drawn inspiration from Battle.net’s social features, which gamers loved in Diablo 4, World of Warcraft, and Hearthstone. These allowed players to share and communicate across different platforms.
With Project Rainway, games running on other consoles and platforms from Xbox will still have the classic in-game systems and twist that team green is known for. For instance, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on Valve’s service allows you to do Xbox cloud saves. Microsoft wants to make sure all games under its roster are covered with such features.
Currently, it’s still unknown what those other platforms will be. However, it’s safe to assume that the rumored handheld by the tech giant could make use of this feature. It’s still unclear whether we’ll see this arriving on Nintendo and PlayStation systems, but it’s less likely as they’re still rival console platforms.
It’s crucial to keep in mind these are just rumors. Nothing is confirmed, and Microsoft might change things for Project Rainway or completely abandon it if it doesn’t work out the way the company wants it to.
The age of Xbox exclusives has come to an end
In the last couple of months, we’ve seen many first-party Xbox titles jumping ship to PlayStation, such as Doom: The Dark Ages and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Even Obsidian’s upcoming The Outer Worlds 2 will debut on day one for PS5.
This has left everyone wondering about team green’s plans for console exclusivity. According to reliable Microsoft insider Jez Corden, Microsoft is going for this route because the era of permanent exclusives for its console has come to an end.
It's cuz they don't want to just mandate it on teams that aren't set up yet for multiplatform simultaneous development.
— Jez (@JezCorden) December 13, 2024
But the era of Xbox having permanent console exclusives is over.
Corden’s remarks suggest that in the future, we might see even more Xbox exclusives such as Gears of War, Halo, and Forza showing up on Sony’s PlayStation consoles.
Previously, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer stated that the company has no special requirements for which game can be ported to PlayStation and doesn’t even rule out a PS5 release for the upcoming Halo title.
With that said, are you excited about Xbox’s Project Rainway? Let us know in the comments below.
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