Windows Store 'CoD' buyers can't play with Steam friends

Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare and Modern Warfare Remastered have come to the Windows 10 Store, but you may want to think twice about buying the games there. According to Activision, those versions don't support console cross-play, and won't even work with versions on other PC platforms like Steam. In other words, you'll only be able to play with other Windows 10 Store buyers and not the millions of players who bought the game elsewhere. They aren't part of the Xbox Play Anywhere program either, meaning you'll be stuck with the Universal Windows Platform (UWP) version on Windows 10.

Developers like Epic have complained about the closed nature of the Windows 10 Store, but the Call of Duty restrictions apparently aren't Microsoft's fault. Windows Central reports that the decision to separate the UWP game from other Windows platform players was made entirely by Activision. Microsoft affirmed that it supports device and platform cross-play "for partners who want to enable it."

Though the lack of cross-play is Activision's decision, users have complained about other aspects of UWP games, like the lack of multi GPU support for SLI or Crossfire, and no support for unlocked frame rates. However, Microsoft recently unlocked frame rates for UWP games and launched MultiGPU support for DirectX 12 games like Rise of the Tomb Raider. It'll have to do more to open up the platform, though -- if buyers see nothing but downsides, they'll simply buy elsewhere.