Competitive crossplay is difficult as if you aren't careful the people on console will be at a massive disadvantage depending on the game type. For a shooter like Gears of War 4, competitive crossplay would lead to console players being at massive disadvantage against keyboard and mouse PC players. For something like a Forza Horizon 3, the disadvantage won't be as large. PC players will still have a small control advantage due to faster and more fluid controls due to 60+ hz display rates, but that's relatively minor compared to the huge disparity between KB/M and controller for a shooter.
As for Steam multiplayer, as I mentioned this is how it used to be. I don't know if it's still like that. It's rare to find games not using the Steam service for multiplayer matchmaking. As well things get further complicated due to how multiplayer sessions are hosted and joined.
On both Steam and Xbox game services, you can invite players directly through your friends list and it will work even if they aren't already in the game. So, that would present potential complications if a Steam user is expecting to be able to invite their friends into an Xbox crossplay game through their Steam friend's list but the game is instead using Microsoft's multiplayer matchmaking and associated friend's list.
Regards,
SB
yep, i acknowledge why they don't have competitive xplay, I'm saying that's why the player base isn't large.
if the fps was such a problem in f:horizon then they should also limit it on pc side as they compete against each other with dithering fps.(although i hear that 60fps on pc is pretty buggy regardless of power of rig)
how many people play horizon on pc with pad, kb/m, wheel? I'm surprised they can't detect what the control method is by now and make some decisions based on that.
they've also expanded it to include competitive play in gears i believe, in social play not ranked matches, although they probably left it so late that there's probably hardly anyone on pc now. So it shows that it can be done even with dithering control methods.
for competitive play i think it should be optional lobbies though, give players the option to choose if they care, or to play against people they know.
would steam cross play be easy to implement, probably not, but if steam allows it then that's all it is.
may have to be done with some limitations even, but it still would've ultimately helped the player base, and proven that their open to xplay.
until they get the w10 store up to a state that gamers like, and convince them to use it, these hobbled xplay attempts isn't doing their cause any good.
w10 player base is too small, even though a large percentage is probably using a pad, and on the console side it's seen as not having exclusives (regardless if i think that's valid or not).
Lose lose.
Tim Sweeney wins: 
