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PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds Releasing On Xbox One On December 12
Confirmed during a Microsoft Special Event stream, the much-anticipated PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds will be releasing on the Xbox One on December 12, making good on the promised 2017 release date by a scant few weeks.
The game, which is being published by Microsoft on the Xbox One but has been on available as an early access title on PC since April, is Microsoft's big move to get attention for the Xbox One and Xbox One X this holiday. It is not surprising, as Battlegrounds has slowly and quietly become one of the biggest games in the world over the last six months.
One major change for the Xbox version is that, unlike the PC version, the game will run on Microsoft's internal Azure servers rather than the Amazon servers that are being used now. This also limits any possibility of crossplay, but the possibility was already unlikely due to the differences between a mouse and a controller in terms of aiming.
A retail version has been announced, hopefully in time for the game's December 12 release date. Xbox One X enhancements like HDR and 4K will also follow some time after launch.
Our Take
Microsoft has definitely been in a hurry to get the game out on the Xbox in time for Christmas, but it only makes sense. Having exclusivity to Battlegrounds could end up being a big deal.
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