It always seems that when I’m away I tend to return to industry drama. This past week is no exception. Upon getting back to my apartment I do my usual checking for any new headlines, be it on my Facebook page, Twitter, of course Gameindustry.com, and videos on YouTube. While expecting the usual comments, I didn’t expect the huge s-storm that erupted regarding Quantum Break.

We all knew that Quantum Break was going to be one of the biggest first party exclusives for the Xbox One. But no one expected the news to come, that it would also be coming to Windows 10 PCs.

Naturally there were some in the Xbox community who did not take this news well. One YouTuber I subscribe to is known as Crapgamer, who I admit is kind of a lightning rod for fanboy debates. Needless to say he was not happy at all with the Quantum Break PC announcement and tweeted the following to Phil Spencer.

And sad to say, I cancelled my Quantum Break pre-order as I said I would. You weren’t up front on QB going to PC.”

Spencer’s reply: “You cancelled a pre-order for a game you want to play because someone else gets to play the game on Windows?”

I will admit both have a point. Crapgamer is suffering the fear that with Quantum Break, as well as other Xbox One games such as Ryse, Killer Instinct, and Rise of the Tomb Raider going to Windows 10, they are losing what makes consoles matter most: exclusives. As for Spencer, keep in mind that Microsoft is a company, and like all companies they want to make money. By releasing games on both Xbox One and Windows 10, they will be able to earn a secondary source of income from game sales.

Now I know a lot of you are thinking that I’d be on the side of Crapgamer. That I would consider Phil Spencer a sellout and that he will single handedly destroy the Xbox One. After all, I was the guy who went off on Sega after they decided to leave the hardware business and release their games on other consoles, such as the PlayStation 2, right?

Well, you’re going to be surprised with this. I’m on Phil Spencer’s side. In fact, I am strongly in favor of Quantum Break going to PC. Let me explain why.

For starters, Quantum Break is still a MICROSOFT exclusive. They are releasing it on both Xbox One and Windows 10, both Microsoft products. In fact, the Xbox One is using features of Windows 10 as part of the New Xbox One Experience (NXOE.) The game is not coming to PlayStation 4, nor is it going to be planned as a launch title for Nintendo’s NX.

Secondly, Quantum Break is going to be a cross-buy title. What that means is that if you buy the game on Xbox One, you will also get a copy of the game for Windows 10. Therefore, you are getting two copies of the game for the price of one. How can anyone complain about getting better value? *cough* Sony rejecting EA Access *cough*

I will also mention on a side note that if you look at what Capcom is doing with Street Fighter V, they are releasing it for both PS4 and PC. However, they are not cross-buy, so if I want to play on PS4 and on PC, then I would need to buy two copies of the game. And yes, before you Sony fanboys go off on me about it, I do know that there are PlayStation 3 and 4 games that are cross-buy with PlayStation Vita, so I just saved you several of your precious seconds to complain to me about it.

Third, Quantum Break is going to also be a cross-save game. Games that are played on Xbox One can be resumed right from where you left off on PC. Again, this is an awesome idea that I wish more games would do. With me moving to a new gaming PC soon I would love to see Steam allow me to transfer all my game saves over, but that’s what Microsoft is doing with QB.

Lastly, and this is the big one, the system requirements. The game will require DirectX 12 to play, and looks like it will be the first game to mandate that. However, let’s look at the minimum requirements to play, as these came from quantumbreak.com:

OS: Windows 10 (64-bit)

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460, 2.70 GHz or AMD FX-6300

GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 or AMD Radeon R7 260X

RAM: 8 GB

VRAM: 2 GB

Hard Drive Space: 55 GB

For minimum settings, those alone can be pretty strict. Recommended are pretty high as well, as you need at least a GTX 970/Radeon R9 390 with 4 GB VRAM, let alone 16 GB RAM to play, and don’t even get me started on the Ultra settings. Those would be more set towards the “PC Master Race” more than anything. All I care about is playing the game, and if the minimum requirements are any indication I should be able to play it. Granted I won’t be able to play it on as high a detail on my laptop, but it will be playable, at least for when I’m away and want to get some more time in.

Needless to say, Microsoft is not abandoning the Xbox One. They are not pulling a Sega, and people need to relax about it. Oh and for the “PC Master Race” who want to claim that the Xbox One is dead, I’d say seek help, but I know you won’t anyway.

Currently Playing: XCOM 2 (PC)

Waiting For: My new laptop to arrive so I can transfer all my Steam games. (Seriously, why does it take over a day to “prepare item for shipping?” Absolutely lazy!)

Anyway, let me know what you all think about the big Quantum Break news in the comments section. Thanks for reading!