Cross-buy

Cross-buy is a feature of some digital distribution systems available across multiple device platforms, where users who purchase a license to a specific piece of software are able to use the versions of the software for different device classes at no additional charge.

The term is associated mainly with digital distribution in video games, where cross-buy can span between a video game console and handheld game console, or between a console and a personal computer.

Examples

Sony Interactive Entertainment introduced cross-buy on PlayStation gaming platforms in August 2012: users who purchased select PlayStation 3 titles would be able to obtain ports for the portable PlayStation Vita console at no additional charge.^[1][2] The initiative was later extended to include PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.^[3][4]

Microsoft unveiled a similar scheme Xbox Play Anywhere in 2016, which is applicable to digital purchases of games on Microsoft Store across Windows 10, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S attached to the same account.^[5] This also includes synchronization of content, such as saves and achievements between all platforms. This arrangement is primarily used on first-party titles, but Resident Evil 7: Biohazard became the first third-party title to support Play Anywhere.^[6][7][8]

Meta Quest, formerly Oculus has a similar concept of cross-buy for Virtual Reality (VR) experiences bought on the Oculus PC VR platform for the Rift and Rift S headsets. PC VR Experiences which have subsequently appeared for the mobile virtual reality headsets Quest and Quest 2 can be made available to Quest/Quest 2 consumers without having to be bought a second time; however, the decision to support cross-buy lies with the game developers.^[9]

See also

• Digital Copy, a similar concept for films.

References

1. McWhertor, Michael (2012-08-14). "Sony announces Cross Buy: Buy a game on PS3, get Vita version for free". Polygon. Retrieved 2019-03-04.
2. "Sony reveals Cross Buy for PlayStation Vita". GamesIndustry.biz. 14 August 2012. Retrieved 2019-03-04.
3. "Flower, flOw, Escape Plan and Sound Shapes coming to PS4/PS Vita!". Playstation.com. 15 October 2013. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
4. "How to Upgrade PS4 Games to PS5". Push Square. November 18, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
5. "Xbox Play Anywhere". Xbox. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
6. Sarkar, Samit (2017-01-18). "Resident Evil 7 biohazard supports cross-buy on Xbox One and PC". Polygon. Retrieved 2019-03-04.
7. "You won't need an Xbox to play Microsoft's next generation of games". CNET. 2016-03-01. Retrieved 2018-08-05.
8. Crecente, Brian (July 1, 2016). "Xbox Play Anywhere launches Sept. 13". Polygon. Retrieved September 28, 2016.
9. "Oculus Store Compatibility and Cross Buy". Oculus Forum. 2020-10-14. Retrieved 2021-05-29.