Cross-gaming between consoles and PC has always been a topic of conversation and hopes for gamers. But while this doesn't seem to be seeing a resolution anytime soon, the potential is something that Microsoft has not yet let go of.

"This connected ecosystem across all the different devices is definitely where I think the future of gaming is going," said Microsoft's Phil Spencer in an interview quoted by Forbes.

As of now, the cross-play between PC and Xbox consoles is still not on the way despite some trial runs. But what the latest experiment with Skulls of the Shogun shows is that cross-saving and playing from PC to Xbox consoles and saving via the Cloud may be the next big thing for those who want to expand gaming beyond traditional consoles.

An improved social experience for Xbox One gaming

A special social experience is potentially at the heart of the next-gen console. Sony has been focused on not only indie gaming but also giving a social twist to the way PS4 users will now experience next-gen gaming.

Xbox One may be moving in the same direction as well, as a tutorial video on the Friends App of the console has surfaced along with a few more details about the app.

Xbox One users can have up to 1,00 friends in the list, with Xbox 360 users not having to enter their Xbox 360 contacts once more, as there will be automatic importation of friends. But more than just personal contacts, the Xbox One also invites you to get to know more Xbox One players in that you can follow players that you want to follow.

"Xbox Live has always been about building an amazing community," said Microsoft's Larry Hryb, more known as Major Nelson, in his blog. "When we first launched the service back in 2002, our vision was to create a premium online place where friends could come together to play games."

Of course, privacy issues are not to be trifled with here, as Microsoft assures that its next0gen console will allow users to set their privacy settings, so that any information that the user doesn't want to share with other people will be kept private.

According to The Verge, the app will let you view online status, achievements, and other activities that the player has done via the Xbox One.

Two types of achievements for the Xbox One

Aside from the social aspect of Xbox One gaming, there is also an evolution in terms of the gaming itself, as two types of achievements are now available for gamers: achievements, and time-based challenges.

This has previously been reported before, but now Major Nelson details in his blog how it works.

"There are now two types of Achievements: achievements and time-based challenges. The former is similar to the achievements you earn on Xbox 360," he said. "Challenges, on the other hand, are only available for a certain period of time. What you accomplish during that timeframe will count towards unlocking the challenge."

Another improvement for the gaming community of Xbox One is the inclusion of Smart Match and the new reputation system for the Xbox One. As you remember, the Xbox One rep system has been improved so that players will be tiered according to their behavior for Xbox One gaming, so that good gamers will be with fellow good gamers while bad gamers will go with bad gamers in terms of online presence.

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