Xbox Play Anywhere and Cloud Saves not working on a single game when coming from Steam

Christoph Sackl · Sep 30, 2022

Hello everyone, I try to keep my huge dissapointment aside and be as constructive as possible asking my question

So I've been playing on Windows with Steam for a decade and have 300+ games on my library, among them (just some examples):

Forza Horizon 5 Premium

Flight Simulator 2022 Premium Deluxe

Cyberpunk 2077

Descenders

The first two titles officially support Xbox Play Anywhere (cloud saves) and come with cross-platform support. Cyberpunk 2077 also offers cloud-save and cross-platform support since Patch 1.6. Descenders comes with cross-platform support as well although I am unsure about cloud savegames (at least it says it's compatible with cloud-saves in Steam).

So, I've got an Xbox Series X a few days ago including an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, was happily installing it with my kids and of course we wanted to continue from where we stopped in e.g. Forza 5 on Steam (we bought 3 copies of the Premium version on Steam, me and my two kids). With Xbox Play Anywhere support we assumed that the saves from Steam would just load up since the Steam accounts are linked to Xbox and we're logged in to our Xbox/Microsoft accounts in e.g. Forza 5 and FS2020. When playing on PC/Steam and Xbox the same gamertags show up so it's definitely the same accounts we're on.

However: All games started from scratch on the Xbox and none of the progress from our PC history shows up. Not even achievements or any other progress was synced so all cars from the garage or pilot profile on FS are "lost". They still exist on PC/Steam of course but we can't continue on the Xbox. Additionally all premium DLC content from Forza 5 or FS does not sync as well, i.e. I would need to purchase it again on Xbox which sucks, since I already bought 3 copies of Forza and don't want to buy it another time.

I have yet to find a single game where Xbox Play Anywhere actually works :-(

Since the seller was assuring us that games support Xbox Play Anywhere would sync any progress it's not just me who is dissapointed but also my kids.

Please help as I am clearly holding it wrong

:)

Christoph Sackl

I understand it now but why post as "Xbox Game Pass" on the Steam community (see link above which mentions "cloud saves" in a post within the Steam community with a link to purchase the game on Steam and not in the Xbox App) if "Xbox Game Pass" saves are not compatible with "Steam Saves". As I've written before, that's just confusing and misleading.

ngocphi

It says gamepass cloud saves not cross saves

Cloud saves aren't cross saves

Steam store their own game saves xbox storea their om a encrypted folder

ngocphi

Well it is cross save compatible just not in the way you mentioned

Play anywhere title only apply to Xbox platform not steam

Also cross saves usually only apply to same platforms with the rare exceptiOns of certain titles

Steam saves are steam saves and Xbox one's are encrypted

However.achievements do carry over

'Forza Horizon 5 will support cross-play and cross-save across Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows 10 PC, and Xbox Cloud Gaming.
Steam will have support for cross-play, but cross-save with Xbox is not supported.

ngocphi

You would.be looking for cross saves

Which isn't rare

Most of the time.cross saves are only on the same platform not 2 different

For example xbox pc and Xbox console

PlayStation pc via steam and PlayStation consoles or previous gens

Christoph Sackl

OK guys, thanks for the explanation. I don't know what for I linked my Steam and Xbox accounts though as this suggests that cloud saves would work between Steam and Xbox. Especially FS2020 is bought through Steam, however it comes with it's own launcher (the same launcher you get when installing through the Xbox app) and I am logged into the same Xbox account regardless if I use the Xbox App or Steam purchased version through the same launcher. You can't explain to normal people why saves and game progress are not compatible in this context and I personally don't even understand it although I am a computer scientist and have some "it affinity".

Since we're having 3 gaming PCs already and we don't want to play everything from scratch and since an Xbox just for Fifa 22/23 (the only title we don't also have on PC) is overkill I am probably going to return it :-(

PS there is even a post by "Xbox Game Pass" on the Steam community suggesting that cloud saves with Flight Simulator would work (

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1250410/Microsoft_Flight_Simulator_Game_of_the_Year_Edition/?curator_clanid=37124729)

Yet it's not compatible. If this is not highly confusing and misleading then what ...

Xbox Play Anywhere and Cloud Saves not working on a single game when coming from Steam