Can you play a real-time strategy game like Age of Empires with a console controller? Microsoft believes it is possible and the arrival of this saga on Xbox in 2023 was star advertisement special event to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the release of the first title in the series.

Video game consoles take up a significant portion of the huge pie of the world’s gamers, but there is a type of game genre, such as strategy, where the PC and its peripherals are unbeatable. Or it used to be, as it can also be played on consoles by connecting those peripherals or customizing the console controller’s controls to achieve the desired interaction.

“Age of Empires has grown and thrived for 25 years thanks to players from all over the world conquering campaigns, triumphing in skirmishes and mastering multiplayer… We keep our players at the center of what we do and pay close attention to what they do. Tell us. So after hearing requests for an Xbox debut, we listened and accepted!”

Considering the complexity of the Age of Empires game controls, it looks like we’ll be bringing them to Xbox consoles difficult task. But they are on it. Microsoft’s World’s Edge team claims to have worked on implementing a control scheme for gamepad to make it look natural and easy to use, while adding special tutorials to make it easier for new players to get on board.

Also mentioned was a new AI system that makes resource management on consoles easier and/or automated. The players, of course Those who want to use a keyboard and mouse to play will be able to do so as they will be fully compatible, as well as optional cross-play also available between Xbox consoles and Windows PCs.

Age of Empires on Xbox

“Age of Empires has grown and thrived for 25 years thanks to players from all over the world conquering campaigns, triumphing in skirmishes and mastering multiplayer… We keep our players at the center of what we do and pay close attention to what they do. Tell us. So after hearing requests for an Xbox debut, we listened and accepted!”Said to be from the team.

This way Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition Releases on Xbox Series X|S on January 31, 2023 and will bring 34 campaigns, dozens of multiplayer factions, 83 maps and other benefits that it has gained since the release of this remastered version in 2019.

It would later be the last title in the saga, Relic Entertainment’s Age of Empires IV, that would arrive on Xbox. The console versions of both games will be available for purchase through the Microsoft Store as part of Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Cloud Gaming.

In addition to the surprise announcement of the console versions, to celebrate the 25th anniversary, Microsoft is offering a free content update for the The third season of AoE IV. Available on Steam, Microsoft Store and PC Game Pass, it features two new multiplayer civilizations (Ottomans and Malians) with unique playstyles, buildings and units, and reworked naval gameplay, waypoint markers, eight new maps, AI updates and significantly improved launcher UI, as well as hundreds of other civilization-specific changes.