Update, 2/12/2016, 10:17am PST: Remedy updated the PC specs for the "Recommended" bracket, and also added an "Ultra" configuration.
Remedy Entertainment’s Quantum Break, the third-person time-based shooter, is coming out on April 5, and along with a new live-action trailer, Microsoft tried to persuade more fans to pre-order the game with more incentives.
Each copy of the game comes with a digital download of Alan Wake, Remedy’s hit game on the Xbox 360, as well as The Signal and The Writer DLC packs. If you pre-order the game, you’ll also get a download for Alan Wake’s American Nightmare, a spin-off title in the Alan Wake universe. There’s also an Xbox One bundle for the game. For $349, you get the game, a 500 GB console and controller (the console and controller come in the Cirrus White color).
Ironically, the Xbox One “exclusive” game is also getting a PC release on the same day, but if you pre-order the Xbox One version, a digital download of the PC game is included.
| Quantum Break Specs | Minimum | Recommended | Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i5-4460 (3.2GHz, Haswell) or AMD FX-6300 (3.5 GHz, Piledriver) | Intel Core i5-4690 (3.5GHz, Haswell) or AMD equivalent | Intel Core i7-4790 (3.6 GHz, Haswell) or AMD equivalent |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 or AMD Radeon R7 260x | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 or AMD Radeon R9 390 | Nvidia GeForce GTX 980Ti or AMD Radeon R9 Fury X |
| DirectX | Version 12 | Version 12 | Version 12 |
| RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | 16 GB |
| OS | Windows 10 (64-bit) | Windows 10 (64-bit) | Windows 10 (64-bit) |
| Storage | 55 GB | 55 GB | 55 GB |
The availability of the Xbox and PC versions of Quantum Break in one pre-order is an interesting move by Microsoft. At E3 and Gamescom last year, some of the Xbox presenters on both shows emphasized the integration between the Xbox One and Windows 10. This idea of a “cross-buy” system, then, is another step towards the marriage of Microsoft’s console and PC.
However, it should be noted that cross-buy isn’t anything new. Those on the PlayStation 4, 3 and Vita saw a few titles on the PlayStation Store that had a cross-buy feature. If you bought certain games on the PS4, you would also own it on your PS3 or Vita. Some games even shared the same save data, such as Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster. You could start playing the game on your Vita, save your progress, and then pick up where you left off on the PlayStation 4 copy. Microsoft said that Quantum Break also has the same feature so you can transfer progress between your Xbox One and Windows PC.
After Quantum Break, Xbox will aggressively push for the cross-buy system for the future, according to a tweet from Xbox head Phil Spencer.
At the moment, we don’t know the full list of Xbox One titles that also will be available on PC through cross-system purchases, but one would expect a big announcement during E3. At the moment, Microsoft is focused on not only delivering new titles to its console, but also allowing users to enjoy their favorite games through backwards compatibility.
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