'Gears of War 4' gets cross-platform multiplayer this weekend

The platform wars begin this weekend.

Since the dawn of time, comment sections have had vicious debates on which gamers own the superior platform. This weekend, Microsoft are giving them the opportunity to put their K/D where their mouths are. Between December 2nd and December 5th, Microsoft will be trialing cross-platform competitive play on Gears of War 4 allowing PC and Xbox One players to duke it out.

Cross-play was a key focus of Xbox's E3 presentation this year, but until now the two platforms have only been able to interact in cooperative modes. While Gears of War 4 has long supported inter-platform play on its co-op missions and Horde mode, developer The Coalition says this limited trial could pave the way for permanent competitive cross-platform support.

Where games like Microsoft's Shadow Run have attempted this in the past, the difference in input methods have meant that players on either platform could be put at a disadvantage. With many PC players preferring the more accurate mouse and keyboard setup, and console gamers requiring generous aim assist, the results of this trial will be interesting to say the least.

Thankfully, this daunting battleground will be isolated to a 'crossplay' multiplayer playlist, meaning that participating in the player war isn't mandatory. If you're feeling brave enough though, this is one fight you can proudly tell your bemused grandkids about in years to come.