Offering up Windows 7, DirectX 11 support for the previously Windows 10 exclusive. For those that need a refresher Quantum Break is the latest game from the house of Max Payne, an ambitious sprawling action sci-fi that blends live-action footage with in-game choices. And it all plays out in an episodic structure similar to what you'd find in a TV series.

Probably best to read our review of the game, where Stephen "Time Lord" Farrelly praised its mix of style.

The incredible thing to behold is the 1:1 environmental share between the show and the game. They must have scouted for a long time to gain access to an area they could both shoot in, and spend time recreating in-game. It’s quite impressive from a logistical perspective and is executed brilliantly.

The show itself is well shot with great performances. You get four episodes and five chapters of the game. Each episode of the show follows on from the last chapter you played and depending on some environmental finds and a few binary decisions you’re tasked with making at various junctions, the show’s outcome will prove to be different.

Here's a link to the Steam page for Quantum Break.

On September 15. And yeah, according to the Steam game page it looks like it'll no longer be a Windows 10 exclusive, and it'll even support older machines and the more prevalent DirectX 11. And right alongside the Steam release, Nordic Games will be partnering with Mircosoft Studios and Remedy for a physical special edition that will come packed with a bunch of goodies.

Colour us surprised as we thought that Quantum Break was one of those Windows-10-UWP-DirectX-12-only titles. Not any more. And we probably should have seen this coming as Microsoft's Phil Spencer recently dropped word that the company was definitely looking at bringing its Microsoft published games to Steam.

The physical Timeless Collector's Edition if Quantum Break includes the following content:

• Premium packaging
  
• 5 game discs (one-time Steam key redemption required)
  
• Making of Blu-Ray
  
• Making of Book
  
• 1 Soundtrack CD (Audio-CD)
  
• 2 Posters
  
• Quickstart Guide

And hey, the more people that get to play Quantum Break the better. AusGamers' own Stephen Farrelly gave it 8.9 out of 10.0, calling it "a wonderful game".

The PC release of Quantum Break from Remedy and Microsoft hasn't exactly been smooth sailing, with a lot of the issues stemming from the fact that UWP and Windows 10 isn't all that friendly to big games. But even outside of these issues Remedy has addressed a number of the problems players have been facing in a new forum post. Including the usual stuff like stuttering and frame-rate issues to the completely bizarre, like having no exit button on the main menu.

Here's the forum post in full, which includes some issues that extend to the Xbox One version.

The entire development team at Remedy Entertainment and Microsoft Studios want to thank all our fans for the success that Quantum Break has experienced since it launched last week on April 5. We have spent the last four years working on Quantum Break – the ultimate Remedy Entertainment game as we call it – and to see how warmly it has been received by gamers worldwide has been exhilarating and incredibly rewarding.

We are aware that some players are facing issues with the Windows 10 version of Quantum Break and some extent on Xbox One. We want to let you know that we are working diligently with Microsoft Studios on addressing all the feedback; below are the things we know about today that are being worked on.

We want to thank our fans again for all their continued support for Remedy and apologize for any problems you have faced playing Quantum Break. We are paying close attention to forums and the discussion online about Quantum Break and are doing our best to solve the issues you are experiencing.

Windows 10 Issues & Solutions

Stuttering Frame-Rate / Frame Pacing
There was a major rounding error introduced into our refresh rate predictions on shipping. A solution to this issue is already being worked on; we expect it to be resolved in a Quantum Break Title Update launching in the near future.

Windows 10 Performance Issues
Remedy is looking into how to improve the overall performance of the game. Part of that is working closely with AMD and NVIDIA to address issues and improve the gameplay experience.

Sometimes, after a longer play session, the game can end up to a state where the video memory becomes fragmented, and an important asset gets moved to system memory, which slows the rendering performance significantly. This problem is very rare and Remedy will continue to investigate and improve the video memory behavior in future updates.

If you experience this issue, exiting and restarting Quantum Break will resolve this issue for now. This is one way to identify if you have encountered this issue or if it’s another potential problem.

Graphics Drivers:
We recommend, for AMD Radeon GPU’s, AMD Radeon Software Crimson Edition 16.4.1

We recommend, for NVIDIA GPU’s, 362.00 from NVIDIA.

Keep in mind, these drivers might have an impact on other software on your computer.

Windows 10 Frame Rate Locked?
In May, Microsoft will be enabling the ability for developers to disable v-sync and adding support for G-Sync and Freesync monitors. This means that UWP games running in full screen, borderless windowed mode will have all of the performance advantages of traditional full screen exclusive mode.

No Option to Quit from Main Menu
We hear you! By popular demand, we are adding an exit option to the main menu in an upcoming title update. For now, similar to all Windows 10 apps, you will need to use Alt-F4 or move the mouse cursor to top right corner of the window to the see the X icon, which you can click to exit the game.

Crashing on Launch
We have been able to repro at least one reason for a rare crash on launch– with some SIMD instructions that require SSE4.1. We are working on fixing that in a future title update, and will fix any other issues we find as they are reported.

Image Quality
We are working on giving users more control to turn on and off features like film grain. We love the artistic choice for our game, but we also want to give PC gamers more choice and this will come in a future update.

Does Quantum Break support SLI or other multi-GPU solutions?
Quantum Break on Windows 10 unfortunately doesn’t support DirectX12 multi-GPU rendering. Due to the engine architecture, the work needed to support multiple GPUs would have been significant and out of scope for Remedy for Quantum Break.

Render technique and resolution on Windows 10
The Windows 10 version of Quantum Break uses the same reconstruction method as on Xbox One. If your resolution is set to 1080p, the game temporally reconstructs the image (except UI) from four 720p buffers rendered with 4xMSAA, just like on Xbox One. Engine assigns input geometry samples from 4xMSAA rendering into shaded clusters in order to maximize covered geometry while keeping the performance on acceptable level by reducing expensive shaded samples. When you change the resolution, the buffers used to construct the image are always 2/3rds of the set resolution, i.e. in 2560x1440 they would be 1706x960.

Download Issues
We are aware some users are having issues downloading the game from the Windows Store. There are some known bugs with the way the progress bar is rendered. Microsoft is standing by to help anyone who has issues downloading and the Windows 10 Anniversary Update this summer will massively improve the overall experience for these kinds of big games.

General Issues & Solutions (Xbox One and Windows 10)

Light Flare / Blinking Lights
This is a known issue. A permanent fix is being introduced in the next Title Update in the near future. For now, the problem can be resolved by exiting and re-launching the game.

Film Grain
This is an artistic choice from Remedy Entertainment. We wanted a cinematic look for our game and “film grain” is part of that look. Depending on the brand of TV you use or if your Xbox One is connected to a monitor, the film grain can look very different. Always use “Game Mode” on your television if such a feature exists. Make sure you adjust your sharpness setting down on your monitor or TV as well as the brightness setting in Quantum Break.”

Ambient Subtitles
While atmosphere is an important part of Quantum Break, we decided to not include subtitles for ambient sound (e.g.– in-game radio broadcasts) to ensure those subtitles did not conflict or overlap with the subtitles for actual character dialogue.

No Dialogue on Xbox One
If your game is missing dialogue, this is probably because you are listening in stereo, but the Xbox One is set to play back surround 5.1 or 7.1.

To solve this on Xbox One:

• Scroll left from Home to open the guide
  
• Select Settings
  
• Select All Settings
  
• Select Display & Sound
  
• Select Audio output
  
• Set the output to Stereo

Cloud Save Issue on Windows 10 and Xbox One
Cloud save issues with the Windows 10 version of Quantum Break have been resolved with the March update (Windows 10 Version 10586.164, 64-bit only). To avoid any issues, please switch Microsoft accounts before signing in to the Xbox app and/or check Windows Update to ensure that you are using the latest version of Windows 10.

We are aware of this issue on Xbox One and are working to address it in a future update. To avoid any issues, please quit the game before turning off your console.

Issues aside, Quantum Break is a fantastic game that Ausgamers own Stephen "Time Lord" Farrelly enjoyed immensely

We've been traveling back and forth through time, using time powers as Iceman from the X-Men in Remedy's very impressive Quantum Break. So how does it fare from a review perspective?

Here's a snippet from our review:

But before I get ahead of myself, I should sell the experience a little better, because this is absolutely worth your time and investment from the outset. It’s a Remedy game through and through, but presents itself with a maturity neither Max nor Alan did. The game is gorgeous from the moment your fire it up, and while linear still offers plenty to experience from an exploration-for-exposition perspective. It also takes Remedy’s storytelling to new heights, but without it seeming like the studio is tall-poppying. If you want to, you can absorb yourself in the science of everything they’ve set up here across the game’s highly detailed environments, or you can just take the surface value of everything -- you decide your own level of involvement.

Click here for our full spoiler-free Quantum Break review.

Recently we took Remedy's Quantum Break for a hands-on spin, and walked away with far more questions than answers. Though most of those were related to paradoxes and how the game -- and studio -- would invariably handle them once super-nerdy fans got their hands on the game. So, before any of that is spoilt, click through to know our thought on not just the game, but also its TV show companion.

Here's a taste:

Like Alan Wake, the game is broken up into episodes, and at the end of gameplay you can also opt in to watch episodes of a live-action spin on the events you just played through. There are four episodes of the show, each at roughly 20-minutes in length. How you play the game, however, can have an impact on exactly what version of specific episodes you watch. It’s not completely dynamic, because that would be crazy, and impossible, but having legitimate feedback in a TV show from your in-game actions and decisions is a powerful tool. The game is described as the hero piece, while the show is shot from the perspective of the story’s villains, which makes those feedback moments even more impactful. Honestly, in both the TV and videogame landscapes, nothing like Quantum Break exists.

Click here for our full hands-on preview.

With both versions out on the same day, April 5. The PC release for the previously Xbox One exclusive may come as a surprise to some, but Remedy has always had a long history of PC gaming -- dating all the way back to the original Max Payne. Visually and technically, the developer is known for pushing the envelope, so Quantum Break on Windows 10 should look nothing short of spectacular.

In a very cool turn, if you pre-order the Xbox One version of Quantum Break, you'll also get a free copy of the Windows 10 edition and a copy of Alan Wake’s American Nightmare. Plus, every edition of the Xbox One version will get a free digital copy of Remedy's Alan Wake and its DLC add-on packs.

So, great value all around.

In addition to the PC announcement the minimum and recommended specs were also detailed, and they're definitely nothing to sneeze at.

Quantum Break PC Requirements

Minimum Requirements

• OS: Windows 10
  
• DirectX: DirectX 12
  
• CPU: Intel Core i5-4460, 2.70GHz or AMD FX-6300
  
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 or AMD Radeon R7 260x
  
• VRAM: 2 GB
  
• RAM: 8 GB
  
• HDD: 55 GB available space
  

Recommended Requirements

• OS: Windows 10
  
• DirectX: DirectX 12
  
• CPU: Intel Core i7 4790, 4GHz or AMD equivalent
  
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce 980 Ti or AMD Radeon R9 Fury X
  
• VRAM: 6 GB
  
• RAM: 16 GB
  
• HDD: 55 GB available space
  

There was also a new trailer for the game released, which is live-action in nature. But unlike other live-action trailers this one carries some weight as Quantum Break is an ambitious project that aims to blend an story-driven action game with that of a TV series. The time-bending nature of the mechanics and quality of the cast and crew involved in the live-action portion of Quantum Break make this one of most promising and interesting releases for 2016.