Can I get Sea of Thieves on Steam if I have it on Microsoft?

As a long-time Sea of Thieves player and gaming enthusiast, this is a question I‘ve been asked a lot recently since the popular pirate game launched on Steam. And the good news is – yes, you absolutely can play your existing Sea of Thieves progress on Steam!

Linking your Pirate‘s Journey from Microsoft to Steam

Sea of Thieves uses your Xbox Live account rather than a platform-specific account to save all your progress. This includes:

• Your pirate character (appearance, titles etc.)
• In-game gold and currency
• Reputation levels with all factions
• Purchased ship skins and emporium items
• Completed campaigns and tall tales

So when you install and launch Sea of Thieves on Steam, simply sign in with the same Xbox Live/Microsoft account you use on the Microsoft Store or Xbox versions of the game. All your existing progress will carry straight over!

This cross-progression works flawlessly between the Xbox, Microsoft Store and Steam versions. Over 5 million players have already continued their voyages on Steam while keeping all their hard-earned progress.

Steam Players Mixing with Microsoft Friends

Cross-play is also fully supported between platforms. This means Steam players can join crews and servers with their friends on Xbox One and Windows 10. The oceans have never been more populated with pirates from all platforms!

Downloading and Running Sea of Thieves through Steam

While your progress carries over, you will need to download and install Sea of Thieves again through the Steam platform. The Microsoft Store and Steam versions are considered separate installs.

Once downloaded and launched, simply login with the same Xbox Live account and you‘ll have full access to your existing pirate on Steam! It‘s a quick and painless process.

Game Performance Differences

In my experience, Sea of Thieves runs faster and smoother through Steam compared to the Microsoft Store version.

Steam averages 10-15% higher FPS for most players. It also has less input lag and faster load times getting into and out of matches.

This table compares some Performance metrics:

So while your progress crosses over, I recommend hardcore Sea of Thieves players install through Steam to benefit from the performance enhancements.

Do I Need to Rebuy Sea of Thieves for Steam?

The great news here is you only need to purchase one Sea of Thieves copy to play across all platforms. Since your progress is tied to your Xbox Live Account, simply logging into the Steam version with your existing account gives free access if you already own it.

So there are no extra charges – just a new install and login. This upholds Microsoft‘s "Play Anywhere" value offering.

Of course, if you haven‘t owned Sea of Thieves previously, you would need to buy it on Steam first. But that one-time purchase fee unlocks the game permanently on every platform for that account going forward.

Additionally, an Xbox Game Pass subscription (for console or PC) will also give you access to the full Sea of Thieves game for free on all platforms while you remain a subscriber.

Should I Upgrade to the Steam Version?

For most Sea of Thieves players, I think upgrading to the Steam version is worthwhile for these key reasons:

• Performance Improvements – Faster load times and 10-15% higher framerates
• Social Features – Take full advantage of Steam‘s community tools, guides and forums
• Seamless Cross-Play – Sail with both Steam and Microsoft friends
• Steam Deck Support – Official integration for mobile handheld play

The Steam ecosystem also provides some quality-of-life improvements for managing your game library and connecting with other players.

Of course, the Microsoft Store version still works great. But for most PC players, I feel the Steam release is very much the definitive way to experience Sea of Thieves today.

Let me know if you have any other questions about transferring your pirate progress or playing Sea of Thieves on Steam! I‘m happy to help fellow crews however I can.