Can Game Account Switch Between Mac and PC?

Publius_Scipio · July 2016

I purchased ESO for Mac. In our ESO account page I noticed that when you choose to download the game (i.e. after full uninstall) it does not specify Mac or PC. Does our account keep track of our purchase, or does it somehow detect what OS (Windows vs Mac OS) we are running and automatically download the appropriate version of ESO for us?

I guess what I am asking is, if I were to purchase a Windows PC, would I be able to simply log into my account and download ESO without issue? Or would I have to purchase the PC version of ESO?

Reverb · July 2016

The PC/Mac licensed is a single license. You should be able to login to either Mac or PC with the same account. Just as I am able to play on either my desktop or my laptop with my account. You just can't be logged into both at the same time

Nestor · July 2016

You should be able to treat it like any PC player that has the game on two machines (say a desktop for home and a laptop for travel). As stated above, you won't be able to login to the same account on both machines at the same time. In fact, it might even trigger some action on your account by ZOS if do this persistently.

yodased · July 2016

Well you are confusing terms.

Pc = personal computer
Mac = type of personal computer

so answered own question,

windows = pc
linux = pc
unix = pc
DOS = pc
mac = pc.

The operating system is irrelevant, the platform is what matters

wayfarerx · July 2016

Nestor wrote: »

You should be able to treat it like any PC player that has the game on two machines (say a desktop for home and a laptop for travel).

I do exactly this, with a Windows desktop at home and a Mac laptop on the road, all the time. The same ESO account works just fine on whichever machine I play on.

Publius_Scipio · July 2016

Thanks for the quick responses. I am not looking to be logged in from more than one "location" lol.

So, if I purchase a Windows PC I could simply login to my account and download the game? The server would automatically have me download the Windows version? My concern is whether or not I would need to purchase ESO again. I could have sworn when I originally purchased ESO I chose the "Mac" version. I just want to be sure.

ScottK1994 · July 2016

Different Operating System but should work fine

Reverb · July 2016

Publius_Scipio wrote: »

Thanks for the quick responses. I am not looking to be logged in from more than one "location" lol.

So, if I purchase a Windows PC I could simply login to my account and download the game? The server would automatically have me download the Windows version? My concern is whether or not I would need to purchase ESO again. I could have sworn when I originally purchased ESO I chose the "Mac" version. I just want to be sure.

You don't need to purchase it again. You just download the pc/Mac client and login like normal.

You won't have any of your addons unless you download them, and your settings and add on history will always remain separate between the two systems, but your account can go back and forth as much as you want.

Publius_Scipio · July 2016

Reverb wrote: »

Publius_Scipio wrote: »

Thanks for the quick responses. I am not looking to be logged in from more than one "location" lol.

So, if I purchase a Windows PC I could simply login to my account and download the game? The server would automatically have me download the Windows version? My concern is whether or not I would need to purchase ESO again. I could have sworn when I originally purchased ESO I chose the "Mac" version. I just want to be sure.

You don't need to purchase it again. You just download the pc/Mac client and login like normal.

You won't have any of your addons unless you download them, and your settings and add on history will always remain separate between the two systems, but your account can go back and forth as much as you want.

Have never played ESO with addons. Always played ESO as ZOS hands it to me update to update.

KhajitFurTrader · July 2016

Publius_Scipio wrote: »

So, if I purchase a Windows PC I could simply login to my account and download the game? The server would automatically have me download the Windows version? My concern is whether or not I would need to purchase ESO again. I could have sworn when I originally purchased ESO I chose the "Mac" version. I just want to be sure.

You do not need to purchase ESO again. When you log in to http://account.elderscrollsonline.com/ (just click on the Account link in the topmost forum menu bar), the web server will evaluate the "browser string" that your browser submits with any HTTP request over the Internet, which contains the name of the OS you're currently using (Windows or OS X). The web page will then offer the according Installer file version when you click on the "Download Game" button in your account page.

Nestor · July 2016

The question I would like to know is how much of the game you would have to actually download. For example, I am refering to the graphics and sound files that make up the bulk of the download. Would you be able to copy that over and then have the download fill in the parts that are missing saving you time and bandwidth. Obviously on a PC to PC it would be easy, but Mac to PC might not work.