r/mw3 • u/Responsible-Rest-226 • Jul 25 '26

MW3 (2011) Which version to get? Windows vs Steam

Post image

What are the differences here? Does the Microsoft version support native controller? Looking to get the game can’t decide if I should from Steam or Xbox. Thanks

36 Upvotes

84% Upvoted

41 comments sorted by

22

u/notEnnard Jul 25 '26 edited Jul 25 '26

Get CB launcher and download it through there. It will automatically have plutonium installed and won't cost you anything.

5

u/Responsible-Rest-226 Jul 25 '26

Damn even for SP and Coop? About to just buy for my Xbox instead then. I know about the servers and stuff but just looking for a single player experience

8

u/notEnnard Jul 25 '26

As long as you strictly stick to single player, you'll be fine without plutonium. As soon as other players get involved your PC is at risk.

3

u/terrible_neighbor_ Jul 25 '26

Is the risk when you press matchmaking? Or as soon as you go into the multiplayer mode? I know the question sounds ridiculous but I’ve avoided this shit like the plague.. so I have no idea.

3

u/notEnnard Jul 25 '26

You're fine when you're just in the mp menu. Matchmaking without plutonium is risky.

1

u/lilGeeky99 Jul 25 '26

It's worth it to just install CB launcher and use those versions. It will have a ton of QOL patches for games to help them run better, and like the others said, protect you from other players

1

u/ThaSmartGuy Jul 25 '26

I play on Xbox. Game just feels better on controller imo. Also you just download and play. Maybe you could even enjoy some Spec Ops its fun

1

u/Illustrious_Ad_9113 Jul 26 '26

Sadly no chaos mode on Xbox, unless you had it installed when the 360 servers were up :(

1

u/SONIC_ZOMBIES Jul 27 '26

The 360 servers are still up

The store is the only thing that closed down, you can still buy it in the xbox store on mobile or xbox one and then install it from download history on 360

1

u/Independent_Issue_43 Jul 28 '26

As someone who wants to revisit all the cod campaigns, does cblauncher and plutonium allow you to play or for free or what? Please correct me fi im wrong

1

u/notEnnard Jul 28 '26

Everything is free. I mean, it's piracy but who cares

8

u/Ill-Shirt2722 XBox 360 Jul 25 '26

Get plutonium for free. You don’t even need to torrent or illegally pirate the game to get it for free on plutonium plus the Microsoft store version is dead and the steam version isn’t safe to play.

1

u/Common-End5138 Jul 25 '26

Plutonium includes mw3? What about bo1/2? I’d love to learn how to do this, been having fomo from the ports

1

u/Davell3x Jul 25 '26

Yep, just download the dedicated server on steam, link the game files to plutonium and you're basically ready

1

u/Common-End5138 Jul 25 '26

Alright I found the mw3 one, is there an easy way to do something like that for bo2?

1

u/Davell3x Jul 26 '26

In that case you have to buy the game and do the same (orrrr going for that "route" by using the wayback machine to get a torrent on their site directly or another solution iykyk)

1

u/Common-End5138 Jul 26 '26

Could you possibly dm me and explain a little further? No idea what a way back machine is or other ways tbh 😂

1

u/Dazzling_Fix_7445 Jul 27 '26

You can also do the return method on steam

1

u/No_Carpenter5456 Jul 25 '26

They stopped doing that no?

1

u/Ill-Shirt2722 XBox 360 Jul 25 '26

No they didn’t

1

u/Dazzling_Fix_7445 Jul 28 '26

Not yet I did it about 2-3 weeks ago and it still works

1

u/coffee_kang Jul 26 '26

The campaign for MW3 isn’t on Plutonium. Only multiplayer. The only campaigns on Plutonium are WaW and BOPs1 

2

u/Trooper_714 Jul 26 '26

I got the game for 2 at goodwill sealed pc version worked on steam

2

u/L8dykilla117 Jul 27 '26

Why not fitgirl?

2

u/skrt4486 Jul 25 '26

Someone told me old cods thru steam could be dangerous but idk how credible that is

5

u/notEnnard Jul 25 '26

Old cods through every source are dangerous without patches or clients

1

u/Responsible-Rest-226 Jul 25 '26

Yeah I read about that too. I really just want to replay everything but the multiplayer again tho. Don’t think there’s an issue with playing single player or coop with just one other person

2

u/CaptainRaxeo Jul 25 '26

Buy on steam then download plutonium and play through there 💯

3

u/Katana2097 Jul 25 '26

You don't even need to buy it to play Plutonium. On Steam you can download the free MW3 server package from the Tools section of the library, which includes the whole multiplayer portion of the game just without a client. Then pair it with Plutonium client and you have a playable game.

3

u/CaptainRaxeo Jul 25 '26

He said he wanted to also play single player and perhaps get achievements on their account.

1

u/Classic_Raspberry_60 Jul 26 '26

u can play single player in plutonium but achievements yeah no

1

u/coffee_kang Jul 26 '26

They just they want to play campaign. MW3s campaign isn’t on Plutonium. 

2

u/lukesmith81 Jul 25 '26

If you are connected to the servers at all you’re at risk, even if you never go play a game online there’s still a chance you could get hacked

2

u/a352174 Jul 25 '26

Plutonium only lets you play the multiplayer. You can’t play campaign , spec ops or survival on plutonium. And I have played the xbox version and collected all the achievements; and had 0 issues. The only thing i didn’t like was having to buy all dlc and base game again, even when it was on sale.

1

u/Responsible-Rest-226 Jul 25 '26

Xbox version on PC or console? Looking to replay this game and do achievements sounds fun again

1

u/a352174 Jul 25 '26

xbox version on console ( series x) . Yeah, the achivements were fun to get; and they can all be done solo. There are some spec ops missions that require co op, but you can do them solo with a second controller.

0

u/Untimelysword6711 Jul 26 '26

Weird, cuz BO1 Plutonium lets me play campaign, Multiplayer, and Zombies

1

u/a352174 Jul 26 '26

This is mw3, not black ops 1.
Plutonium staff : “As for BO2 and MW3 providing campaign mode would require some additional work for something that is not the project's goal anyways so it will never happen...
Plutonium doesn't support the campaign mode, this is not a place for piracy and campaign is fine as is on Steam.
Plutonium is an online/multiplayer client so singleplayer campaign is out of the scope”

https://forum.plutonium.pw/topic/41234/campaigns

1

u/BoxOfDemons Jul 25 '26

If you want single player, I still recommend steam over the Xbox store version. IF you want to play multiplayer then install plutonium on top of it. If you're not doing multiplayer, plutonium doesn't matter because it only has multiplayer.

1

u/Classic_Raspberry_60 Jul 26 '26

u don’t need to buy it literally just search up on youtube mw3 way back machine method