Sony announced today a major policy shift regarding crossplay with other consoles. PlayStation 4 previously wouldn’t allow online games to connect to Xbox One or Switch players. Today, Sony is starting a beta test for Fortnite crossplay.
Crossplay between consoles once seemed like a fantasy, but Xbox One and Switch have enabled people to play together for games like Fortnite and Rocket League. PlayStation 4 would permit crossplay with PC players, but it refused to connect to other consoles. Sony’s excuse stated that such crossplay would hamper its capability to deliver a consistent experience.
But the decision drew criticism from PS4 fans, especially those that were angry when they tried to install Fortnite on their Switch and found out they couldn’t carry over their PS4 progress. The debacle cast a negative shadow over Sony during July’s Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, making headlines while Sony was trying to promote games like Marvel’s Spider-Man and Death Stranding.
“For 24 years, we have strived to deliver the best gaming experience to our fans by providing a uniquely PlayStation perspective,” Sony noted in the announcement. “Today, the communities around some games have evolved to the point where cross-platform experiences add significant value to players. In recognition of this, we have completed a thorough analysis of the business mechanics required to ensure that the PlayStation experience for our users remains intact today, and in the future, as we look to open up the platform.”
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“This represents a major policy change for SIE, and we are now in the planning process across the organization to support this change,” Sony continues. “We will update the community once we have more details to share, including more specifics regarding the beta timeframe, and what this means for other titles going forward.”
