Sony has come under fire in recent months for itsrefusal to to allow cross-play between PS4 and Xbox One. Although PC and PS4 cross-play is permitted, the company seems to be blocking PS4 and Xbox One cross-play features, but this could be set to change.
At Gamescom 2017, Microsoft’s head of marketing, Aaron Greenberg, confirmed that the company is in talks with Sony about cross-platform play. “We do partner with them onMinecraftand of course we would like to enable them to be part of that; one community, to unite gamers.” said Greenberg, referencing theMinecraftBetter Together update. The executive also added that Microsoft is “hopeful that they’ll be supportive of it.”
At this point, it’s unclear when those talks may yield some result. According to theMinecraftFAQ, Sony and Microsoft have been in discussion on the matter for at least three weeks, but it should be noted that when Sony explained its stance on Minecraft cross-play, the company explained that it was due to security concerns, especially those for younger players. Perhaps if Microsoft is able to address those worries, then the PS4 platform holder will get on board by the time the Better Together update rolls out.
If Sony does change its mind aboutMinecraft, then it’s reasonable for fans to hope that the company’s attitude could shift when it comes to cross-play with other games too. Psyonix has previously said thatRocket Leaguecross-playis only prevented by politics and that the developer is ready to go on the feature. PS4 and Xbox One cross-play is also working internally forARK: Survival Evolved, which makes it a perfect candidate for support.
EvenRed Dead Redemption 2could include cross-play. Earlier this year, sources claimed that Rockstar, Sony, and Microsoft were in talks about allowing the feature to work between the two consoles. Although some fans of the cowboy series remained unconvinced that it could happen,RDR2cross-play certainly looks a lot more likely now that Microsoft has confirmed that talks with Sony are progressing.
