While Nintendo and Microsoft have been more than happy to let their players enjoy cross-platform play in recent times, Sony has rather infamously remained against the idea. Indeed, the company once issued a statement which said that it didn't want to offer cross-play on PS4 because "PlayStation is the best place to play".
That comment came just over a year ago following pressure to support cross-platform play in games like Fortnite, which had recently launched on Switch. Initially, Sony refused, causing fans, press, and even Nintendo to question its decision, but the company soon did a U-turn and introduced an open cross-play beta starting with just Fortnite.
Since then, to the best of our knowledge, PS4 has remained in this 'beta' state when it comes to cross-play, but a new report from Wired says that the beta has now come to an end. It reads, "While it's not announcing the news explicitly, the PS4's cross-play efforts have officially moved out of the beta stage, meaning that the console can support cross-play on any titles that studios provide the functionality for. This month's Modern Warfare may be the first major title to take advantage of it at launch, and likely won't be the last."
With a bit of luck, then, Switch owners should hopefully have more opportunities to play games with their PS4-playing friends in the months and years to come.
[source wired.com, via pushsquare.com]
Comments 44
Good. The more, the merrier
Something that should have been done ages ago. Didn't the Fortnite developers "Accidently" enable crossplay for a day, and Sony got all pissy demanding that they shut it down. Despite the fact that fans were very vocal about keeping crossplay open. Sony has no reason at all for keeping it locked up as long as they have. Especially when Nintendo of all companys is allowing crossplay.
Sony: we will support it, but we’re still cross.
Now's the time for FFXIV A Realm Reborn port!!!
Also didn't a higherup at Sony just leave the company recently? Seems like the timing between him leaving and Sony allowing crossplay is a bit too coincidental.
The Last Of Us part 2 next year on ps4 and switch
@MrGawain cross or x?
If it means i get to play the new dead by daylight port with more players im so down
Everyone already suspected they'd revert course a year before the next generation for the sake of good publicity going into next gen.
But unless this policy applies wholesale as opposed to just PS4, then its meaningless. Especially since the waited until the 11th hour knowing devs aren't going to retroactively patch on cross play to a full genetation's worth of games, nor would most gamers care to go replay those games anyways even if they did.
Just watch them revert this for PS5.... looks likely to be a gesture with the PS4 in it's final year....
Now Sony does. Though, it's a little to late. You've lost a lot of faith from many of your fans.
@patbacknitro18 Exactly what I think, a curious coincidence
This also happens to of occurred at the same time as PS Now became compatible with PC
It’s good. Still a bummer with Civ 6 releasing on all platforms, that 2k doesn’t want to implement online play.
I own Gaming Switch, PC, Xbox One X and PS4, so it's all good either way.
Cross-platform online is best, because it makes online games last longer.
Nothing more satisfactory than pretty much hearing the words "I was wrong, you were right" spoken to me.
Sony was wrong, and everybody else was right. Crossplay is the future.
@patbacknitro18 it seems a co-incidence, Sony have had Crossplay in the works for a year (in Beta stage). Another plus is that PSNow is reduced in price as well, all after the high-ups change/leave too. Hmmm
What next, ps now on multiple devicesXD!?!
Here's hoping we get some cross-play racing titles down the line. Can't let the shooters have all the fun.
Why is everybody so obsessed cross play? What's fun about pitting a Switch player with 30fps, wonky drifting joycons and mediocre wifi against a PS4 player? I don't think it's fun for either of them.
Maybe if you play Minecraft.
Xbox vs PS4 is another story though.
Maybe we’ll get Final Fantasy XIV on Switch now
A win for Microsoft for sure. Neutralized Sony's PSN bigger base going into next Gen. And Sony, if they starts announcing stuff like Monster Hunter World on PC (That still has 97,000 monthly peak players) are joining the hunt.
Puts the pressure on Nintendo. They first needs to start getting the big new online games on Switch before this makes any difference.
Always said it, Crossplay is meaningless unless big games start doing it. People not going to stop playing Borderlands 3 because some random no-name game has crossplay.
There was no justification to not implement it way before.
@HumanDog Well yeah, professional streamers might not like it. They're kinda the vast minority of gamers though. I think the majority of people will love being able to play with their friends no matter what device they're using.
If MHWorld ever gets crossplay with PC then I might get Iceborne on the PS4 since it would be cheaper than getting it on PC and I can get it now
I hope this includes shared games in RPG Maker MV, whenever Nippon Ichi finally gives us a release date on that.
@HumanDog not everyone wanting crossplay is about competition
I would rebuy overwatch on switch if it had PS4 crossplay.
@Gabriel87 I'll take all the downgrades if it means playing FFXIV on the go with cross-save / cross-play. That would be mind-blowing. Sega needs to finally port PSO2 to Switch while we're at it with cross-play.
Great! Now online matches can be like we are the shy third child while the other two siblings scream at each other.
@HumanDog As an option/opt-in feature for crossplay is great.
@Hunt3r_Cr0wl3y For one thing that is a big PlayStation exclusive title so no that would not happen. Plus cross play doesn't mean were getting games from other consoles it has nothing to do with what games were getting all it is for is online Play so people can play the same game online with a person with a different console.
@Agramonte Crossplay Playing games cross-platform with friends is not about getting more online titles to play with your friends its about playing games online with your friends.
I don't see why people care about cross play?
@Agramonte didn't think about it like that. But how does MS neutralize it? If you buy a PS, you buy PSN. Still no reason to buy an Xbox unless you have to have Halo.
Good, really weird of them to block crossplay. Especially when their slogans were/are "4theplayers" and " the best place to play". 😂
Took them long enough...
@Audiogore0733 it was only a joke 😂
@Audiogore0733 I am not convincing any of my friends to stop playing F1 2019, Borderlands 3 and IceBorne so they can come play Disc jam or Pinball FX3 because they have "crossplay".
It is about getting crossplay on online games friends want to play together in the first place. It is always about the Games.
@Trajan My little cousin became a videogame fan in the Army. Everyone had X1s in his unit, so that is what he liked. When he came home last year he ended up getting a PS4... because we are all on PSN.
I am 100% sure that if he could join our Division 2 squad but play on X1 he would have. Or even jump ship next gen.
I would go to PC with FIFA and Madden If I could keep access to PSN. That way I could take it with me on my laptop for work.
and this in the end will make no difference. having crossplay and being able to keep your items same account etc with crossplay are two different things. I am not going to have twenty accounts just to play a few games sorry not happening.
I read it as cosplay
Unfortunately, this being the end of the PS4 life cycle means that a lot of games that could've been crossplay will never be so, since many devs will not bother going back to update their games.
It will be interesting to see if this policy continues for PS5.
@patbacknitro18
Hey lighten up, better late than never.
@Hunt3r_Cr0wl3y I was just saying but nice joke
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