Will Xbox–PS4 Cross-Play Ever Become a Reality?
It seems that the possibility of having an Xbox One–PlayStation 4 (PS4) cross-play is still far from becoming a reality.
Just recently, sandbox action game "Fortnite" from developer Epic opened a cross-play feature between the two leading consoles. That, however, was quickly put down, as Epic tagged it as a case of "configuration issue," as reported Gamespot.
In turn, fans were quick to react on social media, as some asked Xbox boss Phil Spencer on his thoughts on the cross-play situation. "I would have liked to see them leave it on," Spencer tweeted back. Early last year, Microsoft already announced its willingness to open connection lines with other networks. These included networks from chief rivals like Nintendo's online service, as well as the PlayStation Network.
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"We're enabling developers to support cross-network play as well," said ID@Xbox director Chris Charla. This meant that Xbox One and Windows 10 users can play with other gamers from other online networks via the Xbox Live. "Of course, it's up to game developers to support this feature, and Xbox Live players will always have the option of choosing to play only with other Xbox Live players," Charla added.
An example of Xbox's openness to cross-play is seen on "Rocket League." The video game offers cross-play support for PC and the Nintendo Switch. In addition, the "Minecraft" franchise, which is also owned by Microsoft, has also opened its doors to cross-play.
On the flipside, Sony remained adamant in its decision to block cross-play feature between PS4 and Xbox One. "We've got to be mindful of our responsibility to our install base," said PlayStation global sales and marketing head Jim Ryan in an interview with Eurogamer last June.
Ryan noted that they have a contract with certain people who work with them online where they can "look after them and they are within the PlayStation curated universe."
With the way things are going between Microsoft and Sony, fans will have to be more patient and remain hopeful.
