Sony's PlayStation Team Was Reportedly Caught Off Guard by Microsoft Partnership

Sony and Microsoft have teamed up work on ways to provide better experiences for customers. Cloud and AI technology are two areas that the two will work on jointly as part of the collaboration, but regardless of what the plans are, the fact that the major companies are working together in any capacity considering their competitive positions within the gaming industry is surprising. It was apparently surprising to Sony's PlayStation team as well, a new report suggests.

The announcement about the new collaboration between the two companies came a few days ago alongside a press release which detailed the plans for the "strategic partnership" between Microsoft and Sony. According to a new report from Bloomberg, the PlayStation team was caught off guard by the announcement and worried what it meant for the future of the next PlayStation console that's in the works.

Bloomberg reported that the talks between Microsoft and Sony began last year with Sony's senior management in Tokyo heading up the conversations, though there was little involvement from the PlayStation team. Sources familiar with the matter told Bloomberg that those in the gaming division of Sony were "caught off-guard b y the news" and that managers had to reassure workers that the next-generation console wouldn't be impacted by the collaboration.

The full details of what this partnership will entail are still unknown, but the companies did share some information about what they'll look to achieve. PlayStation services will take advantage of Microsoft's tech as part of the new deal. The two will work on streaming services while also looking for ways to create "better development platforms for the content creator community." The two companies said they'd share more information on the deal when it becomes available.

Xbox boss Phil Spencer has since commented on the partnership between the two and said he was "excited about the opportunities" it presents. If you're looking for more details on that next-gen console that some within the PlayStation team were worried about, you can find those here.