PlayStation 4 Cross-play Is Coming, Confirms Sony

Sony has had a firm stance against cross-play over the past several years, but with the continued success of the incredibly accessible Fortnite the company has been getting a lot of heat from folks regarding the ability to play with other platforms. It looks like Sony has finally caved, because it confirmed that PlayStation 4 cross-play is coming beginning with a beta test with the Battle Royale game.

Sony reached out to the community in a recent blog post sharing their changed stance. The company mentioned, "The first step will be an open beta beginning today for Fortnite that will allow for cross platform gameplay, progression and commerce across PlayStation 4, Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, and Mac operating systems. We see the beta as an opportunity to conduct thorough testing that ensures cross-platform play is best on PlayStation, while being mindful about the user experience from both a technical and social perspective."

They added, "For 24 years, we have strived to deliver the best gaming experience to our fans by providing a uniquely PlayStation perspective. 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."

The company recognizes that this is a big change, even mentioning that it's shaking up their core quite a bit. Because of that, there may be some hiccups along the way but they are dedicated to bringing this coveted feature to their systems, but they need the community's help during this testing time.

We're excited to see that they made the pivot. Developers, gamers, even fellow hardware makers have been going pretty hard at Sony following a few tone-deaf remarks made by them earlier this past year. But now, the community has just gotten bigger, better, and we're excited to see what comes next from the console camps.