Under great amounts of pressure to reverse its anti-crossplay stance with the PlayStation 4, Sony has finally capitulated somewhat by saying that it is looking at possibilities and trying to come up with a solution that will allow its console to play nice with others. Now, what that solution will look like and how it will function is anyone’s guess.
“You can imagine that the circumstances around that affect a lot more than just one game,” said Sony Interactive Entertainment America CEO Shawn Layden. “I’m confident we’ll get to a solution which will be understood and accepted by our gaming community, while at the same time supporting our business.”
While the PlayStation 4’s lack of crossplay isn’t exactly new, its stonewalling of Fortnite accounts from other systems brought it under heavy fire this month from players and media. Additionally, Microsoft and Nintendo recently released an unprecedented “Survive Together” crossplay ad that took aim at Sony by excluding the company altogether.
Former SOE President John Smedley tweeted last week about the historical reasons for Sony’s feet-dragging. “When I was at Sony, the stated reason internally for this was money,” Smed said, referring to his time at the company prior to 2015. “They didn’t like someone buying something on an Xbox and it being used on a Playstation. Simple as that. Dumb reason, but there it is. […] If we keep the pressure up this problem goes away.” However, Smed pointed out he wasn’t necessarily talking about Sony’s current position. “I was just talking about when I was there. Nothing to do with Fortnite and I’m not saying that’s the reason now.”
