Though it’s almost 10-years old, Minecraft’s Bedrock Edition allows cross-play on Switch, Xbox One, PC, Gear VR, Fire TV, and Mobile. The company has called on Sony to enable PS4 several times and is doing so again in light of recent news. “We believe in giving gamers the opportunity to play the games they want with the people they want,” said a spokesperson to Windows Central. “Whether that means working with our partners to deliver cross-network play with games like ‘Rocket League’ and ‘Fortnite’ or enabling cross-device play with the likes of Minecraft, we are supportive of new scenarios that enable more people to play and have fun together while gaming. We would love to bring players on PlayStation 4 into our Minecraft ecosystem as well but have nothing further to share at this time.”
Putting Rivalry Aside
This will be a real test to see if Sony is really putting its customers before its revenue. Though it has allowed Fortnite, collaborating with a direct competitor is another level entirely. It seems unlikely Sony will reciprocate, but it may depend on how much of a push there is from Minecraft fans. Meanwhile, Rocket League is looking like an excellent candidate for Sony. Psyonix has had cross-platform functionality ready since 2016 and said it would take only a few hours to deploy. Working with Microsoft on Minecraft would be a real first for the industry and show that the pair is willing to put their differences behind them. We aren’t holding our breath, but Sony surprised many with their Fortnite announcement and may do so again.
