After months of hard-line denials on the cross-platform front, Sony seems to have finally relented (sort of) as the company announced an open beta for cross-platform online play...for Fortnite.
An EU PlayStation Blog written by Sony Interactive Entertainment President John Kodera formally revealed the event, citing a “very comprehensive process” that led to the beta decision.
The open beta test will allow for “cross platform gameplay, progression and commerce across PlayStation 4, Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, and Mac operating systems.”
“For 24 years, we have strived to deliver the best gaming experience to our fans by providing a uniquely PlayStation perspective,” Kodera writes. “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 blog entry ends with Kodera remarking of how this is a major policy shift for Sony Interactive, and that there will be updates on the future of the program, including whether or not this will extend to other titles, in the future.
We’re curious what that “very comprehensive process” Sony went through consisted of, and we imagine it included the realization that “oh crap, Xbox and Nintendo are cashing in on the Fortnite craze in a huge way, maybe we should figure out how to do that too.” We’re also wondering how much Epic Games themselves were involved, as they could not have been happy about Sony’s stick-in-the-mud mentality regarding cross-platform play. Whatever the case may be PlayStation is finally getting on the bandwagon, and we can only hope this means big things in the future.
For more Fortnite coverage, check out our piece on the Xbox One S Fortnite bundle coming soon, as well as the recentt breaking of the squad kill record by Tfue and friends.