Sony's stubborn stance on cross-compatibility is holding video games back
With the arrival of Fortnite on the Nintendo Switch Tuesday, it's become abundantly clear that Sony is holding back the video game industry.
Why? Because Switch users can play Fortnite with players on every platform — Xbox One, PC, Mac, and mobile — except for PlayStation 4. In fact, if you have an Epic Games account for Fortnite on PS4, you can't use that same account on Switch or use any of the cosmetics you've paid money for.
This is bad, pointless, and does nothing but hold back the video game industry from becoming a more open marketplace where friends can play games together without needing the same system.
Epic Games PR manager Nick Chester confirmed the lack of cross-compatibility with PlayStation 4 on Twitter shortly after the Switch version of Fortnite was announced, and the onslaught of negative reactions to the news poured in after.
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People who tried to login with their Epic Games on Switch that already had an account connected to their PS4 found that they were unable to play.
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This isn't a problem that's exclusive to Fortnite. This same problem has come up with Minecraft and Rocket League, both of which were some of the first games to foster cross-play between consoles.
And now a clear pattern is forming: Sony isn't entirely open to cross-compatibility. They've made some concessions here and there — Rocket League has cross-play between PS4 and PC, Fortnite has cross-play between PS4, PC, Mac, and mobile. But for whatever reason Sony refuses to play friendly with other consoles.
Microsoft has been open to the idea of cross-play between the Xbox One and PS4, and Nintendo is clearly open to cross-play with every other platform considering they allow it.
The hold out is Sony, and thanks to Sony the industry is stuck in the past where there are bold dividing lines between different systems. Except now there's only one line, and Sony drew it between themselves and the other console manufacturers for no apparent reason other than fear that people might not buy PS4s.
If they keep this up and cross-compatibility between all the other platforms continues to flourish, Sony is looking to get itself left behind.
Neither Sony nor Epic Games responded to a request for comment.
