Sony wants crossplay in more PS4 and PS5 games

fortnite

Sony wants to increase the number of PS4 and PS5 games that feature crossplay, according to PlayStation boss Jim Ryan.

Speaking to news site Axios, Ryan said "we support and encourage cross-play". He then went on to acknowledge the PlayStation titles that currently feature crossplay, such as Fortnite, Call of Duty and Minecraft, telling the publication "that number will continue to grow".

It's a bit of a change of tune from Sony, which has notoriously dragged its heels when it comes to crossplay, a feature that allows players to play games with those on other platforms such as Xbox and PC. 

It wasn't until 2018 that Sony began loosening the reigns on crossplay features in PlayStation titles, allowing Fortnite players on PS4 to finally play with Xbox, Switch and PC players - a feature that Microsoft and Nintendo had implemented long before. However, the Epic Games vs Apple trial revealed that this feature came at a cost (via Axios), with Sony only allowing crossplay in exchange for a cut of revenue earned from players on other platforms.

Since then we've seen Sony allowing crossplay between the likes of Dead by Daylight, Outriders and Rocket League, with Overwatch set to get crossplay later this year. 

Playing together

Overwatch

(Image credit: Blizzard)

While Ryan's comments on crossplay suggest that we'll see more PlayStation games with the feature in the future - and that Sony may finally be reassessing its out-of-date attitude on crossplay - it doesn't look like the company has entirely changed its approach quite yet.

Just last month, Gearbox's Randy Pitchford tweeted that crossplay was coming to Borderlands 3 - but that support for PlayStation consoles had to be removed for certification. A reason wasn't given for the removal of this crossplay, however, Ryan told Axios that Sony's "policies are consistent across all of the publishers".

So while we're hoping Sony will allow for crossplay support in more of its PS4 and PS5 games, allowing us to play with our friends no matter which platform they're on, it looks like the company will be doing so at its own pace.

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An award-winning games journalist, with seven years of experience in games journalism and a degree in journalism from City University, London, Vic brings experience from IGN, Eurogamer, The Telegraph, VG247, Dot Esports and more to the TechRadar table. You may have even heard her on the radio or speaking on a panel, as she’s previously appeared on BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio 5, BBC Radio Ulster and more. Not only is Vic passionate about games, but she's appeared on both panels and podcasts to discuss mental health awareness. Make sure to follow her on Twitter for more.