Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. News

Former Sony exec: Money is likely holding back ‘Fortnite’ crossplay

Gabe Gurwin
By
Fortnite – Battle Royale Announce Trailer | PS4

Epic Games’ Fortnite offers crossplay support on all platforms, allowing console, mobile, and PC players to compete against each other instead of keeping communities separate, but it isn’t quite as open as many players would like. Sony currently blocks crossplay on PlayStation 4 with Xbox One and Nintendo Switch, and according to a former executive at the company, this is only due to money.

Speaking on Twitter, former Sony Online Entertainment (now Daybreak Game Company) president John Smedley said that during his time at Sony, the “stated reason internally” for disabling crossplay in PlayStation 4 games was because the company didn’t want to lose out on console sales.

Recommended Videos

“They didn’t like someone buying something on an Xbox and it being used on a PlayStation,” Smedley said. “Simple as that. Dumb reason, but there it is.”

Related

The recent renewal of controversy surrounding this issue began when the Nintendo Switch version of Fortnite released during E3 2018. Players who had previously loaded up the game on their PlayStation 4 were alerted that their current Epic Games account was incompatible, and they were forced to make a new one in order to play on the Switch. This issue isn’t seen on the PC, Mac, iOS, or even the Xbox One, and Xbox chief Phil Spencer has criticized Sony for its stance in the past. Even Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé chimed in, stressing that Nintendo supports crossplay but Sony’s decision is out of his hands.

Perhaps the greatest strides toward platform-ambiguous online play has come from Minecraft. The game’s “Bedrock Engine” was revealed during E3 2017 and allows Xbox One, PC, Switch, iOS, Apple TV, Kindle Fire, Gear VR, and Oculus Rift players to join each other online. The PlayStation 4 is left out of the fun, and when we asked Mojang about this last year, we were told that it was Sony that was keeping the platform from other players.

Fortnite is currently available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, Mac, Nintendo Switch, and iOS. An Android version will arrive later this summer, and we’re sure there are still a few people holding out for a PlayStation Vita port.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Gabe Gurwin
Gabe Gurwin
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…
A list of all the Fortnite augments, and how to use them
Fortnite

Every new chapter of Fortnite is a massive event. While seasonal changes bring plenty of minor tweaks and additions, it's almost always when a new chapter rolls around that major overhauls or new mechanics are introduced. Fortnite Chapter 4 was no exception, and aside from the extreme changes the island underwent, it brought one very important change to gameplay that wmakes a huge difference when going for that illusive victory royal (it isn't easy to win Fortnite, after all).

Augments, well, augment the game. There are a few challenges that somewhat introduce what these are, but they leave out almost all the important details for you to find out on your own. Augments need to be considered, and deeply understood, not only for when you get them yourself but to know what new tricks your opponents could have up their sleeves. Before you get taken by surprise, here's a complete breakdown of how to unlock augments and how they work in Fortnite.
What are augments in Fortnite?
Augments, or Reality Augments, are essentially a new perk system introduced into Fortnite. There are currently 22 augments in the game, but with more to come in future updates. You can get access to multiple augments during a single match, but augments do not carry over after a match is finished, whether you win or lose. These perks can range from modifying certain weapon types to granting buffs for performing actions, and much more. There are no bad augments, so you will want to get as many as possible. Augments also have their own tab in your menu where you can see which ones you've had so far to track your progress using them all.
How use Fortnite augments

Read more
Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 2 shows the secret to the shooter’s success
Fortnite character grinding on rail.

There's a popular joke in the Super Smash Bros. community where players imagine taking Super Smash Bros. Ultimate back to the year 1997 and showing it to a gamer to get their reaction to its wild roster. I imagine doing the same with Fortnite these days. The battle royale game is entirely different than what it looked like in 2017. The differences between the two, while much more expansive than Super Smash Bros., are ironically what makes Fortnite stay so relevant, and you can once again see that in its latest season.

Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 2 MEGA Cinematic Trailer

Read more
How to claim Capture Points in Fortnite
Character standing by capture point in Fortnite.

As part of a new Fortnite weekly quest, players are required to secure Capture Points around the map. As expected, the game doesn't specify where to find Capture Points, and even if you do stumble upon one, claiming it can be a tricky task. Here's what you need to know about claiming Capture Points in Fortnite.
Where to find Capture Points

Capture Points are located in the center of each main hub across the map. These hubs include:

Read more