When the battle royale gaming sensation Fortnite arrived on the Nintendo Switch during E3 2018, Sony immediately blocked cross-play between players on the Switch and its own PlayStation 4. The company went a step further by forbidding Epic accounts that were previously linked with a PS4 from working on the Switch version of the game, preventing people with both consoles from syncing their progress and items earned or purchased between the two platforms.
Sony has refused to allow cross-play between PS4 and rival consoles for several other games. It seems to be okay with PS4 players who are being pitted against PC or mobile gamers, but not anyone using an Xbox One or Switch. The Fortnite situation has thrown the company’s anti-competitive, bad-for-customers behavior into the spotlight. On June 14th, Sony issued a statement on the growing controversy, saying, “We’re always open to hearing what the PlayStation community is interested in to enhance their gaming experience.” But the company has given no indication that it will reverse its decision.
