Sony has become the villain on the larger issue of cross platform play, a remarkable turnaround from just a few years prior, when they were champions of the functionality. They have been preventing full cross platform play from happening between PS4 and other consoles (they seem to be okay with PS4 and PC), when even a company that is as traditionally conservative about online play as Nintendo seems to be on board with it.
One of the games that seems to be suffering the most on PS4 as a result of Sony’s stubbornness on this issue is Minecraft. At E3 this year, Microsoft announced a major update for Minecraft, that brings full cross platform play and parity for all versions of the game, also ensuring that all versions are now equal in graphical and other capabilities, thanks to computing being handled on the server end. It’s a great update, and one of the largest exercises in cross platform engagements ever. And yet, Sony is sitting it out voluntarily.
However, it looks like Microsoft has not yet given up on the cause. On page dedicated to this upcoming update, Microsoft addressed the issue regarding PlayStation’s participation in the ‘Better Together’ update, saying, “while we are thrilled to be able to confirm the new version of Minecraft is coming to Nintendo Switch, we are still in discussions with Sony about PlayStation and have nothing to confirm. We would love to work with Sony to bring players on PlayStation 4 into this ecosystem as well.”
Everyone would be thrilled if it happened, Microsoft. Hopefully, Sony capitulates sooner rather than later. Minecraft‘s PC, Mac, iOS, Android, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch versions will all become a part of the Better Together ecosystem. Further versions are available on PS3, PS4, PS Vita, and Wii U, which will not be getting this update.