True cross platform play is a big, major deal- and we have already seen Microsoft, Nintendo, and PC all jump in by allowing full cross platform play across the Xbox, Switch, and PC for games like Minecraft and Rocket League. The last holdout is Sony, who will allow PS4 to play with PC, but not with Xbox or Switch.
When asked for a reason, Sony’s Jim Ryan said that this was to protect children from unsavory elements on other platforms– which was not only a ridiculous sentiment to begin with (as if there are no unsavory elements on PSN), but also made no sense since Sony already allows cross platform play with PC, which is the most unmoderated platform there is.
Rocket League developers Psyonix seem to agree with that sentiment. Speaking to VentureBeat, Psyonix’s Jeremy Dunham said, “I understand that stance. We want to take care of our players. But from our perspective, if PlayStation already allows cross-network with PC, which is the least regulated of any of the partners, then in theory, having Xbox and Switch in there should be fine. They’re a lot more regulated. From our perspective that concern is already handled. That’s taken care of. Our dream is that true cross-network play — we want it on all the platforms. It’s very important to us, for multiple reasons. One, you can have faster matchmaking. The bigger the pool, the faster the matchmaking. It benefits everybody. Two, you get better quality opponents. In a bigger pool you have better people who are closer to your location.”
I agree with him, word for word. Nothing about Sony’s stance makes any sense. This is making them look very bad, and I hope they come around soon. Rocket League is available on PS4, Xbox One, PC, with a Nintendo Switch version coming this Holiday.