Cross-platform play may be possible and Tekken series producer Katsuhiro Harada may be pushing Sony and Microsoft for the same but it’s not going to happen anytime soon.
Speaking to GameSpot during a Tekken 7 event, Harada said that security issues are the main reason why cross-play is tough. “Since Tekken has three platforms, to do cross-play is much more difficult because fighting games are peer-to-peer, which means you connected directly to your opponent. That means all the security protocols regarding PSN or Xbox Live, the user IDs and such, is quite difficult to match that – not technologically.”
Cross-platform play may have happened for Tekken 7 with PC but that’s only if it came out for one console. As it stands, it’s up to the companies to change their policies.
“But until there is some kind of progress between the first-parties adapting their security policies and just policy in general regarding online, to allow that, it’s not going to be viable at this time. It’s not to say that’s the case forever. But until they change their policies, there’s not a whole lot we can do.”
Tekken 7 is meanwhile slated to arrive on June 2nd 2017 worldwide for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.