Fortnite Cross-Play Coming To Xbox One, PC And Mac; PS4 Support Needs Buzzkill Sony Approval

Fortnite is bringing its cartoony visuals and battle royale platforms to mobile, and specifically to iOS and Android (in that order). When it arrives on mobile, Fortnite will support cross-platform play, allowing Xbox One, PC, Mac, and mobile users to play with and against one another. What about the PlayStation 4, you ask? Cross-platform play is being introduced to the PS4 version as well, except where it matters.

Sony continues to be a buzzkill when it comes to cross-platform gameplay between the PS4 and Xbox One. That is unfortunate, though par for course when it comes to Sony and Microsoft letting their rivalry stand in the way of what consumers have been clamoring for. If you ask Microsoft, the ball is squarely in Sony's court, all it has to do is dribble and take a shot.
"Contrary to what may have been implied, Microsoft has long been a leading voice in supporting cross-platform play, connecting players across PC, mobile and all consoles. We’ve been working together with them over the last several months to make this possible, and will bring this functionality to Fortnite players on Xbox right along with other platforms," Epic Games announced in a blog post.
Phil Spencer, executive vice president of gaming at Microsoft and head of the Xbox division, agreed with a Fortnite fan's Twitter post saying he wants to see cross-platform play between the Xbox One and PS4. Spencer tweeted, "Me 2," which was followed up by Fortnite's official Twitter account posting, "We 3!" In short, it appears everyone wants this to happen, except for Sony.

What makes the situation hard to swallow for gamers is that there is no technical barrier standing in the way of cross-platform play between the Xbox One and PS4. It's simply a business decision, one that is seemingly born out of Sony's dominant position in the console war—the PS4 has fairly consistently outsold the Xbox One. And in this case, Sony might also be holding a grudge over Microsoft's console exclusive with PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, another highly popular battle royale game.