Xbox Head Phil Spencer Comments on Sony’s Handling of Fortnite Switch Situation
As you may well already be aware, Sony has been blocking any Epic Games accounts that have logged into a PlayStation 4 to play Fortnite from logging in on the Nintendo Switch version of Fortnite, which just released recently. It’s a strange situation that has tons of fans around the world frustrated, especially since this means they won’t be able to play their favorite game on the go with Nintendo’s handheld. Sony has already weighed in with something of a weak and bland response to the situation, but now someone else has as well: Xox head Phil Spencer.
During an interview with Giant Bomb’s Jeff Gerstmann at E3 2018, Phil Spencer gave his own thoughts on the situation, with some carefully worded phrasing. “So, obviously everybody has to run their own business,” Spencer said during the interview. “I was disappointed in the announcement and how it landed. I love the fact that it’s on Switch, and we were really happy about how people could play, and not just play, but the things I’ve earned and my status.”
He told an anecdote about potential players getting different consoles as gifts, with one kid getting a PlayStation 4 and one getting an Xbox One and the kids wanting to play Fortnite together, but being unable to due to the system restrictions.
“If it doesn’t help the developer, and it doesn’t help the consumer, then it doesn’t feel like it helps grow gaming to me,” Spencer said in the end. “I wish people could get to play together.”
Hopefully, Sony will see the situation in the same light soon and offer some sort of compromise or solution to players who feel slighted or blindsided by the problems, which they never received any sort of warning about in the first place.
Have you ran into these issues when trying to play Fortnite on Switch? Let us know!