Money is the Reason for Fortnite Crossplay Restrictions on PS4, says Former Sony Exec
Fortnite arrived on Nintendo Switch earlier this month and promptly welcomed players to import their existing accounts over from Xbox and PC, as well as join games with players on those platforms. While that’s all well and good, the Switch port simultaneously shone a spotlight on the PS4’s lack of full crossplay functionality, as everyone with a Fortnite account on PS4 was given an error message when they tried to log in on their Switch.
“This Fortnite account is associated with a platform that does not allow it to operate on Switch. Neither the Fortnite website nor Epic Customer Service are able to change this. To play Fortnite on Switch, please create a new account,” reads the error message.
It’s certainly not a good look for Sony and the PS4, considering players on Xbox and Switch experience no such issue when logging onto the same account on either platform. Further, the PS4 will allow users to log in to an account originating on Xbox or Switch, just not the other way around. That fact is proof enough that competition (see: money) is the motivating factory for Sony’s decision not to allow Fortnite players to migrate seamlessly to competing platforms. It should be noted that PS4 does feature cross-play support for Fortnite on PC and mobile devices.
Today, Sony Online Entertainment’s former CEO, John Smedley, declared on Twitter that in fact, money was precisely the reason for the company’s decision to go rogue and step away from crossplay with other consoles. In response to Kinda Funny’s Greg Miller, Smedley shared these insights.
btw when I was at Sony, the stated reason internally for this was money. They didn't like someone buying something on an Xbox and it being used on a Playstation. simple as that. dumb reason, but there it is.
— John Smedley (@j_smedley) June 18, 2018
“When I was at Sony, the stated reason internally for this was money,” he shared. “They didn’t like someone buying something on an Xbox and it being used on a Playstation. Simple as that. Dumb reason, but there it is.”
Smedley isn’t the only one speaking up about Sony’s exclusive business model. Recently, Xbox head Phil Spencer spoke about the situation, expressing his disappointment.
Indeed, while this sort of pressure hasn’t yet forced Sony into rectifying the situation, it has produced a response. In a statement to BBC, Sony said “We’re always open to hearing what the PlayStation Community is interested in to enhance their gaming community.”
“With 79 million PS4s sold around the world and more than 80 million monthly active users on PlayStation Network, we’ve built a huge community of gamers who can play together on Fortnite and all online titles.”
What do you think about Sony’s restrictions on Fortnite crossplay? Let us know in the comments!