One of the hottest topics this generation has been cross-play between competing video game consoles. Considering this, it's no surprise that some may be wondering if cross-play will continue with the next generation of gaming consoles, and while there are no official details to go on, at least one game developer appears to think that the PS5 and next Xbox will have cross-play.
This is according to Avalanche Studios developer Paul Keslin. "With the recent trends we’ve seen, we would not exclude it," Keslin said. Keslin didn't elaborate on his other expectations for next-generation consoles, though it seems likely that his cross-play assessment is correct.
While Microsoft and Nintendo have been playing nice for years, Sony has famously been resistant to cross-play. Sony's anti-cross-play stance is so strict, in fact, that it made it impossible for anyone to use their Fortnite account on an Xbox or Nintendo Switch if it was previously used on a PlayStation 4.
This stirred up quite a bit of controversy, and while Sony wouldn't relent at first, eventually the company was forced to give in, allowing cross-play between Fortnite on PS4 and other platforms. It stands to reason that since Sony is allowing cross-play for Fortnite that future titles will feature cross-play in some capacity as well, especially as more gamers expect it as an industry standard.
Whether or not we see even more PS4 games open up to cross-play remains to be seen, but it seems like a distinct possibility that the PS5 will be more lenient when it comes to the feature. It may not be available at launch, but as Keslin pointed out, recent trends seem to point to cross-play being a focus of next-generation gaming consoles, so perhaps it will be implemented a bit later on.
Whatever happens, it's clear from the Fortnite cross-play controversy that there is an appetite for cross-play, and it would be surprising to see the feature removed in next-gen hardware. Ultimately, though, we will have to wait for official details on the next Xbox and the PlayStation 5 before we will know anything about next-gen consoles for certain.
Source: GamingBolt