Sony finally issued a statement on its controversial decision to block Fortnite cross-play and progression between the PlayStation 4 and some platforms such as the Nintendo Switch.
However, it may have been better if the company kept its silence. Sony may have made things worse with its official statement on the cross-play controversy, which has been an issue for the past few years.
Sony Responds To 'Fortnite' Cross-Play Backlash
The massively popular Fortnite, which was finally launched on the Nintendo Switch at E3 2018, was the subject of a major controversy that involved Sony and the PlayStation 4.
After Fortnite on Nintendo Switch was released, players discovered that they were not able to use their Fortnite accounts on the hybrid console if it has already been used on a PlayStation 4. Apparently, once players use their Fortnite account even once on the PlayStation 4, it will be locked to that console.
Sony blocked Fortnite cross-play and progression between the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch, but stayed silent on the issue, until now.
"We're always open to hearing what the PlayStation community is interested in to enhance their gaming experience," said Sony in a statement to BBC.
"We've built a huge community of gamers who can play together on Fortnite and all online titles. We also offer Fortnite cross-play support with PC, Mac, iOS, and Android devices, expanding the opportunity for Fortnite fans on PS4 to play with even more gamers on other platforms."
After the release of the statement, the uproar among gamers has increased. The problem with Sony's response to the cross-play issue is that it does not acknowledge the problem in the first place. There is no direct admittance that Sony has blocked PlayStation 4 cross-play with the Nintendo Switch and the Xbox One for Fortnite, and no plans to allow the feature to happen.
Sony apparently wants PlayStation 4 owners to be satisfied with the "walled garden" that it has created, while refusing to accept responsibility for Fortnite accounts that become locked to the PlayStation 4.
PlayStation 4 Cross-Play: Will It Ever Happen?
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney said in March that Fortnite cross-play between the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One was inevitable, several days after reports said that Sony was blocking the feature from happening.
Will PlayStation 4 cross-play with other consoles ever happen? If Fortnite is not able to change Sony's mind, maybe nothing will. Gamers hoping for the feature to be rolled out soon may have to wait a while, and possibly wait for nothing.
