Xbox Lead Calls Out Sony for Not Listening to Gamers

Published Sep 4, 2018

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Fortnite is the latest title put into question as a result of this lack of cross-platform compatibility.

Yoshida Minecraft are still compatible with the PC and mobile versions of those titles. To make matters worse for Fortnite players, s on Nintendo Switch and Xbox One cannot use their Epic if it's already connected to a PlayStation Network , making it impossible for players to access all of their items and progress across all platforms.

Mike Ybarra, an Xbox Corporate Vice President, anti-consumer. By promoting choice and flexibility for gamers, Ybarra is attempting to paint a contrasting image for Xbox against the supposedly rigid PlayStation ecosystem.

However, responses to Ybarra's tweet were quick to point out that Microsoft carried a similar position when the Xbox 360 was ahead of the PlayStation 3 in sales during the previous console generation. Additionally, free-to-play games such as Fortnite's battle royale mode still require Microsoft's paid Xbox Live Gold service, while PlayStation 4 does not require the equivalent PlayStation Plus subscription to play such games. Finally, some responses continue to push the narrative that the Xbox simply does not have the same number of quality exclusives as the PlayStation.

Regardless of these facts and opinions, Microsoft has shown that they are willing to play ball when it comes to cross-platform play and progression, while Sony has done the complete opposite. The most shocking side effect of this controversy was a Fallout 76 developer Bethesda have openly expressed interest in ing cross-play. While Playstation is unwilling to budge, the Xbox brand will be able to enjoy both the practical benefits for consumers of cross-platform play, and positive PR for their open responses regarding the hot-button topic.