The age-old argument of PlayStation vs. Xbox might finally be over. Maybe.
Last week, Microsoft announced it was exploring cross-platform play for future updates for its console.
What does cross-play mean? It’s really simple. If I have an Xbox One but my friend has a PlayStation 4; we’d still be able to play a game together online. This is tremendous news for our wallets, because now someone doesn’t necessarily have to drop over $800 on two consoles.
The game discs themselves aren’t interchangeable and compatible in both consoles, but someone can play the exact same game with friends via Internet connection. Now, people can spend all that cash on almost 12 new games.
Prior to this news, the only way to have cross-play has been console-to-PC. But, once again, cost was a dilemma. Console-to-PC isn’t any cheaper than buying a second console altogether. In fact, it’s probably much more expensive than $800, and the game pool was always small.
The “Console War” used to be all arguments without experimentation, but with cross-play we’ll finally be able to put our skills where our mouths are. Often, my friends and I have passed up possible hangouts because of mismatched consoles. With this change, we could finally unite as one big game-playing family instead of salty, distantly related cousins.
I’m beyond thrilled this change is being considered. It’s safe to say that the past few years have been nothing but good news for video game customers. With VR (virtual reality) as well as better support and actual discussion between the publisher and the consumer, things have started looking up for consumers.
Now, before we get too ahead of ourselves, let’s check the facts. Microsoft has extended the invitation to other companies. Sony has responded by saying it has already done some cross-platform play with PCs but is willing to look into it for other consoles, including Xbox.
That isn’t a definite “yes,” but it’s not a “no,” either, leading me to believe the future is very bright for cross-play.
Game on.
