PlayStation chief John Kodera just made an announcement through the PlayStation blog, that Fortnite cross-play will be enabled on the PS4 via a beta test. The full statement below.

Following a comprehensive evaluation process, SIE has identified a path toward supporting cross-platform features for select third party content. We recognize that PS4 players have been eagerly awaiting an update, and we appreciate the community’s continued patience as we have navigated through this issue to find a solution.

The first step will be an open beta beginning today for Fortnite that will allow for cross platform gameplay, progression and commerce across PlayStation 4, Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, and Mac operating systems. We see the beta as an opportunity to conduct thorough testing that ensures cross-platform play is best on PlayStation, while being mindful about the user experience from both a technical and social perspective.

For 24 years, we have strived to deliver the best gaming experience to our fans by providing a uniquely PlayStation perspective. Today, the communities around some games have evolved to the point where cross-platform experiences add significant value to players. In recognition of this, we have completed a thorough analysis of the business mechanics required to ensure that the PlayStation experience for our users remains intact today, and in the future, as we look to open up the platform.

This represents a major policy change for SIE, and we are now in the planning process across the organisation to support this change. We will update the community once we have more details to share, including more specifics regarding the beta timeframe, and what this means for other titles going forward.

In the meantime, please stay tuned for more information via our blog and social channels, including Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

It seems that cross-play will only come to select titles (Fornite, probably just Fortnite) for now, but it's interesting to see Sony finally making concessions on the issue.

That's cool I guess, I dont expect it to usher in a new age of cross-play for third party games though, just ones that are big enough and free-to-play probably.

(of the four threads that popped up about this in the last 5 minutes I chose yours since you actually put it in the right place, nice one ;p)

I just hope they add an option not opt out of cross play. Cheating on online PC games would ruin this game for console players.

Yea i'm hopeful but I wouldn't get too excited either. Fortnite is a multi billion dollar anomaly. I just dont see anyone else having the push to do what Epic is doing.

@bradbrains: The blog post itself mentions other titles its highly likely Sony's being diplomatic but pretty much a given it'll be for all games if the dev's want it, its also probably more aimed at MS with next gen in mind it'll be one less bullet point.

I dunno I feel Bethesda, Activision, EA or any other notable publisher with a large voice isn't going to ignore this news. At all.

Bethesda was like just out there saying they would like FO76 to be crossplatform. I don't think their execs are reading this news and flipping to the next story. No, them mofos are emailing and calling Sony trying to set up a meeting and see what's up.

Then you have folks like the Rocket League dudes who have been screaming "WE CAN LITERAALY HAVE THIS UP AND RUNNING IN LIKE AN HOUR" for years. they don't have as much pull as a Fortnite or a Bethesda obviously but you better goddamn believe this story is gonna get them trying to talk Sony too.

Sure, I don't think much of anything else will come out of this right away but if the floodgates aren't open by late next year I would be shocked.

Edit: oh guess I should read the blog post? Lol guess it'll probably happen sooner rather than later then

Good, and it was apparently posted by Kodera so the top of the top. I have a feeling Sony is really starting to prepare for next-gen which is obviously coming either in Q4 2019 or somewhere in 2020 so they have recently been focusing on eliminating things that gave them bad PR: downloads are coming to PS NOW (a step to maybe rival gamepass, I predict a price drop), Cross-play, Shawn Layden a few months ago said PSN name changes are coming in the future, so I really get the feeling they will slowly start resolving all the problems and lack of features that have resulted in a lot of negativity around Playstation. PS5 will probably have some requested features as well, like at least BC with PS4, for example.

Bring it on, MS have got some insanely good services this gen so it's good to have a rivalry and maybe Sony will finally start creating alternatives to MS's services and stuff. PS4 is selling extremely well still and they are the leader so they could rest when it comes to PS4, but like I said, coming into next-gen they can't have all that bad PR and they can't lack features the competition has because it might impact the PS5 and the image of the Playstation brand. We know what happened at the start of this gen when MS had huge image issues and negativity around them due to a lot of things. Companies being competetive with each other is almost always good for consumers and in this gen it resulted in stuff like for example gamepass and X1's incredible BC system.

It's so weird. It wasn't long ago when Fortnite was a running joke on the Bombcast. It was this strange game, endlessly in development, and was probably going to be mediocre at best.

Then they threw their battle royale mode out, and it has completely changed the industry.