In the Dino MMO ARK Survival Evolved, crossplay between PS4 and Xbox One is not a problem in itself, but Sony does not allow it. This is said by the chief developer.
It is a recurring topic in the gaming community. Worldwide, people can play together or against each other: Americans and Germans, Chinese and Brazilians, men and women, children and grandparents – the boundaries blur, that is no problem at all. But one boundary is insurmountable: the one between PS4 and Xbox One.
Anyone who has one of the two consoles cannot play with gamers on the other platform. Crossplay is possible between Xbox One and PC in many games, and PS4 and PC players can also play together in Final Fantasy XIV, but PS4 and Xbox One? That’s not possible.
The latest example is the Dino hit ARK Survival Evolved. Now there is even a statement from the chief developer Jeremy Stieglitz. He says: “Internally, we already have PS4 and Xbox One playing together, but Sony does not currently allow it.”
ARK Survival Evolved is planning its full release on PS4, Xbox One, and PC in a few days. So far, the title is still in Early Access.
Child protection probably won’t be a reason this time
Stieglitz’s tweet aligns with numerous statements from developers: Again and again, Sony is said to block possible crossplay with the competition.
Officially, Sony stated, they do not want to allow crossplay because it exposes children to external influences and they want to protect them from that. That was the statement on crossplay in Minecraft. There, the target audience is viewed as particularly young and vulnerable. Minecraft has an age rating for “Everyone – from 6.” Authorities regard ARK as suitable for “Teenagers,” from age 13. So this time, Sony’s protection argument probably does not apply.
Most observers suspect that Sony does not want crossplay with Xbox One for economic reasons. The pressure on Xbox players is higher to get a PS4 if they want to play with their friends, provided they also own a PS4.
The PlayStation is clearly ahead in sales in this generation compared to Xbox.
- Wargaming, the creators of World of Tanks, once said: Crossplay between PS4 and Xbox One would not be a problem, but for that, Sony and Microsoft need to talk to each other. And they are not doing that.
- The port of Final Fantasy XIV to Xbox One is also at risk of failing due to crossplay reasons.
