Sweet Relief: Sony Will Finally Allow "Fortnite" Cross-Play for PS4 Owners

The war is ended. Let the Battle Royale begin.

In a cultural event akin to the fall of the Berlin Wall, Sony has announced PS4 players will finally be allowed to play Fortnite with those on other gaming platforms.

World leaders at the United Nations General Assembly are yet to comment on the momentous announcement, but the Xbox Twitter account captured the general mood of the people.

In a statement on the PlayStation Blog, Sony Interactive Entertainment’s President and Global CEO John Codera said "SIE has identified a path toward supporting cross-platform features for select third party content," which is precisely the kind of electrifying, paradigm-shattering quote that will be etched into the memories of a generation of gamers. (Where were you when you heard Codera say SIE had identified a path toward supporting cross-platform features for select third party content?)

For those who aren’t sure what exactly is happening, Sony had earned a lot of flak from gamers for its stubborn reluctance to allow cross-play across devices. This meant Fortnite players weren’t able to transfer any progress or accounts made on the PS4 to the Xbox or Nintendo Switch or any other device. It also meant Xbox, Switch, Android, iOS, Microsoft Windows and Mac users couldn’t play with PS4 owners.

But that nightmare is now over, with Sony launching a beta for Fortnite today 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." Following the test, Sony will presumably open up cross-play for other games.

But what does this mean for PS4 players who tried to work around the initial issue by creating multiple accounts? Fortnite developer Epic Games is working on a solution, including an account-merging feature.

In the meantime, remember to note this life-changing day in your diary, so that you may one day tell your children and grandchildren. Who are we kidding? As if you’ll ever forget!

Header Image: Epic Games