Bethesda’s Todd Howard has expressed a desire to allow full crossplay in Fallout 76, but has said that it is currently not possible given Sony’s stance on the issue.
Sony has been taking criticism from all angles regarding its continued refusal to allow full crossplay on PS4, but big developers have mainly stayed quiet on the topic. Unfortunately for Sony, this is no longer the case, after Bethesda Director Todd Howard has expressed disappointment in the company’s unyielding stance.
Complaints about the PS4’s lack of crossplay have been going on for a long time, ever since Microsoft expressed a desire to allow the feature and it became clear that it was only Sony standing in the way of progress. However, the situation became worse for Sony when they not only blocked crossplay on Fortnite, but prevented any players who had ever logged in on PS4 from using that account on another system.
In an interview with Gamestar, Todd Howard briefly touched on the issue in relation to Fallout 76. Having been asked whether the upcoming game would feature cross-platform functionality, Howard explained: “We would love to do that, but right now that’s not possible.” Then, he added that “Sony isn’t being as helpful as we want them to be.”
Of course, Sony’s reluctance to back down on the cross-play issue isn’t news, but it’s interesting to hear that they are also having the pressure put on by one of the biggest companies in game development. It’s promising news, but Sony Online Entertainment’s ex-CEO has said that the main motivator behind the crossplay decision is money, so it’s likely the financial side of things would have to change before we really see some progress from Sony.
The PS4 has been described as being like a walled garden: a bustling ecosystem of content and connectivity which thrives in part because of its refusal to allow outsiders in. However, this isolation is becoming extreme; Sony has alienated its players with its stubbornness, cut themselves off from their competitors who have now teamed up to mock Sony, and now, it seems, even game developers are becoming unhappy.
With the ball completely in Sony’s court, gamers and developers alike can only wait to see if they decide to finally join in with the other kids on the (cross)playground. Sony‘s boss has already expressed confidence that a solution will be reached, but it’s currently unclear whether that “solution” will be full cross-platform functionality, or indeed if it will be implemented in time for Fallout 76‘s release in November.
