Xbox and PlayStation owners could soon battle each online

Xbox and PlayStation owners could soon finally be able to play against each other online in a groundbreaking deal between makers Sony and Microsoft.

The rival firms have revealed talks are underway to create the feature, known as ‘CrossPlay’.

While many games are available on both platforms, until now players have been banned from playing with owners of rival consoles.

Microsoft marketing manager Aaron Greenberg told GamesReactor at the Gamescom conference in Cologne it was ‘absolutely’ in talks with Sony about making CrossPlay happen.

‘Absolutely, yeah,’ he said.

‘We’re talking to Sony [about crossplay], we do partner with them on Minecraft and of course we would like to enable them to be part of that; one community, to unite gamers. So we’re talking to them and we’re hopeful that they’ll be supportive of it.’ 

Xbox recently revealed its brand new console, the $499 (£449) Xbox One X, and today said it has sold out of its preorders for the new console in record time.

‘Sunday night in Germany we unveiled the Xbox One X Project Scorpio Edition, a special edition console designed for our biggest fans,’ Microsoft said.

‘We also kickstarted pre-orders worldwide and we have been overwhelmed by your response.

‘Within just a few days, we saw record-setting sell-out times and are currently sold out in many countries around the world.

The $499 (£449) Xbox One X, dubbed the world’s most powerful games console, has been unveiled by Microsoft, and will come in several editions, including this Minecraft one.

‘You, our biggest fans, have pre-ordered more Xbox One X Project Scorpio Edition consoles in the first five days than any Xbox ever.’

Sony has previously claimed the reason it held back from embracing cross-play is to protect its gamers from players on other networks.

But the excuse has been criticised as ‘weak’ and sparked a war of words with Microsoft. 

The fallout began after comments made by PlayStation global sales and marketing head Jim Ryan about the decision to not to support cross-play for Minecraft on the PlayStation 4. 

The cross-play concept has already been embraced by all other major gaming platforms.

Sony was notable by its absence, prompting speculation for its motivations in the gaming world.

Speaking to Eurogamer.net, Mr Ryan said: ‘We’ve got to be mindful of our responsibility to our install base.

‘Minecraft – the demographic playing that, you know as well as I do, it’s all ages but it’s also very young. 

‘We have a contract with the people who go online with us, that we look after them and they are within the PlayStation curated universe. 

‘Exposing what in many cases are children to external influences we have no ability to manage or look after, it’s something we have to think about very carefully.’  

Microsoft fired back at the explanation offered by Sony, according to reports in IGN.

Speaking at E3, Head of Xbox Phil Spencer said: ‘The fact that somebody would kind of make an assertion that somehow we’re not keeping players safe, I found – not only from a Microsoft perspective, but from a game industry perspective – like, I don’t know why that has to become the dialogue. 

At last year’s E3 expo Minecraft (pictured), one of the most poplar games in the world, announced it would introducing the cross-play facility. PlayStation manufacturer Sony seemed to be on board with the idea

The football/driving crossover Rocket League (pictured), announced as coming to the Switch at E3 on Tuesday, also supports cross-play. But it became clear Sony had a change of heart, prompting speculation for its motivations in the gaming world

‘That doesn’t seem healthy for anyone.’

The idea of cross-play, or cross platform play, has been around for some time but has gained popularity as console hardware and internet connections have developed.

And at last year’s E3 expo Minecraft, one of the world’s most poplar games, announced it would introducing the facility.

PlayStation manufacturer Sony seemed to be on board with the idea. 

It became clear it had a change of heart by this year’s E3, held in Los Angeles this week.

The football/driving crossover Rocket League, announced as coming to the Switch at E3 on Tuesday, also supports cross-play.

Gamers on rival consoles, the Xbox One and Switch, as well as PCs are all able to challenge each other. 

MINECRAFT TO BECOME THE FIRST CROSS-CONSOLE GAME

Minecraft (game play pictured) is set to become the first game that allows users of different consoles to play together

Minecraft is set to become the first game that allows users of different consoles to play together.

Microsoft announced at E3 that its ‘Better Together’ update, a new cross-console multiplayer system, will become available this summer.

The block-based game has 55 million monthly players across a range of platforms, including PC, Nintendo Switch and Xbox. 

The update will allow saved data, purchased content and world progress tp transferred from the old version of Minecraft to the new.

This means players will all have access to the same online system and will be able to take their progress with them from one device to the next. 

Jesse Merriam, Minecraft’s executive producer, told Wired that the update will ‘bring all players together’ with ‘seamless switching of input methods and controllers’.

But it is not yet been confirmed if or when PlayStation will join onto this update. Sony’s PS4 is a rival to Microsoft’s new Xbox One X.

Aubrey Norris, Minecraft’s senior global communications manager, told Wired that the game hopes to ‘unite as many platforms as possible, but cannot confirm Sony’s participation at this time.’