One of the biggest stories in gaming following the E3 2018 event was Sony’s controversial handling of cross-play for Epic Games’s Fortnite. The game recently launched for the Nintendo Switch, but Sony would not allow crossplay for PS4 players to play with friends using the Switch or other platforms. Fans have responded with much outrage, and even a former Sony executive believed the decision to be purely focused on Sony’s business status, based on his experience with the company. Now, the Sony Interactive Entertainment America CEO has spoken about the backlash and Sony’s plans regarding PS4 crossplay possibilities.

Eurogamer has shared an interaction that took place at the Gamelab conference in Spain between the publication’s own reporter Robert Purchese and Sony Interactive Entertainment America CEO Shawn Leyden. Purchese publicly brings up Sony’s past mistakes during the PS3 era to Leyden, and how the company learned to be more consumer-friendly with the PS4. Given this, Purchese follows up with a reference to the current crossplay situation, asking: “There seems to be an issue at the moment, that Sony isn’t listening to its players – or doesn’t seem to be – and that’s cross-play, Fortnite particularly. And I wondered if there were any plans to open it up? It seems to be Sony’s not listening.” The Sony CEO provided the following response:

“We’re hearing it. We’re looking at a lot of the possibilities. You can imagine that the circumstances around that affect a lot more than just one game. I’m confident we’ll get to a solution which will be understood and accepted by our gaming community, while at the same time supporting our business.”

While the comment is vague in some senses and does not entirely express a commitment, it is the first official response on the recent crossplay controversy from a Sony official since the company’s first response to Fortnite’s arrival on the Switch. Purchese’s question was certainly presented in perhaps the best way possible, and it was very clever of him to reference Sony’s blunders with the PS3.

Hopefully, Sony takes this encounter to heart and makes a decision that not only benefits players looking to play with their friends, but also works best to return their image as a consumer-friendly company that they spent several years building. What do you guys think about Sony looking into PS4 crossplay possibilities? Let us know in the comments below!

Be sure to stay tuned for the latest PlayStation news, such as the free PlayStation Plus games confirmed for July 2018, here on Don’t Feed the Gamers! Follow us on Twitter to see our updates the minute they go live!