Sony's Twitter feed is a hellscape right now as the Fortnite Switch crossplay backlash continues
PS4 social feeds fill with #BlameSony comments as bad feelings over Switch crossplay continue
As people continue to ask why you can't play Fortnite on Nintendo Switch if you have a PS4 account, the pressure on Sony to do something about it is not going away.
Right now if you click on any PlayStation tweet, whether it's for Call of Duty DLC, FromSoftware's new VR horror game or The Crew 2, the answers are all the same - some version of 'why can't I use my Fortnite account on Switch?'
It's not pretty, gathering all the current ill-will under the hashtags #BlameSony and #NotForThePlayers. At this precise moment in time it doesn't matter what Sony has done in the past with its console, or games, right now all people care about is why they can't play Fortnite on Switch if they have a PS4 account. Years of love and adoration for the PS4 seems to be withering under a blowtorch of questions, and threats of platform jumping.
.@xbox Look what just arrived! 😊Thank you @Sony for pushing me towards this purchase.#Fortnite #BlameSony pic.twitter.com/Gqqmx8nvaYJune 15, 2018
Sony's stance on crossplay has never actually changed in the five years since the PS4 was released. Minecraft has been one of the more notable casualties and Xbox has always made a big point of reminding people it's totally down with crossplay.
While Xbox, PC and Nintendo have allowed gamers to mix online, Sony has always kept a fence up. Allegedly, the lack of PS4 crossplay is a money issue, according to former president of Sony Online Entertainment (later Daybreak) John Smedley. He stated, in a now deleted tweet, that the internal sentiment was, "they didn't like someone buying something on an Xbox and it being used on a Playstation."
This time however things are slightly different. In the past Sony simply prevented you crossplaying between formats, but Fortnite has its own independent Epic account and simply registering your PS4 subsequently prevents you using it on Xbox or Switch - that means all your progress and purchases are then trapped on your PlayStation unless you start a second, PS4-free account.
#BlameSony how can you decide that my Fortnite account, WHICH I PLAY PC WITH AND LOGGED ON MY FRIEND'S PS4 ONCE, can't carry over to the switch? This is horrible for your pr, fix it!!!June 14, 2018
It doesn't matter what Sony post on almost any of its Twitter accounts right now, the answer is the same:
Sign up to the 12DOVE Newsletter
Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more
#BlameSony #NotForThePlayers #ForTheMoney pic.twitter.com/zcIMPFyLFYJune 20, 2018
Former Sony Online boss John Smedley, also said that, "if we keep up the pressure this goes away" and the current state of Sony's social feeds suggest people aren't going to forget just yet.
At first I was extremely interested in this game. Sadly, you stealing my @EpicGames account made me decide not to buy this game. You lost my support until you give my account back. #BlameSonyJune 20, 2018
Even if it it wasn't for the totalitarian way simply having a PS4 account prevents you even logging on to rival formats with your otherwise independent Epic account, Fortnite is kind of a big game right now. The recent mobile release has pushed registered accounts up to 125 million, with concurrent players regularly hitting 3-4 million at any given time.
That's a lot of people to piss off, and so far Sony's statement on PS4 Switch Fortnite crossplay has been deflective more than anything else, talking about how "with more than 80 million monthly active users on PlayStation Network, we've built a huge community of gamers who can play together on Fortnite and all online titles." It also mentions that "we also offer Fortnite cross-play support with PC, Mac, iOS, and Android devices, expanding the opportunity for Fortnite fans on PS4 to play with even more gamers on other platforms."
Both those points are accurate, but kind of dodging the current frustration anyone with a Switch is currently feeling (myself included as I currently look at a dead Fortnite download on my Switch doing nothing but taking up space). It doesn't look like this is a problem that's going away anytime soon, especially with Fortnite's seasonal model of changes and updates to keep reminding people where they can and can't play it. The question is, will this sustained social backlash actually wear Sony down?
I'm GamesRadar's Managing Editor for guides, which means I run GamesRadar's guides and tips content. I also write reviews, previews and features, largely about horror, action adventure, FPS and open world games. I previously worked on Kotaku, and the Official PlayStation Magazine and website.