Fortnite won’t support cross-play between Nintendo Switch and PS4

NelsonG · June 12, 2018

As rumored, Fornite is coming to the Nintendo Switch. In fact, it’s arriving even earlier than we imagined, available today as a free download from the Nintendo eShop. The addition widens the play field for the title’s wildly popular gameplay. The Epic game is currently available on PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and iOS, in addition to the new Nintendo console.

And while cross-platform play has been the key to the battle royale mode, Sony’s long been a bit of a stick in the mud on this one. The Xbox One version, for instance, can be played with PC and iOS. Ditto for the PS4 version. But Xbox One and PS4 cross-play is a non-starter.

The Verge noted that the same appears to be the case with the Nintendo Switch version, a fact that TechCrunch has since verified with an Epic spokesperson. “Cross-play and cross progression on Switch work with Xbox One, PC, Mac, and mobile,” the company confirmed.

We’ve also reached out to both Nintendo and Sony on the matter, to see what the hang up is here. Sony certainly appears to be the sticking point on this one, at least from the outside. The company likely sees its own massive sales figures as a competitive advantage here. The PS4 topped 70 million units late last year, and while Microsoft doesn’t release figures for the Xbox One, Sony’s device is the pretty clear frontrunner.

Fortnite, meanwhile, has been a massive success in its own right. In April, it became the biggest free-to-play console game, a number that’s only going to increase with today’s addition of the Switch to the ranks. Later this summer, Android users will also be able to get their hands on the title.