Rocket League is now the second PS4 game to support cross-play with other consoles. Developer Psyonix announced that its hit vehicular soccer game has joined Sony’s cross-play beta program, allowing players on PS4 to be matched up with those on Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.
According to Psyonix, cross-play will be enabled on PS4 by default, although players will be able to opt in or out of it by going to the Options menu and checking the Cross-Platform Play box in the Gameplay tab. When on, it will allow PS4 users to be randomly matched up with or against players on other platforms in Casual, Competitive, and Extra Modes.
Additionally, Psyonix says that it will implement a cross-platform party system in an upcoming update. More details about that will be shared “soon,” but the feature will allow players to “partner up with friends on any platform with the push of a few buttons.”
While Rocket League has already supported cross-play between PS4 and PC, Psyonix has long wanted to allow the feature with other consoles. Back in 2016, the developer said it had already figured out how to implement cross-play between PS4 and Xbox One, and all that needed to be done was work out an arrangement between platforms.
“The only thing we have to do now is sort of find out where we stand politically with everyone, and then it’s full steam ahead to finish the solution that we’ve already started,” Psyonix vice president Jeremy Dunham said at the time. “Technologically everything works, we’ve got it figured out, just a little bit of time to get everything up and running. Right now, excitement is the best way to put it. We just want to get in there and make it happen.”
After years of preventing cross-network multiplayer between PS4 and other consoles, Sony loosened its rigid stance on the issue somewhat last September when it finally allowed cross-play in Fortnite. While Epic’s battle royale game was the sole title to support the feature at the time, it was a welcome sign that Sony was reconsidering its controversial policy, saying it had “identified a path towards supporting cross-platform features for select third-party content.”
“We recognize that PS4 players have been eagerly awaiting an update, and we appreciate the community’s continued patience as we have navigated through this issue to find a solution,” John Kodera, president of Sony Interactive Entertainment, said. “We see the beta as an opportunity to conduct thorough testing that ensures cross-platform play is best on PlayStation, while being mindful about the user experience from both a technical and social perspective.”
