Cross-Play Games Might Soon Become Even More Common
Epic Games, a pioneer in the push for cross-play, is taking it a step further by launching its cross-play overlay for Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch. While this doesn’t guarantee immediate support for cross-play in all games, it provides developers with the necessary tools to easily implement it in the future. As a result, cross-play could become even more prevalent in gaming.
Epic originally introduced its cross-play overlay for PC in June 2022, allowing developers and players to connect their games and communities across platforms like Epic and Steam.
The new cross-play overlay, officially called the Epic Online Service cross-play overlay, is now supported across multiple platforms, including Epic Games Store, Steam, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation. This means that over 750 million Epic Games accounts can now connect and play together.
One of the key features of the cross-play overlay is a unified friends list, which combines lists from different platforms. This makes it easier for players to see who is online and invite them to join gaming sessions. Additionally, game invites can now be sent from within a game, regardless of the platform being used.
Epic emphasizes that the social experience within the cross-play overlay is secure on any platform, as it utilizes each platform’s native trust, safety, and privacy guidelines. Epic’s own controls are also in place to ensure a safe and enjoyable environment for players.
For developers, cross-play support is included with Epic Online Services at no additional cost. This makes it easier for game developers to implement cross-play functionality into their games without incurring extra expenses.
The move towards cross-play has been steadily growing in the gaming industry. In 2017, Epic Games accidentally enabled cross-play in Fortnite between PS4 and Xbox One, revealing that the technical capabilities were there. However, the barriers to cross-play were primarily political, driven by platform-holders’ policies. Today, cross-play is widely supported in popular franchises like Call of Duty and Battlefield.
Despite the increasing popularity of cross-play, not every game automatically includes this feature. For example, Remnant II was recently released without cross-play support, despite its predecessor supporting it.
In conclusion, the launch of Epic’s cross-play overlay for consoles marks a significant step towards making cross-play more common in the gaming landscape. With developers now equipped with the necessary tools, it’s likely that we’ll see an increase in cross-play support in future games. This trend has the potential to create larger player communities, enhance gaming experiences, and foster growth in the global games industry.
