Which will allow players across PlayStation 4, Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, and Mac to jump into Fortnite together. Finally! The news was announced overnight by Sony Interactive Entertainment boss John Kodera. No doubt after the mounting pressure that has come from the sheer success of Fortnite and the fact that Sony has been actively blocking cross-play on the PlayStation 4 platform for quite some time.

Often citing weird reasons too. Which the full statement still hints at.

Following a comprehensive evaluation process, SIE has identified a path toward 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.

The first step will be an open beta beginning today for Fortnite that will allow for cross platform gameplay, progression and commerce across PlayStation 4, Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, and Mac operating systems. 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.

For 24 years, we have strived to deliver the best gaming experience to our fans by providing a uniquely PlayStation perspective. Today, the communities around some games have evolved to the point where cross-platform experiences add significant value to players. In recognition of this, we have completed a thorough analysis of the business mechanics required to ensure that the PlayStation experience for our users remains intact today, and in the future, as we look to open up the platform.

This represents a major policy change for SIE, and we are now in the planning process across the organisation to support this change. We will update the community once we have more details to share, including more specifics regarding the beta timeframe, and what this means for other titles going forward.

This is great news for everyone, and could be the first step towards platform barriers being dropped for other multiplayer titles in the near future. We'd love to see this flow onto Fallout 76 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One cross-play. The statement goes out of its way to imply that implementing cross-play isn't as easy as it might seem, even though developers of both Rocket League and Fortnite have noted that its as simple as flicking a switch. Beginning with Fortnite this also means that Epic accounts will now carry over to all platforms.