Nintendo and Microsoft partner to bring cross-play of Minecraft on Switch

Nintendo and Microsoft are collaborating to bring cross-play for Minecraft to the Switch with a new update bringing the Bedrock Engine to the portable console.

The Minecraft update will enable cross-play with PC, Xbox One, and smartphones. Most noticeable, however, is the exclusion of the Playstation 4 among these consoles.

This announcement comes after Fortnite was announced for the Switch last week, featuring cross-platform play with everything but the PlayStation 4.

Sony’s reluctance to join in on cross-play capability caused issues with other versions of the game, as Epic Games accounts were blocked from using the Switch version of Fortnite if users ever played on a PlayStation console. 

This sparked anger from the Fortnite community, with players unable to use their accounts and any gear they unlocked on the Switch due to issues that seemingly stemmed from Sony. 

Previously in the case of Minecraft, a Sony executive cited that the decision to avoid cross-platform with other consoles was driven by its responsibility to protect PlayStation players, specifically children, from “external influences.”

That doesn't seem to be a concern for Nintendo and Microsoft, as they announced the cross-play feature with a cheeky Minecraft related tweet and YouTube trailer to celebrate the partnership.