Sony chief: 'There's no scenario where the PlayStation and Xbox platforms combine'

Sony and Microsoft have no intention of merging the worlds of PlayStation and Xbox, despite the two companies having recently joined forces to explore the world of cloud streaming and artificial intelligence. 

Speaking to the Financial Times, Sony Interactive Entertainment boss Jim Ryan dismissed the notion that one day we might see the console makers come together in a more meaningful fashion.

"There is to my knowledge... no scenario where the PlayStation and Xbox platforms combine," he commented. "The two platforms will remain separate, with their separate identities and brands and fans."

It might sound like an obvious rebuttal, and a few years ago it would have been. Now though, we're living in a world where Switch games support Xbox Live and Achievements, cross-play allows people to play some of the biggest games with their friends on rival platforms, and Sony and Microsoft are working together to design cloud solutions that could be used to further both companies game streaming ambitions.

There are also a growing number of publishers looking to break down traditional console barriers by developing live games that can transcend generations, while Sony recently said it wanted to implement 'cross-generational play' to unite PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 owners.