If you happened to play Fortnite on a PlayStation 4 console, do not try to port the game onto your Nintendo Switch. Sony is facing a mountain of backlash in response to their E3 announcement that they will not allow cross-platform play with the Nintendo Switch. The Switch only just received Fortnite in their gaming catalog this week. Xbox One players and Switch players can play across platforms happily, and so can PC and mobile players. Sony, who also blocked cross-platform play with their system and the Xbox, decided to block the Switch as well. Their move has caused unforeseen damage though.
Gamers learned that if they try to access their Fortnite account on a Switch, after previously playing on the PlayStation, they would be locked out. Many gamers use the Switch as a secondary console, because of its portable nature. Fortnite players who wished to take their game on the go with them on the Switch were left in shock after they were locked out of their account entirely after attempting the transfer. Sony never warned players about the lockout, which is an after-effect that they may not have been aware of prior to gamer complaints. Sony released a statement to BBC in an attempt to de-escalate the situation, but their response lacks any real information.
"We're always open to hearing what the PlayStation community is interested in to enhance their gaming experience," Sony stated. "With... more than 80 million monthly active users on PlayStation Network, we've built a huge community of gamers who can play together on Fortnite and all online titles. We also offer Fortnite cross-play support with PC, Mac, iOS, and Android devices, expanding the opportunity for Fortnite fans on PS4 to play with even more gamers on other platforms. We have nothing further to add beyond this at this point."
It is obvious that Sony only cares about keeping their "80 million" active users in one place, and their move to block crossplay can only be viewed as an attempt to discourage gamers from playing Fortnite on any other gaming consoles. Only time will tell if they will fix the locked accounts.
