During Nintendo's E3 2018 splurge yesterday, the battle royale component of Fortnite launched for Nintendo Switch. And just like the smartphone versions of the game, it supports crossplay with PC. In other words, next time you log-in to the game, you'll be able to take out (or be taken out by) Nintendo Switch players. It's not exactly unexpected: Fortnite supports crossplay between Xbox One, MacOS, iOS and PC, and despite the huge input differences ranging across those platforms, it does a pretty good job. You'll note the conspicuous absence of PS4 from that list, though: players on Sony's platform still cannot play with other console platforms. Nintendo of America head Reggie Fils-Aime alluded to the lack of PS4 crossplay yestserday in an interview with IGN. " “We embrace working with a developer and enabling them to bring their vision to life. And whether that’s Fortnite, whether that’s a number of the other games that have cross-platform play on our console, from a developer standpoint that’s what we want. And we work hard with them to bring that to life.” It's an interesting and increasingly confusing time for crossplay functionality. Nintendo is traditionally the most reluctant to play nice with other platform holders, but its willingness to support crossplay in Fortnite and Rocket League is encouraging. Meanwhile, Sony is the last barrier: while PS4 players can compete with PC, iOS and Mac users, the company still appears reluctant to open the gate to their more direct competitors in the Switch and Xbox One. Whatever the case, if you'd prefer to play against PC players only, that option is still available (as it is across the other platforms).<doc-sep>Fortnite Battle Royale is out now for the Switch, and while it’s obviously a big deal for Nintendo to secure a port of one of the biggest games in the world, Fortnite would be a great showcase for the hybrid console’s versatility no matter what. Epic’s Fortnite strategy has involved putting the game on every system possible, letting players share progress and items across each platform. The Switch version won’t be your best option most of the time, no, but its very existence makes it possible to play the game in even more situations. Well, unless you’ve been playing Fortnite on PS4, that is. In handheld mode, Fortnite on the Switch looks roughly similar to the iOS version running on a recent iPhone, except the screen is bigger and lower resolution. Performance is a little smoother on the Switch, or at least more consistent at maintaining 30 frames per second. Most importantly, of course, it’s a portable version of Fortnite that can be played with proper sticks and buttons rather than a touchscreen. The Joy-Con controllers aren’t the most comfortable, and it’d be nice if Epic would add support for gyro aiming like in Splatoon 2 and Doom, but it’s still a much better experience than you get with a phone or a tablet. The Switch feels like a completely new way to play Fortnite, at least in handheld mode. It’s the exact same game under the graphical downgrades, and it still looks pretty good on the portable screen. Fortnite’s cartoony, colorful art style goes a long way to flatter technical deficiencies. But with the Switch, you can play full-on Fortnite with proper controls anywhere you have internet access. Epic is even offering party chat through the headphone jack rather than Nintendo's convoluted app-based solution, though that's not coming until an update on Thursday. I wouldn’t recommend playing it on your TV unless you don’t have another option, however. Fortnite looks vastly better on my Xbox One S, running at 60 frames per second with much more detailed graphics and longer draw distances. The Switch version is fine if it’s your first time playing Fortnite, but just know that a large TV screen will only blow up all its deficiencies. The great thing about Fortnite, though, is that you don't have to play this version on your TV if you have a better way. The battle royale game is free, first of all, meaning there’s no reason not to install it on multiple systems, but, more importantly, your progress carries over. Fortnite Battle Royale is all about completing challenges and leveling up to unlock tiers of rewards across each season, which means you can contribute to your progress and use all the same hard-earned items with the Switch version when you’re away from home, even if you usually play on PC, for example. The one caveat to all of this is that you can’t transfer progress to the Switch if you’ve ever used your Epic account with the PS4 version; Sony allows compatibility with PC and mobile but blocks the functionality for competing consoles. That sucks, frankly, because the PS4 is a big reason that Fortnite took off in the first place, and it means a lot of people won’t be able to play it on the Switch without creating a new account and surrendering their play histories and loot lockers — and the money spent along the way. Fortnite Battle Royale came out at the height of PUBG mania on PC, offering a free alternative with a console version at a time when PUBG had been announced for Xbox, and the PS4's large user base was quick to adopt it. This is going to affect a ton of PS4 owners who've also picked up a Switch. This will drive people away from ‘Fortnite’ on PlayStation Blocking Xbox compatibility is at least somewhat understandable from a business perspective, as the two consoles directly compete and Sony is in the stronger position. You can see why Sony would want to stop people switching from PS4 to the technically superior Xbox One X version, for example, annoying as it may be for the comparatively few people who own both consoles. But blocking the Switch is short-sighted and dumb. The Switch version of Fortnite doesn’t compete with the PS4 version any more than the iOS version does. If you have a PS4, you wouldn’t want to play the Switch version on your TV. From a PS4 owner’s perspective, the sole value of the Switch version is that it allows you to play Fortnite in situations that Sony's console isn’t able to serve. Is Sony really that worried about people buying V-Bucks in an airport? All this is going to achieve is driving people away from Fortnite on PlayStation. Take me, for example: I only recently started playing the game. (Late to the party, I know.) I have a PS4 Pro and an Xbox One S, and ideally, I’d play Fortnite on the former system because I’d get better performance. Instead, I’d much rather go with the Xbox for couch play so that I also have the Switch option for whenever I’m outside of the house. That means Sony will miss out on its cut of any microtransactions I might want to make, even though as a platform I use PlayStation more than Xbox. The bottom line is this: if you’re looking to get into Fortnite today, I can’t recommend the PS4 version unless you’re absolutely sure you’ll never want to play it on another console. Tying your Epic account to a PS4 means you won't ever be able to play non-touch Fortnite in your bed, on your roof, or in a tent on the side of a mountain with a Wi-Fi hot spot. Is that a trade-off you really want to make?<doc-sep>When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Sign up forfor the biggest new releases, reviews and tech hacks There’s been plenty of PS4 news this week, courtesy of E3 2018 and the Sony conference. But something that has proved controversial is connected to the release of Fortnite on Nintendo Switch. Having gone live earlier this week, it was revealed that the game will not include crossplay with the PS4. Even worse, fans who have linked their Epic Account with a PSN account have found themselves unable to use the same account on the Switch console. This have left many Fortnite Battle Royale frustrated at the lack of connectivity seen on other platforms. Sony have defended their position by pointing out that PS4 fans can still connect with PC, Mac and iOS gamers. A spokeswoman for Sony said: “We're always open to hearing what the PlayStation community is interested in to enhance their gaming experience. 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 crossplay 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."<doc-sep>
Fortnite Football: All three football pitch locations REVEALED Sony has been forced to respond to increased criticism from Fortnite players over the cross-play block imposed on PS4 players. Sony announced Fortnite players would not be connected to Nintendo Switch players on the PS4, despite cross-play being available on all other platforms. Fortnite was recently announced as a new launch for the handheld console the Nintendo Switch, with Nintendo and Epic Games announcing that Switch players could play Fortnite against Xbox One, PC, and iOS players. Gamers have become increasingly vocal over the decision, forcing Sony to make a statement on the issue. Why won't Sony let you cross-play Fortnite between Nintendo Switch and PS4? Fortnite was announced as the next game to be released on the popular Nintendo witch Console during their E3 2018 press conference on Wednesday. The popular battle royale game is the most played video game on the market, with more than 40 million players a month logging on to play. The Switch version of the game was met with huge excitement from fans who were excited to play Fortnite on the go against players on other consoles. However, despite every other major game console allowing for Fortnite cross-play, Sony opted to block the feature, stopping Switch players from connecting to PS4 players. Fortnite vs Sony: Why won't Sony let you cross-play Fortnite between Nintendo Switch and PS4? Pleasant Park Fortnite treasure map challenge guide: How to solve week 7 Battle Pass task Thu, June 14, 2018 Fortnite 'follow the treasure map found in Pleasant Park' is one of the week 7 challenges. Here is how to solve the new Battle Pass task. Play slideshow YOUTUBE SHUFFLEGAMER 1 of 9 Fortnite 'follow the treasure map found in Pleasant Park' is one of the week 7 challenges In a statement to the BBC, Sony said: “We’re always open to hearing what the PlayStation community is interested in to enhance their gaming experience. “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," a spokeswoman finished. The response from Sony has been met with derision among some fans who are confused as to why Sony would opt to block cross-play. Fortnite was announced on the Nintendo Switch at E3 Fortnite players can't connect their PS4 and Switch accounts