Microsoft still trying to persuade Sony regarding cross-play support

Sony and Microsoft are two of the biggest names when it comes to console gaming. Of late, there has been a huge demand from players across the globe for cross-play support between the PS4 and Xbox One. The Redmond-based company has also expressed its interest in such a joint venture, but Sony has refused to budge on the issue. Apparently, Microsoft is still trying to convince Sony of the same in hopes of bringing the cross-play functionality to gamers.

What Microsoft says about the issue

Microsoft marketing manager Aaron Greenberg recently spoke to GameReactor and said that the company was very much involved in talks with Sony on this matter. He revealed that as Microsoft already partners with Sony on 'Minecraft,' the former would like the latter to be a part of the experience as well. He added that he was hopeful that Sony would also see the promise in such a joint venture and allow the cross-play to be rolled out.

This is the latest in a long line of statements made by Microsoft to show its interest in allowing cross-play between the Xbox Live and PlayStation Network.

At E3 this year, Microsoft confirmed 'Minecraft' cross-play between its consoles and Nintendo's Switch platform. At this same time, Microsoft's Dave McCarthy claimed that similar discussions were held between Sony and Microsoft as well. He later revealed that the talks did not turn out so well, as Sony was not that interested in the cross-play feature.

Microsoft first revealed its interest in Cross Play in March of 2016, when it said that it is open to such ventures between its Xbox Live as well as other similar networks, such as the PlayStation Network and Nintendo's online service. At one point, Sony did say that it was interested in exploring the options, but since then the company has not shown enthusiasm to link its network to that of Microsoft's Xbox platform.

Why Sony may not be interested in the proposal

PlayStation executive Jim Ryan said that one of the primary reasons why Sony was not interested in Microsoft's proposal was the fact it was concerned about the safety of the PSN account holders. He revealed that cross-play would require the Sony console gamer to connect to an external network, and the company was unsure of the security of such a connection. Xbox boss Phil Spencer however severely criticized Ryan's comments and said that its Xbox Live network was completely secure and the company worked hard to ensure the safety of its players.