Minecraft adds PlayStation 4 cross-play, joins Xbox One, Nintendo Switch

What you need to know

• Minecraft is expanding its Bedrock client to PlayStation 4, introducing cross-play with Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, and mobile.
• The cross-play Minecraft update hits PlayStation 4 for free on December 10, 2019.

Microsoft has announced plans to migrate Minecraft PlayStation 4 players to its unified Bedrock client, falling in parallel to the universal versions for Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, and more. That update brings content in-line with other mainline versions of the blocky bestseller, enabling full cross-platform multiplayer with other systems, alongside purchases and progression. The update is scheduled to roll out tomorrow, December 10, 2019, free to all existing owners.

Minecraft first introduced cross-play in late 2017 with its "Better Together" update, merging players on Xbox One, PC, and more under a single codebase, followed by Nintendo Switch. However, with Sony long-averse to cross-play for PlayStation 4, the generation's top-selling console saw itself excluded from the movement. Sony changed stance in late 2018 caving to demands, since welcoming Fortnite and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare among the many tearing down the wall.

As first reported earlier this month, Minecraft PlayStation 4 will receive an imminent update, leveraging Microsoft's Xbox Live backend. The update also brings cross-platform progression and saves, including access to Microsoft's Minecraft Marketplace for worlds, skins, and mini-games. The process requires a Microsoft Account, with multiplayer included for all Minecraft owners on PlayStation 4, with a PlayStation Plus subscription.

The addition of PlayStation 4 to Minecraft's Bedrock family finally unifies Microsoft's cross-platform vision, compatible with Xbox One, Windows 10, Nintendo Switch, iOS and Android mobile devices, and Gear VR.