The Big Cross Play Question for Ark. Putting Cross Play in PlayStation

For multi-platform online games, the first thing players ask is whether there’s going to be cross-platform or not. It’s always going to be a question since players wouldn’t mind having the luxury to play with friends and family without having to buy another copy or another system.

Also, cross-platform play allows online games to have more players logged in at any given time, which means more potential teammates and opponents, and ultimately, greater online fun. So, the million-dollar question is this: is there a multi-platform survival-shooter where players hunt dinosaurs and fellow survivors with cross-platform play? Well, for now, let’s just say that the answer can’t be a clear-cut yes or no.

It’s Not Us: Another Party Involved

ARK: Survival Evolved, after two long years of early access, finally had its official release on Windows, Linux, OS X, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on August 29, 2017. With all those systems that the game came out on, it makes sense why players are clamoring for cross play. If it were only up to Studio Wildcard, the game would already have it, as the game already has cross-network action internally. Now the only thing they have to do is talk to the concerned parties, common to an agreement that benefits both, and implement. Yes, that’s easier said than done, but it could happen.

Wildcard co-founder Jesse Rapczak in an interview with Eurogamer said the following: Look, it's a thing that everybody asks for and everybody wants to do, and we can't really say anything other than what it is. It's easy for us to do technically and it's just policy issues, and until that gets worked out we're not different than any other game, even the big games that want to do it. It's not really something we can solve on our own.

Putting Cross Play in PlayStation

Policy issues: the stuff that will stop the game from being a real cross-platform experience. It’s similar to two world superpowers (Sony and Microsoft), who are unable to agree because of Sony’s policy. In fact, this is not only an ARK problem but an issue for all online games. There’s Minecraft and Rocket League, who have cross-platform compatibility for all systems except the PS4.

Not having cross-platform has caused outrage among gamers toward Sony because they can’t find any good reason why the system couldn’t have cross-platform play. Sony, however, has defended its decision. Others even assumed that it’s because according to Sony’s global sales and marketing head Jim Ryan, they blocked cross-platform play due to commercial reasons, and to protect their player base. Regardless of what that means or how gamers will interpret Sony’s reasoning, the fact remains that those PS4 players won’t be able to hunt ARK Wyvern and ARK Quetzal with their Xbox One counterparts.

Birds of the Same Maker

Regardless of Sony’s refusal to allow such a feature on their system, Ark: Survival Evolved doesn’t have cross-platform play between Microsoft’s two systems (PC and Xbox One). The company, however, isn’t to blame, it’s the game. The Steam version is incompatible with the Xbox One version since it has mod support. To work around this, the studio will be releasing a Windows 10 version of the game that will be compatible with the Xbox One version. Xbox One owners, on the other hand, will no longer need to buy another copy just to enjoy the cross-platform play in the very near future.  

If you’re planning to buy the game anytime soon with the intent of playing with people using other systems, then maybe you should hold off on your purchase. However, if you can wait for it, or if it doesn’t matter either way and you just want to play an awesome survival shooter, then go play.