Sony are attempting to build some bridges towards their greatest competitors at Microsoft by releasing one of their PlayStation exclusive titles on the rival consoles. MLB: The Show 21, developed by an SIE subsidiary studio, will be launched simultaneously on PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, this April.
This has been long time coming and we're very happy to announce that Sony and Microsoft stopped hating each other for a moment. The occasion is Sony's announcement of MLB: The Show 21. Those that have followed the baseball simulation series would have expected it, but for the general public, the fact that a series kept exclusive to PlayStation for over 20 years is going to launch on Xbox, is quite the news.
MLB: The Show 21 Uniting PlayStation and Xbox
The natural competition between the two console giants has kept them from making any business that would be deemed anything more than absolutely necessary. Microsoft hold the PC market too and Sony can't really afford to exclude itself from that front. Of course, there's also the factor of independent studios that want the most sales possible and wish to cover all of the major platforms - PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo, etc.
In short, a title available on PS and Xbox isn't news. It's happened countless times. However, an exclusive title that's available to both consoles is news. I mean, that's what exclusive means - unavailable to other platforms.
Today @MLB, @MLB_Players, @SonySanDiego and @PlayStation announced multi-year, multi-platform video game partnership extensions @MLBTheShow. pic.twitter.com/PEGIRSNUSK
— MLB Communications (@MLB_PR) December 10, 2019
MLB: The Show used to be one of those exclusives. The baseball series could only be played on various generations of PS consoles since its inception in 1997. That 24-year-old tradition is going to be snapped with the launch of MLB: The Show 21.
On April 20, 2021, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S owners will be able to enjoy the title all at once. The San Diego Studio, usually only developing for Sony, will for the first-time work on a version for the rival console.
A small step for Xbox MLB fans, a giant step for console players everywhere.
MLB The Show launches day and date on PS4 and PS5 with cross-platform play on @Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S
— PlayStation (@PlayStation) February 1, 2021
MLB: The Show 21
The game itself is being overshadowed by the larger picture, but we won't completely breeze through it. This will be the 16th installment in the series after it rebranded as MLB: The Show. There were nine more games prior to that, simply called MLB.
MLB: The Show 21 does have a thing for breaking boundaries. Cover athlete Fernando Tatís is the youngest player to grace the cover of an MLB game. If the San Diego Padres' shortstop is into gaming, he will certainly be proud to be the face of this merger.
We have our doubts that this will spring a rainfall of exclusives that open up to other platforms, but we must take this for what it is and be happy for it. If we know anything about business though, we expect at least one Xbox exclusive to arrive to the PS in the near future.
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