Fans of sports video games were no doubt surprised when it was announced earlier this year that the upcoming MLB The Show 21 will be available on Xbox, as well as PlayStation consoles. Not only will this be the first game in the series to not be PlayStation exclusive, but it will also be available on Game Pass at launch -- a huge deal for a game developed by a Sony first-party studio like San Diego Studio.
Collaborations in the industry have happened before, but Sony and Microsoft have been fierce rivals for decades, and most games that made the jump from exclusive to multiplatform were developed by independent studios -- and typically originated on Xbox. While Microsoft has been a bit more lenient when it comes to such things, PlayStation is known for keeping its exclusives close, almost never letting its IP branch out to other consoles. So why the change of heart now?
Sony's decision may have been influenced by how the industry has changed over the past couple of years. Game Pass has been a huge success for the Microsoft, constantly receiving praise for being an accessible and consumer-friendly way for subscribers to play games. Even more recently, Microsoft's purchase of Zenimax Media and its eight subsidiaries, including Bethesda, may have Sony reconsidering its strategy.
While Microsoft and Bethesda have not announced specifics regarding console exclusivity for future first-party games, at the very least, they will be available on Game Pass at launch, increasing the value of that service even further. It's possible that games like The Elder Scrolls VI and the next Fallout will be completely exclusive to Microsoft platforms, never arriving on PlayStation at all.
Allowing MLB The Show 21 to launch on Xbox could be a gesture of good faith to Microsoft, one that shows that Sony is willing to play nice and gesturing Microsoft to do the same with its first-party offerings. Allowing it to join Game Pass could also be a way to acknowledge that Sony understands how important that service is to Microsoft.
Of course, this doesn't mean that all of PlayStation's iconic games like The Last of Us and God of War are going cross-platform as well. Still, this announcement opens the door for more collaboration between these industry giants. This move also has some precedent, as Sony has recently brought first-party games like Horizon Zero Dawn to PC.
Not only will gamers be able to play MLB The Show 21 on either Xbox or PlayStation consoles, but they'll also be able to play together. The game will include cross-gen and cross-platform play, as well as cross-progression. While it doesn't mean that the console wars are over for good or that both companies are going to start putting their first-party games on rival platforms on a consistent basis, MLB The Show joining Game Pass is a pleasant surprise that, regardless of where you play, is good for gamers.