It seems like only yesterday that Microsoft was reportedly in talks with popular messaging platform Discord about Xbox integration. Discord reportedly turned down a direct acquisition offer from Microsoft but is now confirmed to have joined forces with rival Sony. This revelation comes just weeks after talks with Microsoft concluded.
Sony Interactive Entertainment announced that it has made a minority investment in Discord, allowing for the messaging platform to be integrated into PlayStation beginning in 2022. Such a move is a colossal one for Sony, and it places them in a very advantageous position.
Jim Ryan, Sony President and CEO said in a recent statement that Sony's teams are already hard at work integrating the software with social and gaming features for PlayStation and that the goal for the team is to bring console and mobile experiences for Discord and PlayStation closer together. The opportunity this presents Sony cannot be understated.
One area that gamers have viewed the PlayStation systems as lacking in is communication features. While The PS5 features an improved chat function in comparison to the PS4, Xbox has always had a more popular and user-friendly chat system, being the first console to introduce the coveted party chat feature. Sony's partnership with Discord allows the company an opportunity to remedy this. Discord is used by over 140 million people, the application is incredibly popular because it is so fluid and easy to use. Simply working on Discord compatibility is much more effective than the team at Sony spending time working on their own alternative.
With Sony allowing cross-play between its consoles and PC on certain titles, Discord integration allows those two platforms to communicate using the same software. This all adds up to help create a more seamless experience between the two machines during cross-play. Previously, the gap would need to bridged by utilizing Discord's mobile application for PlayStation players to communicate with their friends on PC.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this partnership is its timing just weeks after Microsoft's acquisition offer. The Xbox already features some rather basic Discord integration, but Sony's investment in the company implies that PlayStation will receive substantially more than Xbox's integration, such as system-wide support. Sony is clearly monitoring the competition's moves, and this investment is a direct response to Microsoft's interest in Discord.
Released in 2015, Discord has become the preferred chat system for gamers on PC. Its voice calls, text messages and easy file transfers have caused it to become incredibly popular. Discord, however, hasn't been incredibly profitable. The application has experimented with its subscription services that grant users add-ons but is otherwise entirely free to use and free of advertisements. Microsoft's acquisition offer would have certainly made the application profitable, the reported $12 million offer would have been even more than Microsoft paid for Bethesda, but Discord is clearly more concerned with remaining independent and autonomous as opposed to being profitable.
While Sony will perpetually compete with Microsoft, PC as a gaming platform is in a completely different wheelhouse to console gaming. Rather than attempt to compete, Sony is right to realize that gamers will commonly own both a gaming PC and their preferred console, the Discord partnership allows for Sony to attempt to make PlayStation the preferred console for many more users. The deal stands to make Sony's console the easiest to use when communicating with PC players, the most heavily integrated with Discord and fixes the family of system's historic issues with chat features. Only time will tell if and how Microsoft will respond to the news of this partnership.