New PS4 Version Of Minecraft With Cross-Play Support Still Uncertain

The new version of Minecraft for Xbox One, Windows 10, and Nintendo Switch--simply titled Minecraft--remains unconfirmed for Sony's PlayStation 4. With the new Better Together update, which is available in beta on some systems, Minecraft is becoming "unified," except on PS4, for now at least.

"While we are thrilled to be able to confirm the new version of Minecraft is coming to Nintendo Switch, we are still in discussions with Sony about PlayStation and have nothing to confirm," developer Mojang said in a blog post. "We would love to work with Sony to bring players on PlayStation 4 into this ecosystem as well."

Part of the issue here appears to be Sony not wanting to allow cross-play with the other versions of Minecraft. Sony has its reasons for saying no, but it appears those conversations are ongoing, so there is some hope left.

The old console version of Minecraft will be removed from sale after the new edition launches for Xbox One and Switch. It sounds like this means the PS4 edition could be gone unless a deal can be reached between Microsoft and Sony. However, if you already own Minecraft for PS4, or any other console, you can continue to play it and its associated mini-games, though there will be no further updates.

For its part, Sony's Jim Ryan said at E3 where Minecraft's Better Together update was announced that Sony is not philosophically opposed to allowing cross-play with competing consoles. Ryan went on to suggest that Sony is concerned about what could go wrong when allowing its own players, some of which could be children, to connect to a network outside of its own.

Be sure to read the full FAQ to learn a lot more about the new version of Minecraft and how things are changing going forward.