Minecraft: Pocket Edition is getting support for cross-platform multiplayer, giving iOS users the ability to team up with friends on other devices — including consoles.
The latest systems from Nintendo and Microsoft will be compatible, alongside computers running Windows 10, but Sony is yet to pledge support for its own hardware.
Microsoft has continued to develop Minecraft to encourage players to keep coming back since it acquired Mojang, the studio behind the game, for $2.5 billion in 2014. Its next big update will make the game more social, bringing players together across multiple platforms.
Players on iOS, Android, Xbox One, the newly-announced Xbox One X, Nintendo Switch, Windows 10, Windows 10 Mobile, and VR will all be able to play Minecraft alongside or against each other.
The notable omissions from that list are the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita. Microsoft blames that on Sony, which is said to have refused to join the party, but the company says it would “love to have” its rival on board.
Microsoft is also bringing the Minecraft Marketplace to cross-platform play to that teams can purchase partner-created add-ons, like mods, expansions, and premium servers. Servers will be easier to join, too, thanks to the ability to display servers within Minecraft itself.
Killian Bell is a freelance writer based in the U.K. He has an interest in all things tech and also covers Android over at CultofAndroid.com. You can follow him on Twitter via @killianbell.
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