Sony PS5, Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Two owners could share multiplayer games

It seems like the siloed world of video games could soon be a thing of the past, according to Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide boss Shawn Layden. 

Speaking to Game Informer, Layden said he believes we're headed into a "post-console" world where PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo consoles will be more unified than they have ever been in the past.

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That might sound pretty far-fetched, but we're already seeing the industry shift in that direction. Following the launch of blockbuster online games like PlayerUnknown Battlegrounds, Fortnite and Apex Legends, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch gamers have been able to take part in the same online matches. And following a short period of resistance from Sony, PS4 players can now join them, too.

Elsewhere, we've seen multiple reports that Microsoft is looking to bring its Xbox Live achievements, parties and online chat features to the Nintendo Switch to help players communicate across different platforms when taking part in these massive online Battle Royale-style games.

While Shawn Layden maintains that PlayStation still boasts the "best gaming experience," he added that Xbox One and Nintendo Switch include "great experiences" as well, and PlayStation should do more to recognise that.

Layden said: "I don't want to put too fine a point on this because it might upset some of the people I work with, but I think effectively, we’re looking at kind of a post-console world where you can have quality gaming experiences across a variety of technologies."

"Sure, PS4 and PS4 Pro provide what, of course, we think is the best gaming experience, but the other consoles out there, be it Switch, Xbox One X, or tablets, or phones – there are great experiences across all these.

"What we need to do is recognise all that."

"We're not little gaming ghettos that are not federated or aligned at all. We're all part of the same gaming community, we just come at it through different doorways. I think the future will be an extension of that metaphor. Your platform is not your hideaway. It's just your doorway to all these other gamer folk," he added.

PlayStation boss Shawn Layden is far from alone in discussing the desire to bring down the walls between rival consoles.

Gaming company EA has predicted a similar future where you can play titles on any devices, while Bethesda executive Pete Hines said he wants to see the walls between Xbox One, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch collapse so people can play together.

With Microsoft set to unveil its next-generation games console, codenamed Scarlett inside the company, during the E3 conference this year. Whether this console, which is widely-tipped to not support physical discs and rely solely on online streaming, could offer some insights into whether these predictions could come true.

Layden reiterated that Sony will not be attending E3 this year because Sony does not have much to talk about in 2019.

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