And with cross-platform play and progress, you can play against others online, and earn and use content across the platform and generation you choose."
"Both MLB The Show 21 Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S Standard Editions will be included with Xbox Game Pass so members will be able to play the best version of the game regardless of which console they’re on. The game will be available for Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S when it arrives in just a few short weeks' time, which also marks the first time the MLB The Show series has ever made an appearance on Xbox. MLB The Show 21 launches April 20 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.April Fools' Day is over, folks! Microsoft has announced that Sony is bringing its upcoming PlayStation Studios baseball title MLB The Show 21 to Xbox Game Pass on the day of release - April 20. While it seems unlikely this foray into Microsoft's turf will encourage other Sony-exclusive titles to follow suit, attitudes about console exclusivity could start to shift if MLB The Show becomes a big success on Xbox. On top of it being a major first-party game for next-generation consoles, there are quality-of-life improvements in MLB The Show 21 such as the game displaying home run distance and exit velocity without players needing to view a replay.įans of the sport will also be able to create custom baseball stadiums in MLB The Show 21, which should help give the game some longevity. There are reasons for fans of sports simulation games to be interested in MLB The Show 21 beyond its interesting place in the video game publishing scene.
That said, many may be intrigued to see Sony branding appear on a game that can be played via Xbox platforms, particularly as rumors point to a Microsoft and Nintendo partnership coming later this year.
Rubenstein has perhaps more ground to be impressed by this meeting of the traditionally rival video game companies than anyone, as prior to his currently seven-year stint at Microsoft he also worked as a social media manager at Sony Computer Entertainment America from 2007 to 2012, according to his LinkedIn page. He says he "recorded this on my Xbox Series S," including a mind-blown emoji afterward, clearly referring to the fact that Sony Interactive Entertainment and PlayStation Studios both appear before San Diego Studio's logo even on a Microsoft console. This clash of corporate interests was widely publicized by Xbox Senior Communications Manager Jeff Rubenstein on Twitter, who posted MLB The Show 21's start-up sequence to celebrate its early access launch day. RELATED: Putting MLB The Show 21 On Xbox Wasn't Sony's Decision However, because San Diego Studio is a subsidiary of Sony, players who got early access to MLB The Show 21 yesterday via its Jackie Robinson or Deluxe edition sets came across an odd situation wherein Sony-related logos appeared as the game started up.
It was confirmed earlier this month that MLB The Show 21 is coming to Xbox because Major League Baseball, the organization, wanted to push its availability further. While this is undoubtedly a boon for baseball fans across a larger swath of video game consoles, it has had some interesting outcomes with regards to branding. San Diego Studio's MLB The Show 21 is making history as the first MLB the Show game to release on Xbox platforms despite traditionally being a PlayStation-exclusive series created by a Sony-owned developer.