Sony Confirms PlayStation 4 Will Have Cross Game Chat

Aran Suddi 54 Comments

Cross game chat has long been something PlayStation 3 users have wanted to have on the system, which would allow players to talk to each other even if they were playing different games on the console. Microsoft’s Xbox 360 has always had this feature on its own console, but Sony never managed it due to hardware issues.

However, a recent press release by Sony has confirmed the existence of the much wanted feature on the PlayStation 4. “Through PS4 users are able to deepen their connections through co-op play or ‘cross game chat’,” it says.

This isn’t really a surprising reveal, with features such as being able to spectate other player’s games and even take control should a friend request it already confirmed for the console, but it is nice that we have confirmation of the existence of the feature.

We may not know what the console looks like, the exact release date or a price point but the PS4 is shaping up to be an interesting console.

For all the big news from the reveal have a read of Greg’s write up.

Source: Sony

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54 Comments

  1. I wonder why didn’t they announce that on Wednesday?

    • I suppose that they thought that with some of their new features – which are more technical then cross game chat – people would just assume the PS4 had it. I sure did anyway.

      Also, would cross game chat work anywhere on the PS4 console? I’ve never had a 360 so don’t know how that is implemented. Also would this work, say if there was 4 of us playing the same fighting game, with 2 people each against each other, could we all be speaking to each other in the same chat room and still check out player streams – say if one pair finish their game and want to spectate the other match. Would all that be possible at once?

      I know that’s a rather specific example, but I’m thinking that this – when coupled with the streaming and sharing options – could make for some great meets, tournaments and competitive play.

      • If it works like the 360 (it’s called Party chat on there), A user creates a party and up to 6 people can join the party. The party host can change the chat setting to “Game” which allows the chat setting of the specific game to be used, or “Party” in wich everyone in the party will be able to speak to and hear each other depsite what they’re doing at the time (I.e playing a game, browsing the market place or watching a move). So yes, the scenario that you described above would be possible and it is really useful when trying to set up matches/tourneys in a fighting game, or any other genre for that matter.

      • Cheers. I’m very looking forward to PS4, and this feature will be used quite a lot by me. Tourneys etc should be great to participate in on PS4.

        Oh btw, were you ever signed up to a site called ConsoleGaming?

  2. Hooray that feature people won’t shut up about but I can’t really see the point of

    • Same. I don’t get why this is an important feature.

      Oh well, it will keep people happy I guess.

      • Nah, they’ll just find something else to get hung up on.

    • It’s for the close friends who want to enjoy a catch-up with chinwagging and maybe some company but also to play games. Often enough, AG2297, Yogdog, NemesisND1derboy and a raft of others (teflon, etc) pop in to a group call to say hi and chat about everything and nothing. Sure, there are the sort of games where you want peace and quiet but a lot of them can be shared with friends even if it’s just over the airwaves.

      At present we do it on Skype with PC gaming but it’d be lovely to finally have it on the PS3 as an option. Also makes setting up the games that much easier before you load the blighters up.

    • It’ll be great to finally have a standardised system for people to use. Current in game chat been often been so janky and half broken as to get in the way. F1 games are notorious for not having working voice chat.

      So to have a party chat which is independent of games will be great.

      Having it go cross game is a niche, I feel, but it will also help with organising big game sessions with people. Helping you to communicate and get together before you actually get into a lobby, and work around any connection issues you might have.

      So all round, it’s a good feature which makes life a lot easier for people who want to play in groups and talk.

    • Nice to have. I’ll never use it.

    • Its a feature I use all the time on 360. Only being able to talk to my mates if we are all playing the same game is simply dumb.

    • I think it was because PS3 gamers knew the Xbox 360 had it, and seeing as the PS3 more more powerful, they couldn’t understand why the PS3 couldn’t do it.

    • It’s for people who are actually social and like to talk to others while gaming.

      Not for me though. I was delighted when I found the option to mute the Vita’s mic and never bothered to get a PS3 headset. Mute All is the option I look for first when I go online.

      Just let me hear the sound of the game please- it’s as important as the graphics.

    • This. I just don’t get the appeal of it. I don’t go on my console to chat to friends, I go on there to game. If I wanted to chat with my friends, I’d meet up with them, or use Skype or something. Basically, I couldn’t care less about this.

    • Gamers are idiots. Nobody ever talks about the features that the PS3 has that the Xbox does (and trust me, there are plenty). These people have been unknowingly signed up as soldiers in Microsoft’s viral PS3 hate army.

      What’s even funnier is most of them are no doubt totally oblivious to the fact X-Game chat was added in firmware 2.70….

      Seems even the writers of this article are also unaware of it too.

      • You do realise that you’ve just basically insulted everyone on this as we are all gamers. Cross Game Chat has never been on the PS3 and Sony themselves have said that it lacks the ram required.

      • You need to rely less on what the Microsoft sponsored internet tells you.

        http://www.vgchartz.com/article/3321/playstation-firmware-270-available-now/

        “The biggest feature is the addition of cross-game text chatrooms. While in-game you can open up a chat window with up to 15 other people while running three chats simultaneously”

        I use it all the time.

      • I own a PS3 and have never seen Cross Game chat on my system. Crossgame text is not cross game chat. By cross game chat, people mean something like Skype. Being able to talk via your mic as using the keyboard on the PS3 is a right pain in the backside. :)

      • That has absolutely nothing to do with what people are talking about. That’s a TEXT chat.. which has 0 to do with a VOICE chat.

  3. Can we still make the old ‘joke’ in the comments though?

  4. PS4 is ruining the internets list of things to moan about.

  5. Mouth dropped open, a feature I won’t use though.

  6. No that bothered about it now, thanks anyway Sony :-P

  7. Damn it, now what we will use whenever PSN goes down for maintance on the PS4? Making bacon?

    I’m not surprised as Sony did say that they were unable to do it for the PS3 due to the PS3’s RAM size. I wonder how many TSAers will try to cause the other TSAer to die in the game that they are playing by distracting them on purpose or making them laugh too hard?

    • This is the only problem I’ve ever had with cross-game chat – it’s nice to be having a conversation with your friends when you’re playing different games, but not entirely helpful when you’re actually trying to concentrate on the game in hand.

      Which then results in asking them to be quiet.

      Which then utterly removes the usefulness of the feature.

      Which then asks, why has it been such a big deal this entire time?!

      • Its been a big deal because it is a very cool feature, which doesnt mean you have to use always.
        I’m certainly a single-player kind of gamer, and I never get into a LiveParty when Im going through a campaign, but its great to be able to chat with friends while playing online or grinding some XP in any RPG, for example.

      • It’s optional. If you’re playing a game that you don’t want to be distracted while playing, then don’t get into the chat room. When playing games like COD my friends and I usually start up a party and that way we only hearing and talking to each other while playing, allowing to avoid they typical bashing and racist remarks that go hand in hand with the internet. But if im playing a single player game that i’m focusing on, i just don’t use it.

  8. Finally! Imagine the uproar if the PS4 also didn’t have cross-game chat?!

  9. but will it have cross game video chat???

    • I sense a new long running complaint on the horizon.

    • You’ve already found the thing to complain about for the next 6 years, and it’s not even out yet!

    • That could be quite possible with the new PS Eye, and the hardware specs would certainly seem capable of playing a game while simultaneously video chatting.

  10. Don’t care, I managed fine without it since the day I became a gamer

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