Fortnite On Android Will Support PC & Console Cross-Play

The highly anticipated Android version of Fortnite will almost certainly fully support cross-play between smartphones, tablets, PCs, and consoles, as indicated by recent statements from industry executives and the manner in which the iOS build of the game currently works. While Sony recently caused some controversy by blocking cross-play functionalities between its own PlayStation 4 and Nintendo’s Switch, the Japanese gaming giant confirmed that won’t be the case with Fortnite on Android.

While cross-play between the PS4 and Xbox One/Nintendo Switch isn’t available and likely never will be, the iOS version of the game works with every platform, allowing players to continue progressing even while they’re on the go and compete against individuals on other devices, regardless of their main gaming system of choice. The Android port should hence follow suit, allowing you to synchronize progress via an Epic Games account, PlayStation Network, Xbox Live, Facebook profile, or a Google login. As of version 3.4, the Party Finder feature will allow you to search for your friends on other platforms before beginning a match. As the iOS version doesn’t require anyone to link their Epic Games account with their secondary profile, with that requirement still only applying to PC and Mac players, the title should behave in an identical manner on Android. The mobile build of Fortnite still doesn’t support physical MFi controllers on iOS and while Epic said it’s working on adding that feature in the future, it reportedly has balancing concerns and is still working on keeping things fair. Due to that state of affairs, the vanilla Android build of Fortnite may not support physical gamepads either.

In terms of gameplay difficulty, mobile players with Android devices should be able to opt into a PC or console queue but no one with access to a keyboard-mouse combo or a physical controller will be able to force themselves into a match with mostly iOS and Android gamers even if they agreed to play with those who have access to more precise means for controlling their characters. Those playing Fortnite on a handset or tablet will also be able to opt out of being paired with anyone who isn’t experiencing the game with touchscreen controls, though it remains to be seen how Epic changes things once mobile controller support becomes part of the popular free-to-play package.

After debuting on iOS in March, Fortnite will be hitting the Google Play Store at some point this summer, Epic said earlier this spring. In the meantime, portable gamers eager to experience the immensely popular battle royale title on their Android-powered smartphones and tablets can either stream it via Sony’s Remote Play feature if they own a compatible Xperia-branded handset and a PS4 or cast it from their PC via Steam Link.

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