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Video Game Release Dates 2024
Elden Ring strategy guide
Shacknews Direct: Introducing Bubbletron!
Destiny 2 Complete Strategy Guide

MLB The Show 21 gets April release date, coming to Xbox for the first time with crossplay

Sony's MLB sim franchise is heading to Xbox consoles with full crossplay support.
Donovan Erskine
Donovan Erskine
3

Both Sony and Microsoft have been fairly quiet about their 2021 plans. With the pandemic causing all kinds of uncertainty, it’s likely that it’ll be a constant slow-trickle of new information throughout the year. Well, Sony just officially announced and slated the release date for the next entry in one of its hallmark franchises, MLB The Show 21. In addition to revealing its cover athlete, Fernando “El Nino” Tatis Jr., Sony revealed that the game will also be launching on Xbox consoles this April, with full cross-platform play available on day one.

A post was made to PlayStation’s website where they spoke about MLB The Show 21 and its cover athlete. “It was a year in which new talent announced itself to the world, flipping bats, dancing and bringing plenty of electric moments to the game. Arguably, no one did this better than the MLB The Show cover athlete Fernando “El Nino” Tatis Jr.” Tatis Jr. will be the first member of the San Diego Padres to grace the cover of MLB The Show in North America.

What’s most fascinating, is the fact that MLB The Show 21 is coming to Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. Since the series first began in 2006, MLB The Show has been a PlayStation exclusive, an annual staple on Sony’s home consoles. To see a game developed by one of Sony's in-home studios release on Xbox consoles, on the same day, is quite a big deal. When MLB The Show launches on April 20, there will be full crossplay support, allowing Xbox and PlayStation players to hit the diamond together.

This is a move that will be a great benefit for all parties involved. Sony will surely rake in more cash with an entirely new market of players to sell to, and Microsoft will finally have a premiere baseball sim on Xbox consoles. It’ll also be interesting to see how popular crossplay is among players. If there’s any genre of game that can succeed in crossplay, without compromising competitive integrity, it’s sports sims. With MLB The Show leading by example, maybe we could see NBA 2K or Madden make the jump in the near future.

MLB The Show 21 launches on April 20 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. The game will be $59.99 on PS4/XB1, and $69.99 for PS5/XSX. For more on the baseball sim franchise, visit the topic page on Shacknews dedicated to MLB The Show.

News Editor
News Editor

Donovan is a journalist from Maryland. His oldest gaming memory is playing Pajama Sam on his mom's desktop during weekends. Pokémon Emerald, Halo 2, and the original Star Wars Battlefront 2 were some of the most influential titles in awakening his love for video games. After interning for Shacknews throughout college, Donovan graduated from Bowie State University in 2020 with a major in broadcast journalism and joined the team full-time. He is a huge film fanatic and will talk with you about movies and games all day. You can follow him on twitter @Donimals_

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