Well, it leaked over the weekend, but now we have official confirmation: MLB The Show 21 will swing for the bleachers from 20th April on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and – in a mind-boggling first – Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One. The title will launch day-and-date on all of the aforementioned platforms, published by Sony, and will feature full cross-platform play. There’s no word of a PC or Nintendo Switch version at this time.

“This is a very exciting moment for all of us as the storied franchise will be accessible to more gamers than before,” Ramone Russell wrote on the PlayStation Blog. “We would like to thank everyone at PlayStation, Xbox, Major League Baseball, Major League Baseball Players Association and the San Diego Studio for working diligently to bring MLB The Show to more users.”

MLB The Show 21 PS5 PlayStation 5 1

While this is an historic moment, there are some caveats for all players to consider. Firstly, there’s no word of a free PS4 to PS5 upgrade in the PlayStation Blog post, but it seems that will be part of the Collector’s Edition, which will be announced later in the week. It also costs more on next-gen: the PS4 version retails for £59.99/$59.99, while the PS5 edition is £69.99/$69.99.

As leaked previously, San Diego Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr will be on the cover, and you can catch the reveal of ‘El Nino’ in the trailer embedded above. Cross-platform play will unify all versions of the game, and you can take your progress with you wherever you play – regardless of generations or console family. More gameplay features will be announced in due time, with a series of streams scheduled from March.

There’ll also be multiple editions available at launch: pre-order the standard version on PS4 and you’ll get a Gold Choice Pack and 5,000 Stubs to get you started in Diamond Dynasty. The next-gen standard edition – which costs more, remember – comes with all of the above and 10 bonus The Show Packs. Then there’s a Collector’s Edition which, as mentioned above, will be unveiled on 3rd February. It sounds like that will bundle the PS5 and PS4 versions together.

An historic moment, then, as a PlayStation Studios game is officially announced for Xbox platforms – but now the reveal is out of the way, we’re just waiting for more information on the actual gameplay.

[source blog.playstation.com]