As the newest round of the so-called “Console Wars” continues to pick up steam, the heads of both PlayStation and Xbox have issued a heartwarming reminder on social media earlier today that everyone in the gaming industry is united under the common goal of giving joy to players. The two companies might be competing for gamers’ hard-earned money, but that doesn’t mean their top executives can’t wish each other well from time to time.
Dating as far back as the era of the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis, video game fans have always been split between separate-yet-equally-entertaining consoles, proudly declaring their allegiance everywhere from school playgrounds to online forums. While much of this discourse is typically playful and good-natured, at times the argument over which gaming console is superior can be just as volatile and divisive as any major hot-button debate. Thankfully, the people in charge of making said consoles are on good terms, and this can sometimes serve as a reminder that the aforementioned differences between the PlayStation and Xbox fandoms are mostly skin deep.
Such a chain of goodwill between the two main console manufacturers was displayed on Xbox One’s designated Reddit forum, where user u/Mattene shared a social media exchange between Sony Interactive Entertainment Head of Independent Developer Initiative Shuhei Yoshida and Microsoft Executive Vice President of Gaming Phil Spencer earlier today. Yoshida congratulated Spencer on the recent Inside Xbox announcement event from earlier this week, and in return, Spencer wished for Yoshida and PlayStation’s company to stay safe and healthy.
Console wars don’t matter when we’re all fighting the same thing ❤️ from xboxone
This comes at a time when the upcoming arrival of the new PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X has kicked off the old console rivalry anew, with jabs large and small being taken at every topic from hardware specifications to which company had the better reveal presentation. A new wrinkle in this argument was added earlier this week with the unveiling of the new PS5 DualSense Controller, prompting inevitable comparisons to the Series X’s gamepad that even Xbox itself playfully chimed in on.
However, in a time of growing division and uncertainty in many aspects of everyday life, it’s nice to be reminded that despite being major competitors the executives in charge of Xbox and PlayStation ultimately have the same goal in mind, which is providing customers with hours of entertainment in the form of their favorite video games regardless of which machine they are being played on. With the new consoles on the horizon this Holiday Season, Shuhei Yoshida and Phil Spencer’s brief exchange of friendship serves as a reminder of what gaming is all about: having fun.
