Tim Sweeney Proposes Team Open to Link Xbox, PlayStation and Steam Social Systems
Updated
Updated · Kotaku · Jun 26
Tim Sweeney Proposes Team Open to Link Xbox, PlayStation and Steam Social Systems
3 articles · Updated · Kotaku · Jun 26
Summary
Tim Sweeney pitched a “Team Open” framework to let players carry friends, identity and communication across Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, Steam and individual game networks.
Sweeney said today’s social systems are “broken” because each platform runs a separate ecosystem, creating friction when users move between games or devices.
He argued the technical hurdle is solvable since platforms already use similar text and voice infrastructure, comparing the need for a shared standard to email’s early interoperability push.
The proposal also reaches beyond chat and friends lists: Sweeney said cosmetics, outfits and emotes would be more valuable if they worked everywhere.
The idea comes as major publishers face industry instability, with Sweeney arguing connection now offers more value than keeping platform ecosystems separate.