Xbox’s Phil Spencer floats cross-platform account ban and block

Phil Spencer, head of Xbox, wants to see more overlap between the major console platforms when it comes to banning and blocking accounts. With cross-platform play on the rise, this could be the next thing for the industry in terms of how platforms interact with each other.

In one interview with Kara Swisher, host of The New York Times’ recital Shaking, Spencer briefly outlines his hopes for improving the gaming experience between consoles. “But just as I think as an industry, the voice chats and how fast we follow, it’s an investment where we have a lot going on right now.” Spencer said. “Something that I really wish we could do — which is difficult as an industry — is when someone is banned from one of our networks, is there a way for us to ban them? Are they on other networks?”

Floating the idea of ​​cross-platform bans also goes hand in hand with account blocking, another area where Spencer would like to see dashboards overlap. “Or at least as a player, I can put on my banned users list, because I can always block people from joining my game,” says Spencer. “And I would love to be able to take them to other networks where I play. So this is the group of people that I choose not to play with. Because I don’t want to have to recreate that in every platform I play video games on.”

Assuming this new cross-play functionality works, these types of bans and blocks could make for a more enjoyable experience for players. Knowing that you won’t run into the same people across platforms can help relieve some gamers and provide a more relaxed atmosphere. But getting console manufacturers involved can be difficult.

Given how challenging it is to make cross-platform gaming a reality, cross-platform bans may be a long way off. Spencer did not provide any timeline or specific investment details beyond monitoring voice chats. But suppose Spencer is one of the more consistent cross game supporters come to games like Fortnite, he would likely play a key role in this mechanic’s founding if it saw the light of day.

Spencer’s . full transcript Shaking Interviews are available at New York Times.