It has just been announced that starting as soon as 2021's release, MLB The Show will no longer be a PlayStation platform exclusive. Though other platforms have not yet been specified, both the official Nintendo and Xbox Twitter accounts were quick to comment on this new development.
For the past dozen or so years, MLB The Show has been developed by San Diego Studio, a subsidiary of Sony Interactive Entertainment. Sony has also had the exclusive rights to develop and publish games using the official MLB and MLBPA licenses for almost as long. Meaning if you wanted to play with real teams and players, you could only do so on a Sony made console.
Tonight, MLB took to their official PR Twitter account to announce that starting as early as 2021's game, all future releases of MLB The Show will be on multiple platforms. That means that a development studio owned and operated by Sony could potentially have releases hitting PlayStation, Xbox, and the Nintendo Switch within the next year or two.
It is assumed that by agreeing to this multi-platform deal, Sony has secured another multi-year extension to its use of the MLB license. The alternative was probably that Sony would completely lose the license and I'm sure they didn't want the competition taking it.
Given the 2021 window, it seems very likely that the first multi-platform release will be on the next-generation PlayStation and Xbox platforms, PlayStation 5 and Project Scarlett respectively. It's also very possible that MLB The Show could end up on the Nintendo Switch and even the PC. As for the here and now, MLB The Show 20 is slated to be released on March 17, 2020 for the PlayStation 4.
