For the first time ever, MLB The Show will be available on another system besides a PlayStation. Announced by both Sony and Xbox, MLB The Show 2021 will officially launch this year on April 20 for both the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and the Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. This is significant as it will be the first time that Sony’s now formerly exclusive IP will launch on another platform, and the first time that a proper baseball title will grace an Xbox console since 2013.

Welcome to the big leagues. @MLBTheShow 21 is coming to Xbox for the first time ever on April 20! #OwnTheShow

Pre-order today: https://t.co/woPYHCL6YD pic.twitter.com/qZIsbLyGrm

— Xbox (@Xbox) February 1, 2021

As if this wasn’t enough for Xbox fans to celebrate, it was also revealed that MLB The Show 2021 will also feature full cross-platform progression between PlayStation and Xbox consoles. This also includes cross-saves and online multiplayer functionality. Other major titles that utilize this feature are Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War, Madden NFL 21, and NBA 2K21. A brief trailer was also released, showcasing the cover athlete for this year’s edition. This time its none other than the San Diego Padres hitting sensation Fernando Tatis Jr., and for good reason as he is a rising star in the Major Leagues.

For those who don’t know, MLB The Show has been a PlayStation exclusive since it debuted in 2006. This was Sony’s answer to the 2K Sports franchise that was dominating the scene at the time, as well as EA’s Sports. Once the new console generation arrived, the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, the MLB 2K series started to lose some steam and MLB The Show began to take off in popularity. Once MLB 2K13 was released, 2K announced that it would be the final entry in the series, meaning that Sony’s MLB The Show would be the only official Major League Baseball video game series worldwide.

That also meant that anyone who wanted to play MLB The Show would have to own a PlayStation console, making it Sony’s exclusive sports series and quickly becoming a sore subject for Xbox console owners. This makes the announcement of MLB The Show 2021 being on Xbox platforms that much more surprising, as Sony has essentially given up one of their most lucrative exclusives.  Either way, this is exciting news for fans of both consoles, especially Xbox owners, as the eight-year drought of no MLB title has now come to an end.

MLB The Show 2021 will officially launch on April 20 for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.