Trailers for Street Fighter half dozen take revealed quite a bit of data near the latest installment of one of Capcom'due south most pop series, from introducing new gameplay modes and features to revealing which members of the serial' expansive cast of characters volition make it into the game's roster. One of the most talked-almost pieces of information amongst fans has been the proclamation that Street Fighter 6 will exist a cross-platform release, with versions of the game being bachelor for the PlayStation 5, PlayStation iv, and Xbox Serial X|S consoles, too as on PC through Steam.

This proclamation has been particularly well-received past many Street Fighter fans, who interpreted it every bit proof that Capcom has acknowledged and addressed their criticisms of the company's determination to release Street Fighter 5 exclusively on the PS4 and PC. However, while the multi-platform release of Street Fighter vi will make the game more attainable to both former and new fans of the serial, it also means that the game may never exist able to take full advantage of the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S' capabilities.

Street Fighter 6 trailer screenshot of Chun Li and Ryu mid fight

While the original Street Fighter was initially released every bit an arcade cabinet, Street Fighter Ii: The Globe Warrior was 1 of the first video games to always be released beyond multiple consoles. Not merely did Street Fighter II continue to become one of the highest-grossing video games ever released, but its and then-unique cantankerous-platform support revolutionized the gaming industry. While subsequent Street Fighter games were often exclusive releases for PlayStation or Dreamcast, the series in one case over again returned to cross-platform releases with Street Fighter 4, which became one of the most critically and commercially successful games of 2008.

However, when Street Fighter V was appear, Capcom was quick to specify that the game would but meet a console release on the PS4 due to an exclusivity bargain made between themselves and Sony. Unfortunately, Street Fighter Five's initial release was ultimately plagued with controversy, some of which was straight related to the exclusivity. While the game's technical issues and the absence of many fan-favorite characters and game modes were ultimately the results of choices made by the developers, the lack of cross-platform support limited the telescopic of the game's histrion base by making it incommunicable for many of the series' fans to play the game.

Although many players' complaints about Street Fighter Five would be addressed through mail-launch patches and downloadable content, Capcom's exclusivity deal with Sony stood business firm. Despite Capcom's insistence that Street Fighter V'south exclusivity would "centralize" the thespian base, players who were introduced to the series through Street Fighter IV but didn't own a PS4 or PC had no mode of playing information technology at all, dividing the very fanbase Capcom had hoped to bring together.

Luke and Ryu

Past releasing Street Fighter half-dozen on multiple consoles, Capcom has ensured that the game won't limit its role player base the aforementioned mode Street Fighter V did. Even without the ongoing PS5 shortage, which many in the manufacture speculate will go along well into 2022, making the game sectional to one family of consoles would alienate a sizable portion of the Street Fighter fanbase. By giving the game a cross-platform release, Capcom has not only increased the game'due south marketability, but they've also assuaged the worries that many Street Fighter fans had by ensuring that the game volition be accessible to most players in some form or some other.

That being said, releasing Street Fighter six for the PS4 may mean that the game won't be able to take total reward of the PS5 and Xbox Serial X|South graphical capabilities. To ensure that the game can run smoothly on the PS4'south less-advanced hardware, Street Fighter six will have to exist designed with information technology in mind, potentially limiting the quality of its graphics. While the unproblematic fact that many players aren't able to get their easily on a PS5 or Xbox Serial X|S, it's disappointing to know that the flashy special moves that the Street Fighter series is famous for may not exist every bit visually impressive as they could accept been if Street Fighter 6 was designed exclusively for next-generation consoles.

In many means, Capcom'south decision to release Street Fighter 6 beyond multiple platforms is both a delivery to address player feedback and an example of the difficult compromises that game publishers have to make when choosing the systems on which to release their games. However, the Street Fighter fanbase'due south outspoken relief at the announcement that Street Fighter six will be a cross-platform release is a definite stride in the correct management.