PlayStation 4 getting a Fortnite bundle

Update: We've now confirmed via retailer listings that there are two Fortnite PS4 bundles available - one with a 500GB PS4 Slim, and one with a 1TB PS4 Pro.

Amid a vociferous backlash about their refusal to enable cross-party play with Xbox One and Nintendo Switch, Sony have announced a new PS4 bundle with the very game that ignited the controversy - Fortnite.

The free-to-play shooter has become an overnight success since introducing a Battle Royale mode some months back. It's tough to remember a single game capturing the collective imagination of the world - its victory dances have even been exhibited at the World Cup - as Fortnite has.

One of the core aspects of its wide appeal is the huge number of devices it's available on - as well as PS4, Xbox and Switch, the game can also be played on iPhones and Android devices. This huge player base has been able to play against one another, meaning that no matter where you are in the world, you'll never wait long to find another 99 players.

That is, unless you're on PS4. Sony have so far refused to enable any sort of cross-play with other systems, and Fortnite is no exception. However, the game's explosion in popularity has brought this stance to wider attention, and has seen them come in for severe criticism for allegedly protecting their own interests ahead of PS4 owners. So harsh is Sony's anti-cross-play initiative that even those players who had just signed up for an Epic Games account on their PlayStation but hadn't played Fortnite were locked out of playing on any other system.

Details are currently scant on the PS4 Fortnite bundle - we've received no word on price or release date. However, Polygon reports that as well as a standard 500GB PS4 Slim and controller, the bundle comes with the game, 500 V-bucks (the in-game currency) and, most interestingly for players, an exclusive skin known as Royale Bomber.