MLB The Show 21 is getting a Game Pass surprise none of us saw coming

Slated for release later this month, MLB The Show 21 is shaping up to be a very interesting entry in the long-running franchise. MLB The Show 21 will be the first game in the series to be multi-platform – instead of just launching on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, it'll also be available on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. Today we're learning that not only is MLB The Show 21 coming to Xbox consoles, but it'll also be available through Xbox Game Pass.

The fact that it's coming to Game Pass is surprising enough – remember, this is a game being developed by Sony's San Diego Studio – but Microsoft confirmed today that MLB The Show 21 will be on Game Pass from day one. The game will be available through Xbox Game Pass on April 20th, and it'll be available both on the console version of the service and through Xbox Game Pass Ultimate's Cloud Gaming on Android (sorry PC players, but you'll have to sit this one out).

This is a pretty impressive announcement, because it means that a first-party Sony game is coming to Xbox Game Pass, and that's something many of us thought we'd never see. Unfortunately, this probably isn't the beginning of some unprecedented partnership between Sony and Microsoft, because MLB The Show 21's multi-platform release is likely due to Sony's contractual agreements with MLB.

In any case, Microsoft says that both the Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S editions of MLB The Show 21 will be available through Xbox Game Pass, so it doesn't matter which console you're playing on, you'll be able to download the right version for your platform from Game Pass. Keep in mind that only the Standard Edition will be available through Game Pass, so if you want the Jackie Robinson Edition or the Digital Deluxe Edition, you'll need to pony up the cash to buy it outright.

Microsoft has also confirmed that MLB The Show 21 will feature cross-platform play and progress, which is always a nice thing to see. MLB The Show 21 is out on April 20th on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.