Your best mate is on PlayStation, you are on Xbox, and your cousin plays on PC — and you all want to play together. A decade ago, that was impossible: each platform was a walled garden, and cross-platform play was a fantasy. Today, crossplay — playing together across different devices — is increasingly normal. But it is not universal, it is not always on by default, and setting it up confuses plenty of people.

This guide explains crossplay for UK readers from zero: what it is, which games support it, how to enable it step by step on PlayStation, Xbox, PC, and Switch, and how to fix the common problems.

What Crossplay Actually Means

Crossplay (cross-platform play) lets players on different hardware play together in the same game sessions. Full crossplay spans PlayStation, Xbox, PC, and Switch; partial crossplay might link only consoles, or only PC and one console family. It is distinct from cross-progression (your unlocks and progress carrying across platforms — related but separate; a game can have one without the other) and cross-save (continuing a single-player save on another device).

Why did it take so long? Platform holders historically resisted — keeping players locked into one ecosystem was good business. Fortnite‘s explosive popularity forced the issue: when millions of players demanded to squad up across devices, Sony’s resistance became untenable, and the walls started falling around 2018–2019. Today, crossplay is a selling point rather than a concession, though some publishers still opt out.

Which Games Support Crossplay?

The headline titles in 2026: Fortnite, Call of Duty (Warzone and mainline), Minecraft, Rocket League, Apex Legends, EA Sports FC (within console generations), Overwatch 2, Destiny 2, Fall Guys, Among Us, and most major live-service games. Notably absent or limited: many Nintendo first-party titles, some Sony single-player-focused games’ multiplayer modes, and older releases that predate the crossplay era.

Always verify per game: publishers maintain official crossplay support pages, and the situation changes with updates. A game adding crossplay in a 2025 patch is common enough that year-old forum answers mislead. The trend is one-directional — more games add crossplay each year than remove it, and “crossplay at launch” is now an expected feature for multiplayer titles. If a major 2026 multiplayer release lacks it, that absence is newsworthy: a reversal from five years ago, when its presence was the surprise.

How to Enable Crossplay: Step by Step

PlayStation 5 / PS4

1. In the game’s settings menu, find the crossplay/cross-platform option (usually under Account, Online, or Gameplay) and set it to Enabled.
2. Add friends via the game’s own friend system or linked account (e.g., Activision ID, Epic account) — PlayStation Network friends lists do not automatically cross over.
3. Note: some games default crossplay off on PlayStation — check actively rather than assuming.

Xbox Series X|S / Xbox One

1. Enable crossplay in the game’s settings as above.
2. Check the system-level setting too: Settings → Account → Privacy & online safety → Xbox privacy → View details → Communication & multiplayer → “You can join cross-network play” — set to Allow. (This master switch trips up many players.)
3. Add friends via the game’s account system; Xbox Gamertags work within the Xbox/PC-Microsoft ecosystem.

PC (Steam / Epic / etc.)

1. PC is usually the hub: most crossplay systems are anchored to the publisher’s account (Epic, Activision, EA). Create and link that account first.
2. Enable crossplay in-game; on PC it is typically on by default.
3. If friends cannot see you, check that the publisher account is linked to your Steam/Epic profile — unlinked accounts are the top PC-side issue.

Nintendo Switch

1. Crossplay-supporting Switch games (Fortnite, Minecraft, Rocket League) enable it through the publisher account linked at first launch.
2. A Nintendo Switch Online subscription is required for online multiplayer in most titles — factor that in.
3. Voice chat on Switch remains awkward (often via phone app); plan accordingly for team games.

The universal step everyone misses

Link your publisher accounts. Nearly every crossplay failure traces to unlinked accounts: your Epic account not connected to PlayStation Network, your Activision ID not linked to Xbox. Do this on the publisher’s website (not in-game) before troubleshooting anything else. One linked account per publisher, done once, fixes most problems permanently.

Common Problems and Fixes

• “I can’t find my friend.” You are searching the wrong list — use the game’s internal friend system (Activision ID, Epic username), not PSN/Xbox lists. Usernames are case-sensitive on some systems.
• Crossplay option greyed out. Check the Xbox system-level privacy setting above; on PlayStation, check the game’s server status — crossplay sometimes disables during outages.
• PC players dominating lobbies. Many games offer input-based matchmaking (controller players grouped together) — enable it if getting destroyed by mouse-and-keyboard players ruins the fun.
• Voice chat not working cross-platform. Use the game’s built-in voice chat rather than PSN/Xbox party chat (which are platform-locked). Discord on phone/PC is the universal fallback.
• Different game versions. Everyone must be on the same update — crossplay breaks across mismatched patches. Update all devices before game night.

Once everyone is connected, make an evening of it: our games night planner works just as well for cross-platform squads. And if anyone needs hardware, our used console buying guide keeps it affordable. For the industry view, BBC Technology and Ukie track how UK play habits keep evolving.

The Bottom Line

Crossplay lets PlayStation, Xbox, PC, and Switch players game together — standard in most major live-service titles, still absent in some. Enabling it means: turn it on in the game’s settings, check Xbox’s system-level cross-network permission, and — the step everyone misses — link your publisher accounts (Epic, Activision, EA) across all your platforms. Do the account linking once on the publisher’s website and most problems never occur. The walls between platforms have largely fallen; the remaining barrier is usually just an unlinked account.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is crossplay free?

The feature itself is free — but platform subscriptions still apply: Xbox needs Game Pass Core/Ultimate for online multiplayer, PlayStation needs PS Plus, Switch needs Nintendo Switch Online. PC online play remains free (beyond the game itself).

Do I keep my progress across platforms?

Only if the game supports cross-progression — separate from crossplay. Fortnite and Destiny 2 do; many others do not. Check per game: crossplay without cross-progression means you can play together but maintain separate unlocks per platform.

Can I turn crossplay off?

Yes — every game with crossplay lets you disable it, usually in the same settings menu. Console players sometimes disable it to avoid PC players’ mouse-and-keyboard advantage; input-based matchmaking is the middle ground.

Why isn’t crossplay in every game?

Technical cost (it is significant engineering work, especially for older games), competitive balance concerns, and occasionally business decisions. Live-service games with ongoing revenue justify the investment; single-player-focused or older titles often do not.

Does crossplay work between PS4 and PS5 (or Xbox One and Series X)?

Yes — cross-generation play within the same platform family is standard and usually seamless. Note that some games (like EA Sports FC) separate “current-gen” and “last-gen” versions with no crossplay between the versions themselves, so make sure everyone owns the same edition.