Summary
- Cross-platform gaming has revolutionized multiplayer experiences, making it easier for friends to play together regardless of their system.
- Many popular games now support crossplay, including old favorites, keeping gameplay fresh and connecting a larger player base.
- Despite some drawbacks, such as split player pools in certain titles, the trend towards cross-platform play is improving multiplayer gaming overall.
There was a time not too long ago when choosing between the latest PlayStation and Xbox consoles came down to a lot more than just price and personal preference. Not only did players need to consider what worked best for them, but also, which console their friends would be playing on. It caused many fierce arguments over the years, with some friendship groups torn asunder by their inability to settle on a single system. Thankfully, though, times have now changed thanks to cross-platform games.
Most of the big new multi-platform games released these days support crossplay, allowing people to team up with or square off against their friends regardless of which system they're playing on. Better still, developers have added this functionality to quite a few older titles as well, so those looking for high-quality multiplayer games to enjoy with their friends really are spoiled for choice nowadays.
1 After the Fall
OpenCritic Rating: 73
There are plenty of great co-op first-person shooter games, but not too many that also provide an immersive VR experience. After the Fall is one of the better examples, with Vertigo Games' post-apocalyptic FPS title offering up a solid and at times quite scary multiplayer experience in virtual reality.
One of the biggest issues with multiplayer VR games is that the install base for the technology is still relatively small. With this in mind, the fact that After the Fall supports crossplay is incredibly important, as it ensures that players never have to wait too long to find a lobby and can easily team up with their friends.
After the Fall
- Released
- December 6, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Vertigo Games
- Publisher(s)
- Vertigo Games
- Cross-Platform Play
- PC, PS4 & PS5
- Genre(s)
- FPS, Virtual Reality
2 Aliens: Fireteam Elite
OpenCritic Rating: 68
It's always nice when a game that didn't launch with crossplay support gets it in a future update. For those who are keeping score, that's exactly what happened with Cold Iron Studios' Aliens: Fireteam Elite, with the functionality being added into the game almost a full year on from its official release. Granted, this may be a case of too little too late for some, but those still having fun with the game will no doubt see it as a case of better late than never.
One suspects that there are plenty of people who fall into the latter category, as there's still an awful lot of fun to be had with Aliens: Fireteam Elite. Sure, players may come for the Xenomorphs, but they'll stay for the out-of-this-world gun fights and the wonderful job that the game does of creating tension and suspense when the battlefield falls silent. Of course, that's not to say that the game doesn't have its issues, but for fans of the series and high-quality third-person shooters, they should be fairly easy to overlook.
Aliens: Fireteam Elite
- Released
- August 24, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Cold Iron Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Cold Iron Studios
- Cross-Platform Play
- PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter
3 Among Us
OpenCritic Rating: 80
Although its popularity may have dropped off quite a bit since the beginning of 2021, Among Us remains one of the most popular multiplayer games on Steam. With new maps arriving on a somewhat regular basis and streamers continuing to support the title, that doesn't seem likely to change anytime soon.
Following the game's release on next-gen consoles, Among Us now supports crossplay functionality across all major platforms, including next-gen consoles. What's more, for those wondering, the VR version of the game also supports crossplay, with players on Steam, Rift, and Meta Quest all able to play together.
Among Us
- Released
- June 5, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- InnerSloth
- Publisher(s)
- InnerSloth
- Cross-Platform Play
- Mobile, PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S
- Genre(s)
- Party Game
4 Apex Legends
OpenCritic Rating: 81
Respawn's battle royale took the overcrowded sub-genre by storm in 2019, delivering a polished experience that also added an element of strategy through its team-based gameplay. Since then, the game has barely lost a shred of popularity with more than 100,000 concurrent players on Steam. However, that's just a drop in the ocean compared to the game's total user base.
Apex Legends is a cross-platform game, and EA's site goes into great detail on how to set everything up. Apex Legends also supports cross-progression across Steam and Origin accounts, but that's as far as this feature goes. This means that if someone is playing on the Xbox One, for example, their progress will not carry over to the Nintendo Switch.
Apex Legends
- Released
- February 4, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Respawn Entertainment
- Publisher(s)
- Electronic Arts
- Cross-Platform Play
- PC, PS4, Switch & Xbox One
- Genre(s)
- Battle Royale, First-Person Shooter
5 Back 4 Blood
OpenCritic Rating: 76
Granted, Back 4 Blood may not have been the true Left 4 Dead spiritual successor that many had been hoping for, but it's far from a bad cross-platform game. In fact, the game's post-release support was actually pretty decent while it lasted, leading to some solid DLC content as well as plenty of patches and updates which helped to iron out most if not all of the initial wrinkles.
Like its spiritual predecessor, Back 4 Blood is a game that was developed with co-op multiplayer in mind. With the right players, the experience can be an awful lot of fun, so it bodes well that the game offers full crossplay support. It's also spent time on both Xbox Game Pass and PS Plus, ensuring that there is a fairly constant stream of new players even today.
Back 4 Blood
- Released
- October 12, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Turtle Rock Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Warner Bros. Games
- Cross-Platform Play
- PC, PS5 & Xbox Series X|S and PS4 & Xbox One
- Genre(s)
- FPS
6 Battlefield 2042
OpenCritic Rating: 65
There's still quite a bit of work to be done to bring Battlefield 2042 up to the high standards set by some of the series' previous installments, but the game is already far more playable than it was at launch and continues to improve with each new patch and update. Sadly, however, crossplay support is a little disappointing due to the way that it has been implemented by DICE.
While next-gen and PC versions of the game launched with support for up to 128 players at a time, those playing on PS4 or Xbox One faced maximum lobby sizes of 64. As a result, players were split into two different crossplay pools, with anybody playing on last-gen consoles in one pool and PS5, Xbox Series, and PC players in another. Somewhat frustratingly, this remains the case today, despite the fact that support for 128 players in Breakthrough mode has since been scrapped.
Battlefield 2042
- Released
- November 19, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- DICE, Criterion Games, Ripple Effect
- Publisher(s)
- Electronic Arts
- Cross-Platform Play
- PC, PS5 & Xbox Series X|S and PS4 & Xbox One
- Genre(s)
- First-Person Shooter
7 Borderlands 3
OpenCritic Rating: 81
Multiplayer has always been one of the biggest selling points for the Borderlands franchise, and that's once again the case with Borderlands 3. Vault Hunters hoping to team up with their friends can do so via split-screen or through the internet, with the game's online multiplayer mode offering full crossplay support.
The game itself is a bit of a mixed bag, offering up the same looter shooter combat that made the previous games so enjoyable with very little innovation. One of the most notable differences is the corny writing, but fans of the franchise should be able to look past this. If not, there's always the mute button.
Borderlands 3
- Released
- September 13, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Gearbox Software
- Publisher(s)
- 2K Games
- Cross-Platform Play
- PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S
8 Brawlhalla
OpenCritic Rating: 68
Those searching for a more lighthearted fighting game with crossplay support need look no further than Blue Mammoth Games' co-op fighter, Brawlhalla. Despite what its art style might suggest though, it's still packing a surprising amount of depth under the hood, which is part of the reason why more than 50 million people have played the game since its release in late 2017.
There's plenty of variety on offer when it comes to character selection too, with classic Ubisoft character Rayman even available as a guest fighter. Like Fortnite before it, the game features a battle pass system and there are plenty of crossover skins available in Brawlhalla too, including Lara Croft, Shovel Knight, and Ryu from Street Fighter.
Brawlhalla
- Released
- October 17, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Blue Mammoth Games
- Publisher(s)
- Ubisoft
- Cross-Platform Play
- Mobile, PC, PS4, Switch & Xbox One
- Genre(s)
- Fighting
9 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
OpenCritic Rating: 58
Love them or loathe them, most now view the Call of Duty games as being the best that the FPS genre has to offer. Surprisingly, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 actually falls a little short when it comes to the single-player experience, but the game's multiplayer mode is every bit as enjoyable as fans have come to expect from the long-running franchise.
This is made all the better by the fact that like many of its predecessors, Modern Warfare 3 boasts full crossplay support. Granted, this is now pretty much a given for a modern Call of Duty title, yet, with so many other big-budget franchises like FIFA making a mess of their crossplay support, this is something that definitely should not be taken for granted.
Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare III
- Released
- November 10, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Sledgehammer Games
- Publisher(s)
- Activision
- Cross-Platform Play
- PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S
- Genre(s)
- First-Person Shooter
10 Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0
OpenCritic Rating: 80
While the annual Call of Duty titles also support cross-platform play, Warzone 2.0 just about has the beating of them thanks to its larger player base and its better selection of weapons. In fact, the latter actually incorporates many of the best weapons and maps from other Call of Duty games; both past and present.
Crossplay works across PC, PlayStation, and Xbox systems, and playing with friends on other platforms is as simple as signing up for an Activision account and sharing the ID. When it comes to realistic FPS titles with crossplay support, there really aren't too many better options out there.
Call of Duty: Warzone
- Released
- March 10, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Infinity Ward, Raven Software
- Publisher(s)
- Activision
- Cross-Platform Play
- PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S
- Genre(s)
- First-Person Shooter, Battle Royale