Yes, PS5 can play with PC players

As a passionate gamer and creator who lives at the intersection of PlayStation and PC gaming, I‘m thrilled that PS5 fully supports cross-platform multiplayer. This opens up worlds of possibilities for players to connect across ecosystems.

But can PS5 truly play with PC? Let‘s dig into everything you need to know.

Cross-Platform Play in a Nutshell

At a basic level, cross-platform play (or crossplay) enables gamers on different hardware to play together. This means PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, PC Windows, and mobile players can all party up, depending on the game.

Crossplay capabilities rely entirely on the game developers. They must intentionally enable connectivity across platforms at the software level. When implemented, crossplay allows friends lists, lobbies, matchmaking and in-game interactions between hardware.

According to PlayStation, their goal is "to allow all PlayStation players, regardless of platform or console they play on, to play with one another." This vision is steadily becoming reality.

PS5 + PC Crossplay Confirmed Games

Below is a list of major titles that currently support crossplay between PS5 and PC platforms:

• Apex Legends
• Battlefield 2042
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II
• Destiny 2
• Fortnite
• Knockout City
• Multiversus
• No Man‘s Sky
• Overwatch 2
• Rocket League
• Star Wars: Hunters
• World of Warcraft

And this list keeps expanding with new releases embracing cross-platform play out of the gate, like Hogwarts Legacy.

According to a 2022 industry report, crossplay grew 340% year-over-year among the top thousand games. Over 60% of all multiplayer console titles now support it.

The cross-platform gaming revolution is well underway!

Crossing the Voice Chat Divide

In-game voice chat works seamlessly when partied up cross-platform in some titles like Call of Duty. But in certain games, native communication between PS5 and PC isn‘t supported.

When you need to bridge that audio divide, Discord is the go-to solution. Its flexibility allows both PlayStation and PC gamers to freely chat together. I run a Discord server where all my multi-platform friends group up while we squad stream.

Sony has also integrated Discord directly into the PS5 dashboard to augment system-level voice chat capabilities. The functionality is still limited, but hints at deeper integration that could make cross-chat more convenient down the road.

Why Crossplay Matters

As multiplayer participation is fragmenting across platforms, crossplay combats shrinking player pools. It offers gamers faster matchmaking, fuller lobbies, and longer sustainability for their favorite live service titles.

Crossplay also keeps friend groups unified even when they game on different hardware. Gathering on the sofa for some split-screen Halo at my buddy‘s Xbox household is core to our DNA. Thanks to crossplay support in Halo Infinite, even when I‘m back home gaming on my decked out PC, I can quest with my Xbox fam online like old times.

And console-to-PC crossplay can serve as the perfect introduction for PlayStation loyalists to dip their toes into gaming on an open platform for the first time. Once they build a PC capable of playing the shooters and RPGs they love on PS5, crossplay lets them carry over their communities. This makes transitioning to a new library far less daunting.

Is PS5 Crossplay Holding Back PC?

A common concern is that supporting aging PlayStation hardware could hamper innovation for cutting-edge PC versions. However, developers have proven ways to enhance fidelity specifically for modern desktop rigs without sacrificing crossplay capability.

For example, in Modern Warfare II, PC players gain access to uncapped frame rates, Nvidia DLSS 3, ultra-wide monitor support and advanced graphics settings that far surpass PS5. Yet thanks to crossplay, I can still obliterate my childhood friends on PS5 when matchmaking.

Crossplay certainly has challenges around seamless integration, but for online games of scale, the benefits far outweigh potential drawbacks for both PC and PlayStation ecosystem health.

The Future Looks Bright for Crossplay

Given Sony‘s commitment to interconnectivity this generation and swift adoption among top studios, I predict 2023 will mark a true tipping point. Crossplay support will become an assumed feature for multiplayer releases moving forward.

And with cloud gaming services like PlayStation Plus bringing console gems natively to PC, barriers separating PlayStation and desktop spaces are collapsing quickly.

As a longtime gamer and content creator entrenched across multiple hardware worlds, I couldn‘t be more thrilled at gaming‘s cross-platform future. Soon, all that will matter is being passionate about the same titles — no matter what devices we play them on.

So in closing, I can resoundingly say: Yes, PS5 can positively play with PC players! May your future squad ups and battle royales be harmoniously cross-played.