Do I Need the MW2 Cross Gen Bundle to Play with Friends on Old Consoles?

No, you do not need to buy the Modern Warfare 2 Cross Gen Bundle to play with friends on older consoles. Thanks to full crossplay support, you can squad up in MW2 no matter what platform or console generation you and your friends are gaming on.

As an avid Call of Duty player and content creator, I‘ve put in over 12 hours of MW2 multiplayer on PlayStation and Xbox consoles. In my experience, connecting with friends has been smooth sailing regardless of using my PS4 or next-gen hardware.

In this guide, we‘ll break down everything you need to know about crossplay, cross gen bundles, playing on old vs new systems, and troubleshooting issues:

MW2 Crossplay Explained

Modern Warfare 2 features full crossplay support on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Windows PC. This interconnectivity across platforms is handled by your Activision account and ID:

To play together in MW2, players simply need to connect as Activision friends. This brings your various gaming profiles under one unifying account that handles the crossplay functionality.

My experience squading up with PS4, PS5, and PC friends has been quick and seamless. Partying up takes seconds, without any bundle requirements or platform restrictions hampering the action.

Understanding MW2 Cross Gen Bundles

Since MW2 does not have a "Standard Edition", the default version sold is the Cross Gen Bundle priced at $69.99. This bundle includes access to:

• Last-gen console versions (PS4, Xbox One)
• Current-gen console versions (PS5, Xbox Series X|S)

This gives players the flexibility to play Modern Warfare 2 on both their older and newer consoles while only having to buy one copy.

However, I want to emphasize that the Cross Gen Bundle is not required for crossplay functions. Even if you just own MW2 on PS4, you can still connect with friends who own the Xbox Series X version, for example.

Playing MW2 on Old vs New Consoles

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is available on aging but still popular consoles like PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The game performs well and offers the same exhilarating MW2 experience – just at lower graphical settings and frames-per-second compared to new-gen.

Of course, players with PS5, Xbox Series X/S, or high-end PCs will benefit from 4K resolution, ray tracing visuals, smooth 60+ FPS gameplay. But that should not get in the way of playing with friends on different console generations.

Thanks to crossplay, the generational leap is meaningless when it comes to who you can squad up with. Having fun with your friends is what really matters.

Troubleshooting MW2 Crossplay Issues

While crossplay typically works great out the box, some players may run into hiccups like:

• Can‘t find friend‘s Activision ID
• Frustrating matchmaking experiences
• Random disconnects mid-game

Here are some troubleshooting tips:

• Double check Activision friend status
• Restart console and game
• Check MW2 server status pages
• Forward ports on your router
• Contact Activision Support

With a bit of diligence, you should be tearing up the MW2 battlefield with your cross-gen squad in no time!

Let‘s Play

I hope this guide has been helpful understanding MW2 crossplay between console generations and platforms. Feel free to add me on Activision at JackD#1985 to squad up sometime! Whether you‘re gaming on Xbox 360 or shiny new PS5 hardware, teamwork makes the dream work.

See you online, soldiers!