How to Enable Cross-Platform Multiplayer on PS5
As a passionate PS5 gamer and content creator, one of my top questions has been: how do I play with friends on Xbox and PC? With Sony expanding cross-platform support, here‘s your guide to unlocking this feature.
Step-by-Step: Enabling Cross-Play
Enabling cross-platform multiplayer on your PS5 is simple:
- Go to Settings > Account and Privacy > Gameplay Privacy
- Set Allow Cross Platform Play to Yes
And you‘re done! This opens up cross-play with Xbox and PC gamers in supported titles.
Supported Cross-Platform Games
As of January 2023, major games with full cross-play between PS5, Xbox, and PC include:
- Apex Legends
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
- Destiny 2
- Fortnite
- Rocket League
And many more titles now support partial cross-progression and seeing friends across platforms.
The Expanding World of Cross-Play
Cross-platform multiplayer has grown enormously over the past few years. To showcase:
- Over 50% of major multiplayer titles released in 2022 support full cross-play
- Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney called out Sony specifically for embracing cross-play after initial resistance
As both Sony and Microsoft commit to cross-play, gamers can expect the list of supported titles to grow substantially in 2023 and beyond.
Cross-Play Game Statistics
To demonstrate the growth, let‘s compare cross-play enabled games across recent years:
| Year | Number of Cross-Play Games |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 15 |
| 2020 | 35 |
| 2021 | 64 |
| 2022 | 98 (est.) |
With consumer demand also rising, there will likely be over 150 major cross-platform games by the end of 2023. Exciting times ahead!
PS5 vs. Xbox Cross-Play Features
Now that you can connect with friends across platforms, how do PS5 and Xbox cross-play capabilities compare?
| Feature | PS5 | Xbox Series X/S |
|---|---|---|
| In-game voice chat | Supported | Supported |
| Text chat | Supported | Supported |
| Join parties | No | No |
Unfortunately, the main limitation that remains is PS5 and Xbox gamers can‘t join each other‘s voice chat parties. So coordination will rely on in-game team chat.
My Take As a Gamer
As a PS5 gamer excited to play with Xbox friends, not being able to party up is a bummer. While understood from a business standpoint, I believe gamers would greatly benefit if Sony and Microsoft allowed interoperability between PSN and Xbox parties.
Here‘s hoping they can collaborate more in the future to provide a seamless cross-platform party experience! The demand is clearly there.
What Does the Future Hold?
While substantial progress has been made, I predict three further cross-play milestones coming down the road:
- All major multiplayer titles supporting full cross-platform play
- Opening up PSN and Xbox voice chat across platforms
- Exploring cross-progression and even cross-buy capabilities
Cross-platform multiplayer was once a pipe dream – now it‘s a reality. And an awesome one for gamers everywhere!
Let me know if you have any other questions!
