Crossplay means players on different platforms can join the same game session: someone on PC, someone on PS5 and someone on Xbox in one lobby. Cross-progression is something else. It means your progress follows your account from one platform to another. A game can have either one without the other. This guide explains the terms, the common reasons a mixed group still can’t find each other, and how to check a game before anyone buys it.

The terms

  • Crossplay (also called cross-platform play, or cross-network play on Xbox). Players on different platforms play together.
  • Cross-generation play. Players on an older and a newer console of the same family play together. It isn’t automatic: on PlayStation, game creators choose whether PS4 and PS5 players can be matched.
  • Cross-progression. Your saves, unlocks and progress move with you between platforms. It works through an account that exists on every platform involved, such as a publisher account.
  • Cross-buy. Buying once gets you the game on more than one platform. Microsoft’s Xbox Play Anywhere is an example: supported games play on Xbox console, PC and supported handhelds at no extra cost, and saves and add-ons come along.

One more distinction matters most: a game released on several platforms is not the same as a game with crossplay. A game can be on PC and consoles and still keep each platform’s players apart.

Why a mixed group still can’t play together

Crossplay comes in groups

Crossplay is not always all or nothing. A game might connect PC and one console but not another, or connect the consoles while keeping PC players separate. “Has crossplay” tells you little until you know which platforms are in the same group. Our game pages answer that directly, listing which platforms play together.

Separate accounts

Some games ask every player to sign in with a publisher account on top of their Steam or console account. Everyone has to create one and link it, and your platform friends list may not carry over, so you add each other again inside the game. Steam’s Families feature, for one, excludes games that require an additional third-party account. Do the sign-ups before game night.

Different versions

On PC, the same game can be sold in more than one store. Check that the version you buy plays with your friends’ versions; the game’s official FAQ usually lists which stores and platforms connect. Updates matter too. If one platform gets a patch first, players on different versions may not be able to join each other until everyone has it.

Console settings that block it

Platforms and games can have their own switches, and one wrong setting on one account can stop the whole group.

  • Xbox. Crossplay sits in the privacy settings. Go to Profile & system > Settings > Account > Privacy & online safety > Xbox privacy > View details and customize > Communication & multiplayer, and set “You can join cross-network play” to Allow. Another setting in the same list controls who outside the Xbox network can talk to you. Xbox Support has the steps.
  • Child accounts. On Xbox, the same settings for a family member are under Account > Family settings > Manage family members (same page). On PlayStation, online multiplayer can be limited by the child’s age and parental controls. If a younger player can’t join, check here first.
  • The game’s own setting. If the game has a crossplay switch in its options, check that it is on for everyone.

Subscriptions

Crossplay doesn’t change subscription rules. On consoles, paid games usually need a subscription for online play: PlayStation Plus, Nintendo Switch Online, or one of the Game Pass tiers that include online console multiplayer. The PC players in a mixed group may not need one; the console players may.

Talking to each other

Decide where you will talk before you start: in the game’s own voice chat, if it works across platforms, or in a voice app everyone already uses.

How to check a game before buying

  1. Read the official word. The store page or the developer’s FAQ should name the platforms that play together. “Available on” lists don’t count.
  2. Check the group, not the yes. Make sure every platform in your group is in the same crossplay group.
  3. Check for accounts. Look for a third-party account requirement on the store page.
  4. Check the date. Crossplay can be added or changed in updates. A forum post from two years ago may be out of date.
  5. Test cheaply. If the game has a demo or a free weekend, try connecting before everyone buys.

Why our game pages don’t say yet

No public source lists which platforms of a game play together, and a wrong “yes” costs a group the price of every copy. So our game pages show every platform a game is on, but not yet whether those platforms play together. We will add it once players and developers have confirmed it game by game. Until then, use the steps above on the store page and the developer’s FAQ.