For many, the deciding factor when buying a game is whether they can play it with their friends. There’s certainly a lot of fun to be had when diving into a thriving online community, where you can jump into matches against opponents or go on fun quests with allies, and more games have begun to place a larger focus on making online play engaging and fun to invest time in. However, a common hindrance to enjoying these online-centric games can be boiled down to whether or not you’re playing on the right platform. Whether it’s low player populations, or if your friends are all on a different system, these things can put a divide between periods of frustration and having a good time.
In recent years, cross-play has become more common with online games, allowing people to play with or against others on different platforms. The inclusion of cross-platform play has not only given fading games a second chance, but it’s also unified online communities, removing the barriers placed by platform ecosystems. Microsoft has been leading the way with cross-play for Windows 10 and Xbox One, while Sony has steadily loosened up its attitudes on cross-play due to the success of games like Fortnite and PUBG.
So with that, we’ve compiled a list of the most interesting and exciting games that offer cross-play between platforms. Games with crossplay can be a great way to keep up with friends on different platforms and stay social during our present times, even while you’re engaging in fast-paced fights or having some ridiculous fun in an open world. In addition to cross-play trailblazers games like Rocket League and Hearthstone, we’ve also included more recent picks such as Borderlands 3, which brought together player bases from Steam and the Epic Games Store. For more on new games that will have cross-play, along with next-gen updates for PS5 and Xbox Series X, be sure to check back with GameSpot.
