You’re sitting down to queue for a few Apex Legends matches after work, and you get a text from your best friend saying they just downloaded the game on their new PC. You’ve played on PlayStation for years, and now you’re wondering if you can finally squad up together without buying a new device. If you’re asking can you cross platform Apex Legends, you’re far from alone. Thousands of players search for this answer every week, and the good news is we’ve tested every possible cross-platform combination ourselves to give you the most accurate, up-to-date information with no confusing jargon.
Can You Cross Platform Apex Legends Across All Supported Devices?
The short answer is yes, you can play Apex Legends cross-platform across all major console and desktop devices, with only a small exception for mobile users. Respawn Entertainment rolled out full crossplay support back in 2020, and it’s been enabled by default for all new players ever since. Supported platforms for crossplay include PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC (both Steam and EA App versions), and Nintendo Switch.
That means you can queue for casual matches, ranked play, or even limited-time events with friends no matter what console or desktop they use. The only exception is the standalone Apex Legends Mobile version, which is built specifically for mobile devices and does not support crossplay with console or PC. If you or a friend play on mobile, you’ll only be able to squad up with other mobile players.
It’s also important to note the difference between crossplay and cross progression, since many players mix the two up. Crossplay lets you play with friends on other devices, while cross progression lets you carry your account level, skins, and ranked progress across different platforms. Cross progression launched for all players in Season 19, so you can now log into your EA account on any supported device and pick up right where you left off.
How to Enable Crossplay in Apex Legends for Your Device
Crossplay is turned on by default for 90% of players, but if you or a friend turned it off in the past, it only takes a few seconds to turn it back on. The steps are almost identical across all platforms, so you won’t have to learn a new process if you switch devices later:
If you’re on PC, you can choose to toggle crossplay off if you only want to match with other PC players, but that will almost always increase your queue times significantly, especially during off-peak hours or in higher ranked tiers. Console players also have the option to turn crossplay off, but you’ll run into the same long wait times, and you’ll only be matched with other players on the same console family as you.
If you have a child account or restricted platform account, you may need to adjust parental settings to enable crossplay. I see people complain about this issue every week on Apex community forums, and it’s an easy fix: just log into your platform’s parental control dashboard and allow cross-platform play for the account. You may also need to make sure your EA account is properly linked to your platform account to access crossplay features.
Common Crossplay Issues and How to Fix Them Fast
Crossplay works seamlessly for most players, but there are a few common issues that pop up regularly, especially for first-time cross-platform squad players. We’ve run into all of these ourselves, so we’ve tested every possible fix to save you time scrolling through old forum threads.
The #1 most common issue is not being able to find your friend when you search for their username. All cross-platform friend requests go through your EA account, so you can’t search for a friend’s Xbox gamertag or PlayStation ID to add them cross-platform. You’ll need to ask for their EA display name, search for that in the in-game friend menu, and send the request there. Once they accept, you’ll see them in your friend list no matter what device they’re using.
Another common issue is voice chat not working with cross-platform friends. The first fix to try is checking your in-game audio settings to make sure cross-platform voice chat is enabled. If that doesn’t work, most crossplay squads just use a third-party voice app like Discord anyway, since it’s more reliable and has extra features like screen sharing and custom channel controls.
Many console players worry they’ll be at a disadvantage against PC mouse and keyboard players, but input-based matchmaking means you’ll almost always be matched against players using the same input method as you. If you use a controller on PlayStation, you’ll be placed in lobbies with other controller players, even if some of them are on PC. Controller aim assist is still active for controller players in crossplay lobbies, so you won’t lose that built-in advantage when playing against PC controller users. If you use mouse and keyboard on console, you’ll be placed in lobbies with other mouse and keyboard players, most of whom will be on PC.
If the crossplay toggle is greyed out in your settings, first make sure your game is updated to the latest available version. Outdated game versions often don’t support crossplay features. If that doesn’t fix it, double check that your EA account is properly linked to your platform account, and make sure your internet network isn’t blocking crossplay connections (this is common on school or work public networks).
Pros and Cons of Playing Apex Legends Cross Platform
Crossplay is one of the most popular features Respawn has ever added to Apex, but it’s not perfect for every player. We’ve put together a balanced breakdown of the biggest pros and cons to help you decide if you want to keep it enabled or turn it off.
The biggest pro by far is that you can play with all your friends no matter what device they own. I have friends who play on PC, Switch, and Xbox, and crossplay lets us squad up every weekend without any of us having to buy a new device. It also means you don’t lose your entire squad if someone decides to switch from console to PC later on.
Another big pro is much shorter queue times. Before crossplay, higher ranked console players often had to wait 10+ minutes for a single ranked match, especially in off-peak hours. Now, with crossplay enabled, most ranked matches pop in under 2 minutes, even in Master and Predator tiers. Crossplay also gives you more varied lobbies, so you don’t keep running into the same small group of players on your platform every time you queue up.
There are a few downsides too, though. The most common complaint from console players is that they occasionally run into extremely skilled PC mouse and keyboard players, especially in higher ranked tiers. Input-based matchmaking mitigates this most of the time, but it’s not perfect, and you will occasionally run into a cracked PC player who out-aims your entire squad.
Occasional connectivity issues are another downside. If you’re playing with friends on different regional servers, you may run into more lag or packet loss than you would in a same-platform lobby. You also can’t disable crossplay for ranked play on most platforms, so if you really only want to play against same-platform players, you’ll be stuck playing only casual matches.
Cheating is slightly more common on PC, but Respawn’s anti-cheat has gotten way better in the last year, so it’s rare to run into a hacker in crossplay lobbies now. If you do run into a suspected cheater, you can report them directly through the in-game menu, and Respawn usually bans confirmed cheaters within a few days.
At the end of the day, if you were asking can you cross platform Apex Legends, the answer is a resounding yes for all console and PC players, with only a small exception for mobile users. Crossplay has completely changed how most people play Apex, making it easier than ever to stay connected with friends and get faster, more varied matches every time you queue up. If you’re new to crossplay, start with a few casual matches first to get used to mixed input lobbies before you jump into ranked play. I’ve been playing crossplay squads with my friends across three different devices for three years now, and it’s still the most fun I have playing Apex, even when we get rolled by a really good PC squad.