Last month, I was visiting my cousin who only plays PC games, and we spent 20 minutes digging through settings trying to squad up for our favorite battle royale. The first question we typed into the search bar was can you cross platform on apex legends, since I only have my PS5 with me when I travel. If you’ve ever been in that same spot, stuck wondering if you can link up with friends who own different systems, you’re in the right place. This guide breaks down everything you need to know about crossplay in Apex, from supported devices to common fixes for annoying party errors.
Can You Cross Platform on Apex Legends? Official Supported Configurations
The short answer is yes, cross platform play is fully supported for most versions of Apex Legends, and has been a core feature of the game since 2020. Respawn Entertainment rolled out crossplay to make it easier for players to connect no matter what hardware they own, and the feature has been updated regularly to fix bugs and expand support. If you’ve been wondering can you cross platform on apex legends with your Switch-owning roommate, the answer is yes, as long as you’re both playing the non-mobile version. First, let’s cover what systems do work together, so you don’t waste time trying to connect incompatible versions.
The only exception is Apex Legends Mobile, which is a separate version of the game built exclusively for iOS and Android. Cross platform play is not available between Apex Legends Mobile and console/PC versions of the game, as the mobile title has different maps, characters, and gameplay updates tailored for touch controls. You also don’t need to pay extra to access crossplay: no paid subscription is required for crossplay itself, though you will still need an active PlayStation Plus or Xbox Game Pass Core subscription if you play on those consoles to access online multiplayer at all.
How to Enable Crossplay on Apex Legends for Any Device
For most players, crossplay is enabled by default on all platforms, so you don’t have to tweak any settings to see players from other systems in your lobbies or send friend requests to people on different hardware. If you turned it off previously, or you’re having trouble seeing friends from other platforms, you can turn it back on in just a few steps. Open the settings menu from the main lobby, navigate to the “Gameplay” tab, and scroll down to the crossplay toggle. Switch it to “On” and restart your game if prompted, and you’ll be ready to connect with players across all supported systems.
Adding friends from other platforms is also straightforward: open the friends menu, select “Add Friend”, and type in their EA account display name, not their platform-specific username. That means even if your friend’s Xbox gamertag is different from their EA account name, you’ll need to use the EA name to send them a request. If you don’t know your own EA account name, you can find it listed in the “About” section of the in-game settings menu. I made this mistake once when trying to add my Xbox friend, I typed in his gamertag three times before I realized I needed his EA handle instead.
Key Pros and Cons of Apex Legends Cross Platform Play
Crossplay is a hugely popular feature, but it’s not perfect for every player. It’s important to weigh the benefits and drawbacks before you decide to leave it enabled, especially if you’re a more competitive player who cares about fair matchmaking. The biggest benefit by far is the ability to play with friends no matter what system they own. I regularly squad up with two friends: one plays on Xbox, the other on PC, and I never would have been able to play with them consistently without crossplay support. You’ll also get faster queue times for all game modes, especially for less popular modes like Control or Arena, since the pool of available players is much larger when you combine all platforms.
Input-based matchmaking is active for all cross platform lobbies, so you don’t have to worry about being matched against mouse and keyboard players if you’re playing on controller. The system automatically sorts players by their input method, so controller users on PC are placed in the same lobbies as controller users on console, and mouse and keyboard players are matched with other mouse and keyboard players regardless of their system. That said, there are some downsides to keep in mind. Cross platform parties can run into occasional bugs, like failed join requests, voice chat that cuts out only for players on specific platforms, or lag spikes that only affect one member of the squad. You also may run into more smurf accounts, since PC players can create new accounts for free more easily than console players in some regions. You can turn off crossplay entirely if you prefer to play only with users on your same system, though you will have much longer queue times if you do this, especially in less populated regions or off-peak hours.
Top Tips for a Smooth Cross Platform Apex Experience
If you’re ready to start playing cross platform with your friends, these simple tips will help you avoid most common issues and get the most out of the feature. First, make sure all members of your squad have linked their platform accounts to the same EA account they use for Apex. A lot of join errors happen when someone has an old, unused EA account linked to their console profile that they forgot about. You can check which EA account is linked to your platform by logging into the EA website and viewing your connected accounts. Second, adjust your crossplay privacy settings if you don’t want to receive friend requests from players on other platforms. You can set your profile to only receive requests from friends of friends, or turn off cross platform friend requests entirely, without disabling crossplay for lobbies.
Third, if you’re having voice chat issues with cross platform squad members, switch to the in-game party chat instead of platform-specific chat like PlayStation Party or Xbox Party. Platform chat often doesn’t support cross platform users, so in-game chat is the most reliable option. Fourth, if you’re a competitive player who wants to avoid PC mouse and keyboard players entirely, you can leave crossplay enabled but adjust your input settings to match your preference. Since matchmaking is input-based, you’ll only be matched with other controller players as long as you keep your controller plugged in, even if you play on PC. Finally, make sure your game is updated to the latest version before trying to join a cross platform squad. If one member of the party is running an older version of the game, you won’t be able to connect to the same lobby, even if crossplay is enabled for everyone.
At the end of the day, the answer to can you cross platform on apex legends is a resounding yes for all non-mobile versions of the game, and it’s one of the best features Respawn has added to make the game more accessible for casual and competitive players alike. Whether you’re playing for fun with friends across different systems or grinding ranked to hit Predator, crossplay gives you more options and faster queues without sacrificing fair matchmaking. Just follow the tips we covered, double check your EA account link, and you’ll be squadding up with your friends no matter what hardware they own in no time.