If you’ve ever wanted to squad up for a game of Apex Legends with a friend who owns a different console or gaming device, you’ve probably asked can you play cross platform Apex Legends. I’ve been grinding Apex matches across PC, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch for the past four years, and I’ve tested every edge case of the crossplay system to figure out what works, what doesn’t, and how to avoid the most frustrating bugs. This guide breaks down everything you need to know to play with friends no matter what device they use, no complicated workarounds required.
Can You Play Cross Platform Apex Legends With Friends on Any Device?
The short answer is yes, as long as you and your friends are playing on one of the supported active platforms for Apex Legends. Respawn Entertainment rolled out full cross-platform support back in 2020, and the feature has been refined consistently in the years since to reduce lag and connection issues. Supported platforms for crossplay include PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC via both Steam and the EA App. The now-discontinued Apex Legends Mobile is not included, as that version of the game was shut down in 2023 and no longer has active servers.
You don’t have to pay any extra fees to use crossplay, though console players will still need an active subscription to their platform’s online service (like PlayStation Plus or Xbox Game Pass Core) to play online matches at all. I play with a group of 5 friends spread across three different platforms every Tuesday night, and we rarely run into issues that take more than a minute to fix. It’s important to note that crossplay works for all casual game modes, ranked modes, and even limited-time events, with only a small handful of exceptions for competitive esports qualifiers.
Step-by-Step to Enable and Use Apex Legends Crossplay
Crossplay is turned on by default when you first install Apex Legends, so you won’t have to dig through settings to turn it on unless you previously disabled it. If you want to double check, you can find the crossplay toggle in the Settings menu under the Gameplay tab. Adding cross-platform friends works a little differently than adding friends who play on the same device as you, since you’ll use EA’s universal friend system instead of platform-specific friend lists. Here’s exactly how to add and invite cross-platform friends to your lobby:
- Open the Apex Legends main menu and navigate to the Friends tab in the top right corner
- Select the “Find Friend” option just below your existing friend list
- Enter your friend’s full EA ID, including the four to five digit numerical suffix at the end of their username
- Send the friend request, and once they accept, you can invite them to your lobby the same way you invite any other friend
You will not be able to find cross-platform friends by searching their PlayStation, Xbox, or Nintendo Switch usernames, this is the most common mistake new crossplay users make. If you don’t know your EA ID, you can find it in the Account Settings section of the EA App, or by checking your profile in the Apex Legends main menu on console. If you choose to disable crossplay, you will only match with other players on your exact same platform. This can be a good option if you’re tired of running into mouse and keyboard players on console, but you should expect much longer queue times, especially for ranked modes in less populated regions. I tried disabling crossplay on my Switch for a week last year, and my average queue time for trios jumped from 30 seconds to almost 5 minutes, so it’s only worth it if you really hate playing against players on other input types.
Key Limitations and Rules for Apex Cross Platform Play
While crossplay works for almost all parts of Apex Legends, there are a few important rules and limitations you should know before you squad up with cross-platform friends. First, cross-progression is fully supported across all active platforms as of Season 19, so all your skins, battle pass progress, rank, and in-game currency will carry over no matter what device you log in from. That means you can grind battle pass levels on your Switch during your commute, then jump back on your PC at home to keep playing without losing any progress.
Controller players are prioritized for matchmaking with other controller players, even when crossplay is enabled, to level the playing field between controller and mouse and keyboard inputs. If you play on PC with a controller, you’ll still mostly match with other controller players across all platforms, rather than mouse and keyboard PC players. Cross-platform play is not allowed for official Apex Legends Esports open qualifiers and pro league matches, as competitive play requires all players on a team to use the same device to ensure fair competition. Another important note: if one player in your lobby has a bad ping or is located in a far away region, the entire lobby will be placed on a server closest to the majority of players, which can lead to higher than usual ping for some people. I’ve had matches where my friend on the west coast of the US dragged our east coast lobby to a central server, and we all had around 40ms ping instead of our usual 20ms, which was barely noticeable for casual play.
Common Cross Platform Apex Legends Issues and Quick Fixes
Even with Respawn’s regular updates, crossplay still has a few common bugs that pop up from time to time. Most of these have simple fixes that take less than a minute to try, so you don’t have to give up on your squad session before you troubleshoot. The most common issue is not being able to find a cross-platform friend when you search their EA ID. First, double check that you entered the full ID including the numerical suffix, even a single wrong digit will pull up the wrong account or no account at all. If that doesn’t work, have both of you restart your game to refresh the friend system, since sometimes the EA servers lag when updating new friend requests.
Another common issue is getting an error message when you try to join a cross-platform friend’s lobby. First, check that both of you have crossplay enabled in your settings, even if you had it on before, sometimes game updates can toggle the setting off without warning. Next, check that you both have the latest game patch installed, I once spent 20 minutes trying to join my friend’s Xbox lobby before I realized I hadn’t updated my PC version of Apex after a small hotfix dropped. If you’re experiencing high ping or rubber banding when playing with cross-platform friends, try manually selecting a server that is located between all players’ regions, instead of using the default auto-select option. Most crossplay connection issues stem from outdated game files or mismatched server selections, not the crossplay feature itself. If none of these fixes work, you can check the official EA server status page to see if there’s an ongoing outage for the crossplay system in your region.
At the end of the day, the answer to can you play cross platform Apex Legends is a resounding yes, and it’s one of the best features Respawn has added to the game to make it easier to play with friends no matter what device they own. You don’t need any special setup, just your friend’s EA ID and a stable internet connection, and you can jump into matches together in minutes. Just keep the limitations and troubleshooting tips in mind if you run into issues, and you’ll be well on your way to climbing ranks or messing around in limited-time modes with your cross-platform squad. Next time you’re looking for a third for your trio, don’t hesitate to hit up that friend who plays on a different console, you won’t have to jump through hoops to play together.