If you’ve ever wanted to squad up with a friend who plays on a different console or PC while you’re grinding ranked, you’ve probably asked: does Apex Legends have cross platform play? The short answer is yes, but there are a lot of nuances most players miss that can make or break your crossplay experience, from input-based matchmaking rules to cross-progression limits. I’ve been playing Apex since its launch, and I’ve squadded up with friends across PS5, Xbox Series X, Switch, and PC for years, so I’m breaking down everything you need to know to avoid common frustrations and get your lobbies running smoothly.
How Does Apex Legends Have Cross Platform Play Work Across Different Devices?
Respawn rolled out full crossplay support for all main-platform Apex players back in 2020, and it’s been enabled by default for all new accounts ever since. It works across PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC (both Steam and EA App versions of the game). The only exception is the now-discontinued Apex Legends Mobile, which never supported crossplay with console or PC versions of the game.
Input-based matchmaking is the first thing you need to understand if you’re playing crossplay. The game automatically sorts lobbies by the input type you’re using, not your device, to keep matches fair. That means if you’re using a controller on PC, you’ll almost always be matched with other controller players, even if they’re on Xbox or PlayStation. I’ve had friends complain that they keep getting matched against sweats on PC when they play on PS5, and 9 times out of 10 it’s because they’re queued with a friend who plays on PC with mouse and keyboard, pulling their lobby into the M&K pool.
The only time this rule is ignored is if you have a mixed-input squad. If one player uses mouse and keyboard and the rest use controllers, the entire squad will be placed in mouse and keyboard lobbies to avoid giving controller players unfair aim assist advantages against M&K users. You won’t get a warning when this happens, so it’s good to check what input your squad mates are using before queuing for ranked.
Step-by-Step to Enable Crossplay and Squad Up With Friends On Other Platforms
You don’t have to do anything special to turn crossplay on unless you previously disabled it in your settings. The only extra step you need to take to play with friends on other platforms is adding them to your EA friends list, since platform-specific friends lists don’t carry over across devices. The process is the same no matter what device you’re playing on, and takes less than a minute if you have their correct account details.
- Open the friends menu from the main lobby screen, located in the top right corner of your interface
- Select the “Find Friend” option, and type in their exact EA account display name (capitalization doesn’t matter, but spelling does)
- Send a friend request, and once they accept, you’ll see them in your friends list regardless of what device they play on
- Invite them to your squad like you would any other friend, and the game will automatically create a crossplay lobby for your group
If you have your EA account linked to your platform profile, you’ll also see all of your existing platform friends in your Apex friends list automatically, as long as they also have Apex installed on their device. You don’t have to send them a separate EA friend request in that case. Note that if you can’t find a friend, double check that they haven’t turned off crossplay in their settings, or that their EA account is properly linked to their platform profile. I’ve spent 20 minutes troubleshooting friend requests before just to realize my friend had unlinked their EA account after a password reset.
Key Crossplay Restrictions and Limitations You Should Know
While crossplay works seamlessly for most casual play, there are a few limitations that aren’t clearly advertised by Respawn that can cause frustration if you don’t know about them ahead of time. The most common one people ask about is cross-progression, which is fully supported for all players as of Season 19. That means all of your legend unlocks, skins, ranked progress, battle pass progress, and stats carry over across every platform you play on, as long as you log into the same EA account on each device.
There is one exception for in-game currency: platform-specific currency like Apex Coins bought on PlayStation or Xbox won’t transfer to other platforms, though coins bought on PC work across all linked platforms. I learned this the hard way when I bought 1000 Apex Coins on my Xbox a few years back, and couldn’t use them when I switched to playing on Steam for a month. I had to log back into my Xbox to spend them, which was a huge hassle. If you buy coins regularly, it’s best to purchase them on PC if you ever switch devices, or only buy them on the platform you use most often.
Another limitation is for ranked play at the highest ranks. Master and Predator rank lobbies have crossplay enabled by default and you can’t turn it off, to keep the player pool large enough for fast queue times. If you’re a console player grinding for Predator, you will be matched against PC players, even if you have crossplay turned off for casual lobbies. If you’re a console player who only wants to match with other console players in casual or lower-ranked lobbies, you can turn off crossplay entirely in the settings menu under the “Gameplay” tab. Just note that queue times will be longer, especially for less popular modes like control or mixtape.
Pros and Cons of Playing Apex Legends With Cross Platform Play Enabled
Most players leave crossplay on without even thinking about it, but there are valid reasons you might want to turn it off depending on your playstyle and goals. For casual players who just want to have fun with friends, the benefits almost always win out, but competitive players might prefer to disable it for more consistent lobbies.
The biggest pros are obvious: you can play with anyone you want no matter what device they own, you get much shorter queue times for all game modes, and you can switch between devices whenever you want without losing your progress thanks to linked cross-progression. I split my playtime between PC and PS5, and crossplay makes it easy to play with my PC friends during the week and my console friends on weekends without having to maintain two separate accounts.
The downsides are mostly related to match fairness and occasional technical issues. If you’re a controller player, you might get pulled into M&K lobbies if you squad up with PC friends, which can feel unfair if you’re not used to playing against faster, more precise mouse aim. You might also run into occasional crossplay voice chat glitches, where friends on other platforms can’t hear you even if your mic is working properly. It’s a rare bug, but it’s annoying when it happens mid-ranked game. For most casual players, the benefits of crossplay far outweigh the downsides, but if you’re a serious ranked player grinding for Predator, you might want to turn it off to keep lobbies consistent with your input type.
At the end of the day, the answer to does Apex Legends have cross platform play is a resounding yes, and it’s one of the features that has kept the game’s community so connected years after launch. Whether you’re playing casual trios with friends across three different consoles, or grinding ranked on your own and want to keep lobbies limited to your input type, you can adjust crossplay settings to fit exactly what you’re looking for. Just remember to double check your EA account linking if you run into issues adding friends, and don’t be surprised if you end up in slightly harder lobbies if you squad up with a PC friend who uses mouse and keyboard. Happy dropping, and may your next game end with a champion win.