If you’ve ever wanted to squad up with a friend who plays on a different console or PC while dropping into Kings Canyon, you’ve probably asked does apex legends support crossplay. The short answer is yes, but there are a lot of nuances to how it works, what platforms are included, and what limitations you might run into when playing with people across different systems. I’ve been playing Apex since its launch, and I’ve tested crossplay with friends on every supported platform, so I’m breaking down everything you need to know to make your cross-platform squads run smoothly.
Does Apex Legends Support Crossplay Across All Platforms?
Crossplay first rolled out to Apex Legends in 2020, and Respawn has expanded the feature to cover every mainline version of the game in the years since. All mainline Apex Legends platforms are part of the same crossplay pool by default, so you don’t have to opt in to play with people on other systems unless you turned it off previously. Supported platforms include PC (via Steam or the EA App), PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch.
When crossplay first launched, many console players complained about being matched against high-skill mouse and keyboard PC players that felt impossible to beat. Respawn has since adjusted skill-based matchmaking (SBMM) to group players by input type first, rather than just platform, so controller players on PC are mostly matched against other controller players on console, and mouse and keyboard players are grouped with other mouse and keyboard users. This tweak has made crossplay feel far more fair for most players, even if the occasional input mismatch still happens.
Note that the now-discontinued Apex Legends Mobile is not part of this crossplay pool, and there are no plans to add mobile crossplay to the main game in the near future. Switch players do have slightly adjusted aim assist values to account for the console’s lower performance, but they are still part of the same general pool as PC and other console players. If you’re on a console and you want to only play with other console players, you can turn crossplay off in settings, but queue times will be noticeably longer for most modes.
How to Enable and Use Crossplay in Apex Legends
Crossplay is enabled by default for all new players, but if you turned it off a few years ago when the feature first launched and haven’t touched the setting since, you’ll need to toggle it back on manually to play with friends on other platforms. To do this, open the settings menu, navigate to the Gameplay tab, scroll down to the Cross Platform Play option, and switch the toggle to On. You only have to do this once, and the setting will save across all game sessions unless you turn it off again.
Adding cross-platform friends is a little different than adding friends on the same platform. You can’t search for a friend’s PSN ID, Xbox gamertag, or Switch friend code to add them to your Apex friends list. Instead, you need to search for their EA Public ID, the universal username tied to their EA account. Make sure you have your friend’s exact EA ID, including capitalization and any special characters, to find them quickly in the friend search menu. If you don’t know your own EA ID, you can find it listed under your profile in the friends menu, or by logging into your EA account online.
Once you add a cross-platform friend, you can invite them to your party just like you would a friend on the same platform. You can also join their lobbies, see their online status, and send them in-game messages regardless of what system they’re playing on. Note that crossplay is mandatory for ranked play, so you can’t turn it off if you’re climbing the ranked ladder, even if you prefer to only play against other console players. This rule is in place to keep ranked queue times short and ensure the skill pool is as large as possible for fair matchmaking.
Key Pros and Cons of Using Apex Legends Crossplay
Crossplay has been a game-changer for most Apex players, but it isn’t perfect, and there are some tradeoffs you should be aware of before you use it. Most players find the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks, but it’s good to know what to expect before you squad up with friends across different systems.
- You can squad up with friends no matter what platform they play on, so you don’t have to buy the game on multiple systems to play together, even if you upgrade to a new console or switch from console to PC later on.
- Queue times are significantly shorter for all game modes, especially for less popular limited-time modes like Control or Armed and Dangerous during off-peak hours when fewer players are online.
- You get matched against a wider pool of players, so you’re less likely to run into the same squads over and over again during long play sessions, which keeps matches feeling fresh and unpredictable.
On the downside, there are still a few frustrating parts of crossplay that Respawn hasn’t fully fixed yet. PC players have a natural advantage in movement and aim if they use mouse and keyboard, even with SBMM grouping by input type, since mouse and keyboard allows for faster, more precise inputs than a controller. If you’re a controller player, you may still run into the occasional high-skill mouse and keyboard player in casual lobbies that feels impossible to beat.
Another common complaint is that crossplay lobbies have a slightly higher risk of encountering cheaters, since cheat software is more widely available for PC than for consoles. Respawn’s anti-cheat has improved drastically in recent updates, but you may still run into a cheater once every few dozen matches if you play in crossplay lobbies regularly. You can turn crossplay off for casual modes if you find you’re consistently matched against players who feel out of your skill bracket, just be prepared for longer wait times to get into matches, especially if you play during off-peak hours.
Fixes for Common Apex Legends Crossplay Issues
For the most part, crossplay works seamlessly, but you may run into occasional bugs or issues that prevent you from playing with cross-platform friends. Most of these issues have simple fixes that only take a minute or two to try, so you don’t have to give up on your squad session if something goes wrong.
The most common issue is not being able to find a friend when you search for their EA ID. The first fix for this is to double check that you’re entering the ID exactly as it appears, including capitalization, numbers, and any special characters. If that doesn’t work, ask your friend to check their EA account privacy settings, and make sure their profile is set to visible to other players. Some players accidentally set their EA profiles to private when they create their account, which prevents other people from finding them in crossplay search.
Another frequent issue is getting kicked from a cross-platform party when you try to load into a match. This almost always happens because one person in the party is running an older version of the game. Ask everyone in the squad to check for game updates and install any available patches, then restart the game and try again. If everyone is on the same version and you’re still getting kicked, have the party leader disband the party and re-invite everyone, that fixes most minor party bugs.
If you’re experiencing lag when playing with cross-platform friends, check that your region is set to the same server for everyone in the party, because matching across different regions will cause ping spikes for everyone. You can see your current server in the main menu, right above the Play button. If you get an error that says crossplay is unavailable entirely, it’s usually because Respawn is running server maintenance or there’s a temporary outage with the crossplay service, so wait 10 to 15 minutes and try again.
At the end of the day, if you’re still wondering does apex legends support crossplay, the answer is a resounding yes, and it’s one of the best features Respawn has added to the game to keep the community connected. It has a few small drawbacks, but the ability to play with all your friends no matter what system they own far outweighs any minor frustrations you might run into. If you haven’t tried it yet, toggle it on and squad up with friends you haven’t played with in a while, you might be surprised at how seamless the experience is for the most part.