What is the difference between Crossplay and Crossplatform?

Have you ever been frustrated that you couldn‘t play your favorite online multiplayer game with friends because they had a different gaming platform than you? I‘ve been there many times!

That‘s where crossplay comes in – it‘s an amazing feature that allows players on different systems to play together. In this guide, I‘ll break down everything you need to know about crossplay, how it enables cross-platform gameplay, and the differences between playing with friends across consoles, PC, and more.

Defining Crossplay

Crossplay refers to the ability for players on different gaming platforms to play with each other simultaneously within the same game.

For example, Fortnite players on PlayStation 4 can squad up and compete against friends who are playing on Xbox One or Nintendo Switch. This interconnectivity was almost unheard of a decade ago, but is becoming a standard feature in multiplayer titles today.

Here are some technical requirements that make crossplay possible:

• Game availability – The game must be published on all platforms intended to connect. This allows users to access the same title across different systems.

• Networked infrastructure – Developers must build systems to allow their game servers and clients on each platform to communicate with each other. This enables synchronized multiplayer matchmaking and sessions.

• Account linkage – Players need a central account that bridges their identity across platforms. This allows tracking progression and matching up friends lists for invitation and team creation.

Enabling legitimate crossplay requires substantial development effort to make these components possible at a software level. It‘s more complex than simply offering a game on multiple systems. Extensive coding and backend technology is needed to break down barriers between walled-off platforms.

Defining Crossplatform

Crossplatform is a more broad term – it simply means releasing a video game on multiple gaming platforms. Also referred to as multiplatform, any game available across different consoles, PC, or mobile devices can be considered crossplatform.

For example, Elden Ring launched on PlayStation, Xbox, and Windows PCs. While you can play Elden Ring on those various systems, the game does not allow a PlayStation user and an Xbox user to play together. The versions are siloed off in terms of multiplayer functionality.

So in summary:

• Crossplay = Interconnectivity and multiplayer between platforms

• Crossplatform = Game available on multiple platforms

One enables direct multiplayer cooperation while the other refers to the breadth of distribution options. Crossplay requires crossplatform support, but merely being crossplatform does not automatically indicate crossplay capabilities.

Why Crossplay Matters

Growing up, I always felt disappointed when an awesome multiplayer game came out but I couldn‘t play with friends who had different consoles. The problem was exacerbated when leaving for college and trying to stay connected through gaming. Crossplay alleviates these issues and provides a number of benefits:

• Bigger player pools – Combining all platforms creates faster matchmaking across a wider community.

• Unified experiences – Keep all progress and achievements tied to your account whether playing on PC or console.

• Play together – Gaming is meant to be social! Crossplay means you can game online with all your friends no matter their platform.

• Competitive integrity – Matchmaking isn‘t limited by system, leading to more accuracy in skill measurement.

• Extended life cycle – Crossplay helps retain player bases even as people upgrade to new hardware over time.

Over the past decade, crossplay has shifted from a rare novelty to an expected standard for quality online multiplayer experiences. And that‘s an incredibly exciting development!

Crossplay in Action

Here are some of the most popular games that incorporate crossplay functionality today:

• Fortnite
• Rocket League
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
• Apex Legends
• Destiny 2
• Minecraft

The full list covers hundreds of titles across genres and platforms.

Leading multiplayer games like Call of Duty now release with crossplay support across console and PC. And many existing titles have received retroactive updates to activate crossplay after launch.

Crossplay numbers have been accelerating rapidly:

• 5+ major titles supported crossplay in 2016
• 20+ major titles supported crossplay in 2018
• 60+ major titles supported crossplay in 2020

As developers recognize the increasing demand for platform agnostic multiplayer, crossplay adoption will likely continue its upward trajectory.

How Crossplay Works

At a technical level, enabling legitimate crossplay requires game developers to implement back-end infrastructure and networking protocols across the platforms they want to interconnect. Here‘s an overview:

• Centralized Servers – The game publisher will run servers to coordinate the experience and track data like player profiles and match lobbies.

• Unified APIs – Application programming interfaces (APIs) allow the server to communicate with different game clients on each platform.

• Platform Auth – Players log into a central account that verifies identity and syncs profile data across all versions.

• Input Translation – Controls are adapted from each system to enable consistent multiplayer experiences. This includes translating keyboard/mouse, controllers, and mobile touch.

• Host Arbitration – The server decides who will act as host for multiplayer sessions to enable direct connectivity between clients.

• Data Sync – Key gameplay data like player position and actions are continuously synchronized between clients via the server.

This back-end framework allows players on PS5, Switch, PC, Xbox, and mobile to all experience the same multiplayer game world. Crossplay successfully breaks down the barriers that traditionally segregated gamers based on their platform of choice.

PlayStation Embraces Crossplay

Sony and PlayStation long resisted allowing crossplay between PlayStation and other consoles. As the market leader for years, PlayStation wanted to keep users locked into their ecosystem. However, after mounting pressure from competitors, developers, and players themselves, Sony finally reversed course.

The shift began around 2018 when Fortnite and Rocket League enabled crossplay without approval from PlayStation. Sony later officially unlocked crossplay starting with Fortnite that year. Today, most major PlayStation 4 and PS5 games allow crossplay including Call of Duty, Apex Legends, Genshin Impact, and many more.

This removal of the PlayStation crossplay roadblock represents a watershed moment for the industry. Gamers are no longer artificially segregated by their platform choice. And game communities can grow and thrive long term by interconnecting fan bases that were previously siloed.

Crossplay on PlayStation:

• 2018 – Fortnite enables PS4 crossplay after months of resistance

• 2019 – MLB The Show, Dauntless, SMITE enable limited PS4 crossplay

• 2020 – Call of Duty: Warzone launches with full PS4/Xbox/PC crossplay

• 2021 – Sony announces crossplay will be "supported for relevant titles"

As a gamer, this shift is incredibly exciting. We are now free to play and connect regardless of whether our friends are on PlayStation, Nintendo, PC, or Xbox. Brand allegiance and platform choice no longer act as arbitrary dividers.

Cross-Generation Play

Related to crossplay is cross-generation play. This allows multiplayer connectivity between different generations of consoles within the same family, like PlayStation 4 owners playing against PS5 owners online.

Most Xbox first party multiplayer games now support cross-gen Xbox Series X/S owners playing with Xbox One owners. However, PlayStation has been more reluctant with cross-generation support between PS5 and PS4:

• Spiderman: Miles Morales – No PS5 and PS4 crossplay

• Horizon Forbidden West – No PS5 and PS4 crossplay

• Gran Turismo 7 – Supports PS5 and PS4 crossplay

Strict cross-generation support remains a work in progress. But enabling unrestricted crossplay between console generations helps ease difficult transitions and keep player bases unified.

Cross-Progression Takes it Further

Crossplay allows people to play together across platforms. Cross-progression takes it a step further by synchronizing progression, inventory, and achievements across linked versions of a game.

For example, Fortnite ties your Battle Pass level, cosmetics, and V-Bucks currency across all devices. Destiny 2 also notably added full cross-progression this year. Wherever you play, you make progress for your central Guardian character.

The ability to carry forward your invest time and unlockables significantly enhances motivation to engage with a game across multiple platforms. Cross-progression should become an industry standard alongside crossplay for optimizing the player experience.

Potential Drawbacks of Crossplay

While I‘m excited by the crossplay revolution in multiplayer gaming, there are some potential drawbacks:

• Hardware imbalance – PC players with high framerates and precision mice may have advantage over console gamers in certain competitive titles. This could be addressed by input-based matchmaking.

• Cheating risks – Crossplay expands the pool of potential cheaters, especially when mixing PC and consoles. Anti-cheat detection needs to keep pace.

• Generational divides – Friends may upgrade to new consoles at different paces, splitting communities. Gradual cross-generation adoption can ease transitions.

• Varying internet infrastructure – Different connections and latency across platforms can cause synchronization issues. Quality of service standards help provide consistency.

Due to concerns like these, most crossplay games allow you to optionally disable the feature and isolate your platform if desired. Personally, I think the benefits outweigh the drawbacks, but choice is important.

Managing Crossplay

For games that offer crossplay, the feature can usually be enabled or disabled through the options menu. On console, look for a setting like Allow Cross-Platform Play and toggle it on or off.

On PC, crossplay settings may be accessed through each game‘s unique PC launcher or app. Fortnite uses the Epic Launcher, Call of Duty uses Battle.net, etc.

You can also manage crossplay friends and invites through linked accounts and Friends Lists. Connect your various gamertags to services like Epic ID, Steam, Origin, Xbox Live, etc. to unify contacts.

Here are a few quick crossplay tips:

• Crossplay expands player pools and unlocks more social potential – I recommend keeping it enabled.

• You can disable crossplay if you feel disadvantaged vs. other hardware.

• Leverage unified Friends Lists to find and connect with your contacts across all platforms.

• Be aware that disabling crossplay may increase wait times for finding matches.

• Most crossplay issues can be resolved by double checking your settings and account linkages across devices.

The Future of Crossplay

Crossplay support has quickly gone from a bonus feature to a core expectation for multiplayer games. Connecting players across platforms keeps communities thriving and helps justify continued investment in live services and content updates.

Based on the incredible progress over the past 5 years, I expect crossplay integration will soon be standardized across the vast majority of multiplayer titles. And complementary features like account-linked cross-progression should help unify experiences and motivate engagement.

As an enthusiastic crossplatform gamer myself who loves playing with friends regardless of their console choice, this industry trend makes me incredibly happy. Tearing down arbitrary walls to enable more social gaming opportunities aligns with the spirit of why I play games.

Conclusion

In summary, while subtle distinctions exist between terminology, crossplay and crossplatform both represent the exciting trajectory of accessible and interconnected gaming.

Crossplay enables direct multiplayer and social connections across competing platforms through back-end technical ingenuity. And crossplatform provides accessibility to game content regardless of which system you own.

Looking ahead, I expect developers will continue bridging the gaps between Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, PC and mobile devices. For me as a lifelong gamer, the ability to play with all my friends no matter what device we have is an amazing feat. I can‘t wait to see what social gaming experiences the future holds as crossplay adoption spreads even further!

Let me know if you have any other questions! I‘m always happy to chat more about one of my favorite topics.