The last few months of 2024 brings a bunch of fresh gaming releases for players to enjoy. Many will feature crossplay, the biggest being Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, which has now launched across all platforms. Looking ahead, Marvel Rivals launches in December, and will also be crossplay.
The best crossplay games in 2024 make it easy to play with all of your friends, regardless of where they're playing. They also help with picking up your game on a different platform without having to start over, and they show that playing together doesn’t have to be restricted to your setup.
The term crossplay, or cross-playform-play, describes a feature that lets you either play a game with someone who owns a different gaming platform from you. This is great new particularly for people who play games like Battle Royales, games that people used to predominantly play on PC but that are now available on every platform imaginable. No need for console wars – as you can play Fortnite with friends on Xbox Series X even if you have a PS5, for example.
Crossplay isn’t easy for developers to implement, but more and more games come with crossplay, especially large multiplayer games. Not all games on this list may offer crossplay across all platforms (yet), but we have picked games that allow crossplay on at least two platforms.
Best crossplay games 2024
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"Black Ops 6 is the best Call of Duty game in years, with an excellent suite of brand new maps to fight across, and a genuinely fun Zombies experience. Thanks to the new Omnimovement mechanics, you can run and dive in any direction, adding new options for kills, and a heck of a lot of style. Classic Prestige is back, and the weapons are balanced." - Jake Green, TechRadar Gaming Contributor.
Platforms that support crossplay: PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC (PS4 and Xbox One through backwards compatibility)
Black Ops 6 is a real return to form for the long-running shooter series. It's the best it has felt in a while, with a truly balanced suite of weapons ranging from fast-firing SMGs to tactical marksman rifles. The real fun comes courtesy of the new Omnimovement mechanics, which will have you diving around corners, off of rooftops, and down staircases in search of the wildest trickshots.
Multiplayer is crossplay in Black Ops 6, as is Zombies, which means you can squad up with pals regardless of where you're all playing. Zombies is particularly fun, with two maps and main missions to play through. Soon, we'll see Warzone getting some Black Ops 6 integration, so there'll be even more to try out.
Platforms that support crossplay: PS5, PS4, XSX|S, XBO, PC and Nintendo Switch
Fall Guys has been out for a while now, but it's still one of the best crossplay games you can play with your pals. Inspired by the likes of Total Wipeout and Takeshi's Castle, Fall Guys is a unique battle royale game where players compete for survival, and ultimately, a shiny crown. You'll jump, dive, and vault your way through courses, pushing your opponents around to get ahead. It's a very fun time
Fall Guys made quite a splash when it launched, and since then, it's proven itself to be one of the most fun multiplayer experiences going. You can squad up with friends on all platforms, and it's free-to-play as well!
While the game is indeed free to play, you can spend real-world money on costumes and other cosmetic items. Fall Guys can be played on a wide range of consoles too, and thanks to crossplay, you'll be able to squad up with your pals regardless of where they're playing.
Platforms that support crossplay: PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC (PS4 and Xbox One through backwards compatibility)
Call of Duty: Warzone has taken on a life of its own since it became a standalone battle royale game, giving the likes of Fortnite and PUBG a run for their money – one of the best FPS games turned into one of the best battle royale games.
After a fairly shaky launch, Warzone has received smart and extensive overhauls to everything from looting to the way the map encourages engagements.
Warzone's shooting is satisfying, its map rewarding to explore, and it offers more than enough interesting concepts like the Gulag and Contracts to make each match feel wholly unique, wherever you land. With the launch of 6, it's set to add changes to movement, speeding up gameplay and introducing Omnimovement.
Platforms that support crossplay: PS5, PS4, XSX|S, XBO, PC and Nintendo Switch
No Man's Sky has come a heck of a long way since it launched nearly eight years ago. In that time, Hello Games has added major update after major update, all for free for those that own the game. Now, it's more of a multiplayer affair, with players able to squad up and explore the universe together.
No Man's Sky has received countless updates since it launched, so many that the game is nearly unrecognizable to those that stopped playing after the first version. Now, you can explore the universe with your friends, take on expeditions, or just admire the beauty of each planet you land on. Truly the ultimate space exploration game.
Whether you want to smuggle illegal goods as a space scoundrel, make alien friends, or study the fauna and flora of distant planets, No Man's Sky will likely have something for you. You'll start off fairly limited, but after upgrading your ship's flight and weapon capacities, you can reach more distant planets, and claim more valuable rewards. If you'd rather start with a bit more in your inventory, No Man's Sky's ongoing Expeditions will lead you through short narratives that guide you from place to place, beginning with different ship and item combinations.
Base building, fleet management and a bounty system are all well worth your time, as is simply jumping from planet to planet to see the sights. The game is now free to play as well, making 2024 a great time to jump in and see what the universe has in store for you.
Platforms that support crossplay: PS5 and PC.
Helldivers 2 is one of the newest games on this list, having arrived in early 2024. It's been a global phenomenon since it came out, and after a shaky launch in terms of server struggles and bugs, it's now one of the most popular games going right now. This is mostly down to its hilariously difficult gameplay, the way it engages its community, and the fact that it can be picked up for around $40.
You'll drop down onto a variety of planets filled with either the Terminds (Bugs) or Automatons (Robots). As you fight to complete objectives you'll need to make use of special weapons, sheer luck and brute force to make it to the extraction zone. Make it out alive and you'll earn currency and XP which is used to unlock bigger and better weapons and Stratagems. Helldivers 2 is great with friends, but does feature a Quickplay function that'll throw you in with other players at the drop of a hat.
"Helldivers 2 delivers on the promise of chaotic fun through superior firepower. Whether you’re slaying enemies with your friends or slaying your friends while enemies are also present, if you’ve got the crew, this is a guaranteed good time." - Jake Tucker, TechRadar Gaming reviewer.
Give Helldivers 2 a go if you like your games action packed, with your friends in tow, and full to the brim with heaps of personality. While it can be difficult to get into at first, that's sort of the point, and you'll soon find yourself jumping in over and over again to push the war effort forward, and to see your friends go flying as they're hit by wayward grenades and projectiles.
Platforms that support crossplay: PS4, Xbox One, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch.
Apex Legends is another contender vying for the battle royale crown. Developed by Respawn Entertainment and set in the Titanfall universe, Apex Legends is a squad-based battle royale shooter where teams of three go up against 57 other players to try to gather loot and be the last person (or squad) standing.
However, unlike Fortnite and PUBG, Apex Legends sees players take on a class, each represented by a unique character (imagine Fortnite mixed with Overwatch 2 and you’ll be on the right track.)
Apex Legends is an engrossing, revamped take on battle royale that as it stands cannot be beat for its attention, detail and care.
This is the perfect battle royale game for those who enjoy the genre's premise but can't get on board with Call of Duty's slower speed or PUBG's hyper-competitiveness – and it's free-to-play. Plus, different classes, abilities and limited-time events make for a dynamic experience overall.
Apex Legends has crossplay across all platforms, easily earning it a spot among the best crossplay games. Given it's available on pretty much every modern platform, that means you can play with friends (for free) no matter what hardware they own.
Platforms that support crossplay: PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS5 and PC
Destiny 2 may have released several years ago but Bungie's online-multiplayer shooter is still going strong. This is a shooter that is constantly evolving, thanks to regular (and sometimes quite drastic) updates.
Starting Destiny 2 can be a little bit daunting, but stick with it and you have hundreds of hours of top-tier looting and shooting ahead of you. Leveling up and raiding with a squad of friends is one of the best gaming experiences you can have, regardless of what platform you're playing on.
Getting started can be a bit of a pain, but once you get into it (and we strongly advise to play with a group of friends) you'll find yourself hooked – Destiny 2 has a really strong and active community that's a joy to be part of.
Like Apex Legends, Destiny 2 is not only one of the best FPS games, it's one of the best crossplay games right now, allowing players across all platforms to play together that it's available on.
Platforms that support crossplay: PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS5, Nintendo Switch and PC
Looking for an online horror to have you and your friends on tenterhooks (and literal hooks)? Then Dead by Daylight may be for you. This asymmetric survival horror has a pretty simple premise: if you're a survivor then you want to repair all the generators and escape the killer, if you're the killer then you want to hunt down all the survivors and sacrifice them all to the Entity by hanging them on hooks.
This is the perfect horror game to play with friends. The amount of coordination and trust you must have with your fellow survivors makes for some pretty thrilling and funny antics.
The variety of killers and survivors on offer, all with different playstyles, makes Dead by Daylight such fun. Additionally you have the option to purchase licensed horror movie characters like Ghostface and Pinhead. The added variety of items, perks, and add-ons ultimately makes Dead by Daylight one of the best horror games out there.
It's also one of the best crossplay games available, with cross-platform play supported on all platforms. Mobile versions of the game on Android and iOS also exist, but these are only compatible for crossplay with each other.
Platforms that support crossplay: PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Rocket League, the incomparable physics-based rocket-car soccer game, remains one of the most popular online games – and it's not hard to see why.
Rocket League is easy to pick up and difficult to master. It has stayed true to its roots even after all these years, with a great community that's willing to onboard newcomers as well.
Rocket League's basic premise is simple (knock the ball into the goal), making it easy for anyone to pick up, while the ability to crossplay with friends means that youc an team up no matter what platform your friend is playing on.
Matches range from 1-v-1 to 4-v-4, so there’s a lot of flexibility when it comes to gathering your friends to play together. Rocket League is definitely better with friends – trying to coordinate your team between goalkeeping, defending and attacking takes coordination but can also devolve into frantic fun. There’s also a league-based system online, so you get a nice sense of progression as your team grows from a fumbling mess into a well-oiled machine.
Platforms that support crossplay: PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and mobile devices
"Beneath all of the dances, the skins, and the Battle Pass, Fortnite Battle Royale is an excellently designed, ever-shifting platform of a game that respects a player's time whether they choose to spend money or not. There's enough of a learning curve to keep us coming back time and time again, while also being a fun place to play a quick game with a friend. It truly is a modern marvel." - Lloyd Coombes, TechRadar Gaming reviewer.
Fortnite has had a meteoric rise since its release in 2017, and it's not hard to see why. The free-to-play battle royale game offers players an energetic and enjoyable online multiplayer experience, throwing in some building mechanics to set it off from its competitors.
Fortnite is in many ways responsible for the popularity of the battle royale genre, even though it didn't invent it. When it comes to platforms covered, Fortnite takes the top spot on this list of best crossplay games – not only does it support cross-platform play on consoles and PC, but on mobile devices too.
Platforms that support crossplay: Xbox One, PS4, PC, Nintendo Switch and mobile devices (PS5 and Xbox Series X/S via backwards compatibility)
Minecraft released quite a few years ago, but the core experience is as magical as ever. The sandbox survival game allows players to build with blocks in a 3D-generated world, providing a perfect creative outlet for those who enjoy building impressive digital creations.
You've likely heard many singing the praises of Minecraft, and there's good reason for that. It's incredibly deep, but versatile. If you want to start a server with pals and build a functioning ski-lift, you absolutely can. If you just want to mine and mess around, there's that too. Limitless possibilities in a game that only continues to improve.
Even if building castles and secret hideouts isn't your strenth, Minecraft offers you plenty of things to do – explore its world, bring back valuable loot and take on monsters that can lurk anywhere.
While Minecraft Bedrock Edition does support crossplay, the Java Edition does not. So if you and your friends want to play together across platforms, you both need the Bedrock Edition.
Best crossplay games: FAQ
Why aren't all games crossplay?
There is a development cost to including crossplay and it's also not easy to implement for already available games, hence why you don't see it across the board.
However, crossplay between Playstation consoles and Xbox consoles is becoming more common, and games that are part of Microsoft's Play Anywhere initiative automatically allow crossplay between Xbox and PC.
Prior to crossplay becoming available for Overwatch developer Wes Yanagi commented that "implementing crossplay is more difficult than people realize" (via GameSpot).
Shawn Layden, former chairman of PlayStation Worldwide Studios, has also said that "enabling crossplay isn't just about flipping a switch and 'there you go'. It's a very multi-dimensional kind of attribute or feature" (via Eurogamer).
Even as itechnical barriers fall platform manufacturers can also be hesitant to allow cross-platform play, given they want to give players reasons to purchase their specific platform above others.
What’s the difference between crossplay games and cross-platform games?
We know, there are a lot of terms with the word “cross”-something in gaming these days. Crossplay and cross-platform are two that can be easily confused. The difference between crossplay and cross-platform games is, mainly, that a game that supports crossplay is one in which players on different platforms can play together via online multiplayer. So, for example, even though you’re on Xbox and your friend is on PlayStation, you can still play together on Fortnite.
A cross-platform release is slightly different. It just means that a game is available on multiple platforms. A game might be released with Xbox, PlayStation and Switch versions, making it cross-platform, but it won't necessarily include the crossplay support that allows players on these different platforms to play online together.
However, cross-platform play is the same as crossplay, as it means you can play with others across platforms. Confusing, we know.
What are cross-gen games?
While the word cross-gen sounds similar to crossplay, it doesn't have a lot to do with crossplay, but it can be handy is you're struggling to geta console of the current generation.
Cross-gen games are those that are released on more than one generation of consoles – like how GTA 5 was released on both PS4/Xbox One and PS3/Xbox 360, or how The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was released on Wii U as well as Nintendo Switch.
Sometimes cross-gen games do support cross-play; Call of Duty Warzone, for example, offers cross-play across both last-gen and current-gen consoles plus PC, meaning whatever platform you're playing on, you can join your friends.
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