Something went wrong. Try again later
    Follow

    Cross Platform Multiplayer

    Concept »

    A system allowing players on different gaming platforms to play together.

    Short summary describing this concept.

    Cross Platform Multiplayer last edited by Marino on 06/30/21 06:08PM View full history

    As games release on more platforms and multiplayer becomes a more integral part of gaming, many games have begun designing games to allow for cross platform multiplayer (often shortened as crossplay or cross-play), enabling players on different platforms to play together online. Adopted widely on computer platforms in the early-2000s, cross-play is typically seen as the standard between PC, Mac, and Linux, due to the similarities between the systems' and early efforts such as Steam Play. Cross-play between different consoles, or between consoles and computers, was uncommon in the early-2000s, but became more common starting in the eighth and ninth console generations.

    Occasionally, cross-play may be enabled between some, but not all, of a game's platforms. This may be done due to the content difference between a game's computer and console versions (such as with Terraria), to ensure a level playing field in competitive games (such as in Overwatch, where cross-play is split between consoles and computers in the game's competitive mode), or due to publisher disapproval (such as with Fortnite: Battle Royale cross-play being disabled on Mac and iOS due to the Epic Games v. Apple lawsuit.)

    Note: This concept refers to cross-play which enables different console families to play together or with computer platforms. For cross-play between console generations within a console family, see Cross Generation Multiplayer.

    sizepositionchange
    sizepositionchange
    positionchange
    positionchange
    positionchange
    bordersheaderpositiontable
    positionchange

    This edit will also create new pages on Giant Bomb for:

    Beware, you are proposing to add brand new pages to the wiki along with your edits. Make sure this is what you intended. This will likely increase the time it takes for your changes to go live.

    Comment and Save

    Until you earn 1000 points all your submissions need to be vetted by other Giant Bomb users. This process takes no more than a few hours and we'll send you an email once approved.