Crossplay Games 2026: Where Cross-Platform Video Games Stand and How to Play Together

Published October 8, 2026 · By Alehundred Studios

The crossplay games 2026 has to offer let PC, console, phone and VR players share one match, and the best of them also carry your progress between devices through one linked account. For video games played with friends, that makes the account you sign in with almost as important as the device you own.

Below: where crossplay stands in 2026, how cross-progression and account linking work, what consoles require, which PC games state crossplay clearly on their official pages, and how to set up a session that works the first time.

What does crossplay look like in 2026?

In 2026, crossplay is a normal expectation for online games with friends: many big launches name the devices that can meet in one match, and many also share progress across them. What changed is less the matchmaking and more the account layer underneath it.

Players are spread across more screens than ever. The Entertainment Software Association's Essential Facts 2026 report says that "There are more gameplay options than any other time in history, which players can access from mobile devices, consoles, PCs, and VR headsets." The same report finds that 70% of players age 8+ have played with others, and that 62% of those players play video games online with friends they know in person.

The tools behind it have also grown up. Epic Online Services, the backend many studios use for accounts, lobbies and voice, says in its overview that games can "tap into a player account ecosystem of nearly a billion players across multiple platforms and stores." Its Crossplay Introduction adds that "Epic Online Services are platform agnostic by default," so lobbies and matchmaking pools can mix players from different stores unless the game chooses otherwise.

Three trends define crossplay in 2026:

Accounts first. Most crossplay games ask you to link a publisher or platform account so friends can find you and your progress can follow you.
Progress that travels. Cross-progression is no longer a bonus for a few live-service games; storefronts and console makers now offer it at the platform level.
VR joins the mix. Newer co-op shooters and tabletop games put headset and flat-screen players in the same lobby.

What is the difference between crossplay and cross-progression?

Crossplay means players on different devices share a match, while cross-progression means your unlocks, saves and stats follow you when you switch devices. A game can have one without the other, so read the store page for both words.

The clearest public example of how cross-progression works in practice is Apex Legends. EA's Cross Progression page explains that "Cross Progression data will be associated with your EA account," and lists what does and does not carry over: some items stay tied to one platform, and "Ranked Leaderboards: Locked to each platform." That level of detail is worth looking for, because cross-progression is rarely all or nothing.

Platforms now offer cross-progression too:

Xbox and Windows PC. The Xbox Play Anywhere page promises that you can "Pick up where you left off on PC, XBOX console, or supported handhelds - bringing all your saves, game add-ons, and achievements with you," and lists "1,000 games and growing."
Steam. Valve's Steam Cloud documentation describes how saves follow you between machines: "If the user changes computers, the files are automatically downloaded to the new computer prior to the game launching." It is a save sync inside Steam, not crossplay with other stores.
Epic Online Services. The Connect Interface reference explains that once a player links accounts to a common identity, "The player's saved data (stats, achievements, leaderboard rankings, and stored data such as game save data) connected to that common identity provider persists across all platforms that the player uses the common identity provider on."

Why do crossplay games ask you to link accounts?

Crossplay games ask you to link accounts because the game needs one identity that works on every device: one friends list, one inventory and one save. The platform account (Steam, Xbox, PlayStation) proves you own the game, and the linked account connects you to players everywhere else.

You can see this on official store pages. The Split Fiction Steam page states: "EA Account required for online features including Friend's Pass and cross-play. You must link your EA and Steam Accounts to access online features." The Sea of Thieves Steam page lists "Requires 3rd-Party Account: Xbox Live (Supports Linking to Steam Account)."

Developers are told to explain this to players up front. The Epic Online Services Connect Interface reference recommends a message telling players that "If you want to play our game across different platforms and keep your saved data, you must link your account to an Epic Games account." It also notes that the common identity can be "your own proprietary account system," which is why some games use their own logins instead of Epic's.

Account linking has also become a choice rather than a wall in some cases. In January 2025, the PlayStation Blog announced that "An account for PlayStation Network will become optional for these titles on PC," for games such as Marvel's Spider-Man 2, while players who sign in get "added benefits like trophies and friend management." For co-op and crossplay games, though, the linked account is usually what makes the friend list work, so plan to create it.

How do consoles handle crossplay and voice chat?

Consoles allow crossplay, but each console maker sets rules that games must follow, especially around privacy and voice chat. That is why a console friend's settings can block a session that works fine between two PCs.

Microsoft's XR-015 requirement says that games mixing Xbox and other players "must offer the ability to mute any non-XBOX network players for the duration of the session." Xbox players control this with a setting called "You can communicate outside XBOX with voice and text," which can be set to everyone, in-game friends or block.

On the backend side, the Epic Online Services guide to crossplay restrictions explains how a game treats each console network: "Xbox players are all considered to be on the Xbox Live (XBL) platform," and "PlayStation players are all considered to be on the PlayStation Network (PSN) platform." When a player turns crossplay off, the game must keep them with their own platform, so that "a PC player who opts out of crossplay can join a lobby or session with only other PC players."

Voice chat travels with crossplay. The Epic Online Services overview says its voice service lets games "create and manage cross-platform voice chat rooms between your players during matches or in lobbies." In practice, built-in voice chat is the easiest way to keep a mixed group in one channel, because party apps on each console usually cannot talk to each other.

Which crossplay games on PC are worth playing in 2026?

The crossplay games on PC worth playing in 2026 are the ones whose official pages state which devices can meet and what account you need. These picks complement our earlier crossplay games guide with newer or newly expanded examples:

Split Fiction (Hazelight, EA). A two-player co-op adventure. The official EA page lists "Crossplay on PS, Xbox, NS2 & PC" through its Friend's Pass, and the Steam page explains the EA account link.
Sea of Thieves (Rare). A pirate crew game whose Steam page shows the Xbox account link, which is how Steam players meet Xbox crews.
Apex Legends (Respawn, EA). A squad shooter that shows how cross-progression works across PC and consoles through an EA account, including what stays locked to each platform.
Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked (Resolution Games). A co-op tabletop adventure. Its official page describes "cross-platform support for up to four players co-operatively" and "cross-play for Steam (PC, Mac & PCVR), PlayStation (PS5 & PS VR2) and Meta Horizon Stores," and the studio has since welcomed Xbox players to "the cross-platform digital tabletop."
Exoshock (coming soon). A co-op shooter for one to four players whose Steam page says it is "Built from the ground up for both VR and PC with full cross-play."
Breachers: Outbreak (coming soon). A 4-player co-op zombie shooter from Triangle Factory. Its Steam page says it "is fully cross-play with friends across flatscreen and VR."

The last three show a clear 2026 trend: VR is no longer a separate island. A headset player and a monitor player increasingly share the same lobby, which our VR crossplay games guide covers in depth.

How do you set up crossplay with friends in 2026?

You set up crossplay in 2026 by checking devices, creating and linking the right account, adding friends inside the game and joining one lobby with one voice channel.

Read the official page together. Confirm that every device in your group is named for crossplay, not only for release.
Create the linked account early. If the page asks for an EA, Epic, Xbox or studio account, create it and link it before the session, not during it.
Link once, on the right account. Epic's documentation warns that progress is tied to the account you sign in with, so pick one identity and keep using it on every device.
Check cross-progression rules. Look for what carries over (unlocks, saves, currencies) and what stays on one platform, like ranked boards in Apex Legends.
Add friends inside the game. Platform friend lists do not cross over, so use the in-game list, a friend code or a room code.
Check console privacy settings. On Xbox, the setting for communicating outside Xbox decides whether you hear PC and phone players.
Use built-in voice chat. One in-game channel works on every device; console party chat usually does not.
Update every device. Mismatched versions are still the most common reason a friend cannot join.

Where does Coins Catcher: Co-op Lands fit?

Coins Catcher: Co-op Lands is built around crossplay: players on PC (Steam), mobile and VR join the same match, up to 8 players at a time, with voice chat for everyone. Today it is not on PlayStation, Xbox or Switch; other platforms, consoles included, are on the roadmap, and the studio would love to bring the group together on more devices.

You play an adventurer about 4 inches (10 cm) tall who travels through magic portals into giant dioramas of seven real historical eras, from Italy in 1956 back to Alexandria in 300 BC. Your group meets in the Forest Hub, a forest with giant mushrooms and glowing butterflies, then collects coins, spends them in the game on talents and to unlock the next eras, and fights the enemies and the giant beast of each era. The story twists the Brothers Grimm tale "The Seven Ravens": seven brothers cursed into seven giant beasts. When the group gathers 100 coins, the era's tower opens and a race to the top begins; the first player there takes the Magic Gem. Fire, ice, oil and bubble spells keep it chaotic, and yes, you can hit a friend with fire and steal their coins.

In VR, a third-person "puppeteering" camera floats behind your character, so a headset player and a phone player share the same platforming. Each diorama hides 8 signs with real historical curiosities. The game is made by Alehundred, a solo developer, with Unreal Engine 5, and it is on Steam in Early Access, open to suggestions from the community.

FAQ

What are crossplay games?

Crossplay games let players on different devices, such as PC, console, phone or VR headset, join the same online match. In 2026, most of them also use a linked account so your friends list and progress work on every device.

What are the best crossplay games on PC in 2026?

Good crossplay games on PC in 2026 include Split Fiction, Sea of Thieves, Apex Legends and Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked, with Exoshock and Breachers: Outbreak coming soon for mixed VR and flat-screen groups. Check each official page for the devices it names.

Is cross-progression the same as crossplay?

No. Crossplay lets players on different devices share a match; cross-progression carries your saves, unlocks and stats between devices. Apex Legends, for example, ties cross-progression to an EA account and keeps some items and ranked boards on one platform.

Why do I have to link accounts to play crossplay games?

Linking gives the game one identity for you across every store and device, so friends can find you and progress can follow you. Split Fiction asks Steam players to link an EA account, and Sea of Thieves links an Xbox account to Steam.

Can PC and console players play together in 2026?

Yes, in many games. Each console maker sets rules for crossplay, such as Xbox's requirement that players can mute non-Xbox players, and players can often switch crossplay off, which keeps them with their own platform.

Are cross platform games the same as crossplay games?

Not always. A cross platform game is released on several devices; a crossplay game also lets those devices meet in one match. Read the store page for the word crossplay or cross-play, plus the list of devices.

Sources

Entertainment Software Association. Essential Facts About the U.S. Video Game Industry 2026. ESA, 2026.
Epic Games. Epic Online Services (EOS) Overview. Epic Online Services documentation, 2026.
Epic Games. Crossplay Introduction. Epic Online Services documentation, 2026.
Epic Games. Crossplay Restrictions. Epic Online Services documentation, 2026.
Epic Games. Connect Interface Reference. Epic Online Services documentation, 2026.
Electronic Arts. Cross Progression in Apex Legends. EA, 2023 (updated 2026).
Microsoft. Xbox Play Anywhere. Xbox, 2026.
Microsoft. XR-015 Managing Player Communication. Microsoft Game Development Kit documentation, 2025.
Valve. Steam Cloud. Steamworks documentation, 2026.
Qizilbash A. New in-game content incentives coming to PlayStation games on PC. PlayStation Blog, 2025.
Electronic Arts. Split Fiction. EA, 2026.
Resolution Games. Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked. Resolution Games, 2026.
Official Steam store pages: Split Fiction, Sea of Thieves, Exoshock, Breachers: Outbreak. Valve, 2026.