Crossplay Games: What Crossplay Is, How It Works and Which Games to Try

Published · By Alehundred Studios

Crossplay games are video games that let people on different devices, such as a PC, a phone, a console or a VR headset, join the same online match and play together. In this guide you will learn what crossplay means, how it differs from cross-platform and cross-progression, how it works behind the scenes, which crossplay games are worth a look in 2026, and how to set up a smooth session with your group.

What is crossplay?

Crossplay is the ability for players on different platforms or stores to share one live game, so your friend on a phone and you on a PC see the same world at the same time. Before crossplay, each platform was a separate island: a PC group could not invite a console friend, and a phone player was stuck with other phone players.

Epic Online Services, the backend toolkit from Epic Games, explains in its Crossplay Introduction that crossplay covers players who got the same game from different PC storefronts, and that its services are "built to work across multiple platforms" so players get a consistent experience. Its Accounts and Social page puts the goal in one line: "Unite your playerbase by breaking down the barriers between platforms and stores."

In plain words, crossplay answers one question for a group of friends: can we all play together, even if we own different hardware? When the answer is yes, the game has crossplay.

What is the difference between crossplay, cross-platform and cross-progression?

Crossplay means playing together across devices, cross-platform means the game exists on several devices, and cross-progression means your save and unlocks follow you from one device to another. The three often come together, but not always.

Some games spell out all three at once. The Fall Guys Steam page says: "Fall Guys supports cross-play, cross-platform parties and cross-progression via your Epic Games Account." When a store page lists all three, you can expect to keep your unlocks, join friends on other devices and form a party before a match.

How does crossplay work behind the scenes?

Crossplay works because the game connects every player to a shared online backend that handles accounts, friends, lobbies and voice, no matter which device each person uses. The game client on each device talks to the same services, so a phone and a PC can find each other.

The Epic Online Services Crossplay Introduction lists the main building blocks: a way for players to sign in, a friends list, presence (who is online and what they are playing), lobbies or sessions to group players, and a social overlay where you "Send invitations to friends to join their game lobby, session, or your custom solution."

Voice is part of the same picture. Unity's voice service, Vivox, says it can "Chat seamlessly across Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, PS4, PS5, XBox One, Switch, Switch 2, Vision OS, and Meta Quest." That is why a crossplay group can talk in one channel even when everyone is on a different device.

There is also a rules layer. Console makers set requirements that games must follow. Microsoft's XR-015 requirement for Xbox titles asks games that mix Xbox and non-Xbox players to respect each player's privacy settings and to offer a way to mute players from other networks during a session.

Why did crossplay become so common?

Crossplay became common because players kept asking to play with their friends regardless of hardware, and platform holders and developers moved to make it happen. A turning point came in 2018.

Game Informer reported that Sony opened a cross-platform beta for Fortnite on PlayStation 4, joining the Xbox One, Switch, PC, Mac, iOS and Android versions. John Kodera, then president of Sony Interactive Entertainment, called it "a major policy change" and said: "Today, the communities around some games have evolved to the point where cross-platform experiences add significant value to players."

The trend has only grown since then. In January 2025, PocketGamer.biz covered a Metaplay survey of 150 tech leads and executives at Unity studios, which found that cross-platform compatibility was the most considered feature for games in the concept stage, and that 71% of developers expect players to ask for more cross-play.

Players are also spread across more devices than ever. The Entertainment Software Association's Essential Facts 2026 report says that 212.3 million Americans play video games regularly and 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 Pew Research Center found that among U.S. teens, 73% play on a console, 70% on a smartphone and 49% on a desktop or laptop computer. With friends split across that many screens, crossplay is often the only way to keep a group together.

Which crossplay games are worth playing in 2026?

The best crossplay games in 2026 are the ones that clearly list crossplay on their official store page and match the way your group likes to play. Here are examples whose official pages state it directly:

When you look for crossplay games on PC, the quickest check is the store page: look for the words cross-play or cross-platform play in the description, and read which devices are named. A cross-platform label alone can mean only that the game is sold on several devices.

Can you turn crossplay off?

Yes, many games and platforms let you limit or turn off crossplay, and developers are expected to respect that choice. The Epic Online Services guide to crossplay restrictions states that "Players may opt out of crossplay interactions for various reasons" and that "Some console platform providers offer settings to disable crossplay." When a player opts out, the game must place them only in lobbies with players from the same platform.

Why would someone switch it off? Some players prefer matches where everyone uses the same controls, and some want to keep voice and text limited to people on their own network. Xbox lets players decide who can talk to them from outside Xbox, and its XR-015 requirement says that "When two users interact in text and voice scenarios, the strictest setting between the two is applied."

For a group of friends, the practical tip is simple: if one person cannot see the others' lobby, check the crossplay toggle in the game's settings and the privacy settings of the platform first.

How do you set up a crossplay session with friends?

You set up a crossplay session by making sure everyone has the same game version, the right account and a way to find each other, then joining one lobby. A short checklist saves the first half hour of any game night:

  1. Confirm the devices. Read the official store page together and make sure every device in your group is listed for crossplay.
  2. Update everyone. Different versions often cannot connect, so install the latest update on every device.
  3. Sort out accounts. Some games use their own account or an account like Epic's to link players across platforms. Create and link it before the session.
  4. Add friends in-game. Platform friend lists do not always cross over, so use the in-game friend list, a friend code or a room code.
  5. Pick one voice channel. Use the built-in voice chat if the game has it, so everyone is in the same channel on every device.
  6. Check crossplay and privacy toggles. If someone cannot join, the crossplay setting or a privacy setting is the usual cause.
  7. Start in a private lobby. A private room is the easiest way to keep a mixed group together for the first match.

Where does Coins Catcher: Co-op Lands fit?

Coins Catcher: Co-op Lands is an online co-op 3D platformer 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. It is not on PlayStation, Xbox or Switch.

You play as an adventurer just 10 cm (about 4 inches) tall who travels through magic portals into giant dioramas of seven real historical eras, from Italy in 1956 back to Alexandria in 300 BC. Each diorama has 8 signs with real historical curiosities. Your group meets first in The Ale, a forest hub with giant mushrooms and glowing butterflies. Together you collect themed coins, spend them on talents, and defeat the enemies and the giant beast of each era; when the group gathers 100 coins, the era's tower opens and a race to the top starts, and the first to arrive takes the Magic Gem that opens the next era. Fire, ice, oil and bubble spells keep things chaotic, and you can hit a friend with fire to steal their coins.

In VR, the game uses a third-person puppeteering view: the camera floats behind your character, so a headset player and a phone player can share the same platforming adventure. It is developed by Alehundred, a solo developer, with Unreal Engine 5, and has been in Early Access on Steam, open to suggestions from the community.

FAQ

What is crossplay?

Crossplay is a feature that lets players on different devices or stores, such as PC, phone, console and VR, join the same online match. It is different from a game simply being released on several devices.

What are some crossplay games on PC?

On PC, crossplay games include Among Us, Brawlhalla, Fall Guys, Stumble Guys and Phasmophobia, according to their official Steam pages. Each page names the devices that can play together, so check it before you invite friends.

Which crossplay games are good in 2026?

Good crossplay games in 2026 include party games such as Fall Guys and Stumble Guys, social games such as Among Us, fighters such as Brawlhalla and co-op adventures such as Phasmophobia and Subnautica 2. Pick one that lists every device your group owns.

Are cross platform games the same as crossplay games?

Not always. A cross platform game is released on more than one device, while a crossplay game also lets players on those devices meet in the same match. Many games offer both, plus cross-progression to carry your progress across devices.

Can I turn off crossplay?

Often, yes. Many games include a crossplay toggle in their settings, and some console platforms offer their own setting. Epic Online Services notes that when a player opts out, the game should only match them with players on the same platform.

Sources

  1. Epic Games. Crossplay Introduction. Epic Online Services documentation, 2026.
  2. Epic Games. Crossplay Restrictions. Epic Online Services documentation, 2026.
  3. Epic Games. Accounts and Social and Epic Online Services home. Epic Online Services, 2026.
  4. Unity Technologies. Vivox: Voice Chat, Text Chat and Player Safety for Games. Unity, 2026.
  5. Microsoft. XR-015 Managing Player Communication. Microsoft Game Development Kit documentation, 2026.
  6. Kato M. Sony Starts PS4 Fortnite Cross-Play Beta. Game Informer, 2018.
  7. Astle A. 90% of developers plan to launch at least one game in 2025. PocketGamer.biz, 2025.
  8. Entertainment Software Association. Essential Facts About the U.S. Video Game Industry 2026. ESA, 2026.
  9. Pew Research Center. Teens and Video Games Today. Pew Research Center, 2024.
  10. Official Steam store pages: Among Us, Brawlhalla, Fall Guys, Stumble Guys, Phasmophobia, MARVEL SNAP. Valve, 2026.