Is Apex cross-platform? In a Battle Royale, one of the key features is jumping in and playing with friends. Not every game offers it though.
If you’re wondering is Apex Legends cross-platform, our guide will show you what your Apex Legends crossplay options are. Plus, give you some handy advice about how to play Apex cross-platform. Plus, we’ll even show you how to turn off crossplay Apex while we’re at it. So, is Apex cross-platform?
We need to clarify the term ‘crossplay’ before we can really answer the question, ‘Is Apex cross-platform?’ So crossplay refers to being able to play against other gamers regardless of what device you’re using. This means that the best crossplay games can be played with other people, whether you’re using a PC, Xbox, PlayStation or even a mobile device.
Cross-platform gaming used to be pretty rare because it was a costly enterprise for developers to match the gameplay across different hardware and operating systems. However, cross-platform gaming is now a much more sought-after feature of modern gaming releases. It has almost become the standard to let everyone play together. It seems old-fashioned and limiting to be locked out of joining up with others no matter which console you bought.
Most live service games offer crossplay now. Especially Battle Royale games, CoD Warzone crossplay options are a good example of this, as is Fortnite. But what about your Apex Legends cross-platform gaming options?
Yes, it is! In early October 2020, Apex Legends added a cross-play function to its game. Available on multiple platforms like Sony PlayStation, Microsoft Xbox, Nintendo Switch and PC, this function allowed players of the game to crossplay with others on another platform.
Released as part of the Aftermarket Collection Event, the cross-play beta was added. Developers cited it as one of the most requested features for the game and thus offered the ability to beta test the function.
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Immediately, all functionality was made available while the devs collected data, checked out feedback and so on. Players might often ask ‘Is Apex Legends dying?, but with or without crossplay you’ll find quick queue times. Ensuring the game can be played together across devices helps to make Apex a much more accessible game.
Kind of! You could have enjoyed Apex mobile crossplay between different kinds of mobile operating systems like iOS and Android. Although, it has no crossplay with the mainline Apex Legends.
The mobile version of the game has pretty much gone away now though. What’s happening with Apex Mobile is a bigger question, but it’s possible cross-platform comes back when a new mobile version is published.
Read also: What are the Best Battle Royale Games?
The most important thing to know is that while you can team up with your friends on different platforms, you’ll still only be matchmaking with either console players or PC players. So, if you go into matchmaking on PC, you’ll be paired with other PC players, and if you play on Xbox One, you could get paired with other Xbox and PS4 players.
You can’t cross-play for matches in general, but if you have a specific friend playing on another platform, you can link up with them and play together with some Apex pro settings. Any console player that joins a PC player’s lobby will find themselves matched against other computer players – be aware of this as you may struggle more against those using a keyboard instead of a controller.
The game essentially auto-sorts players into the more advanced lobbies. Rather than letting a PC player dunk on console players, it brings the console player up to PC lobbies.
Apex Legends has had crossplay for a while, but what about cross-progression? It was actually added in a more recent season. Players can access the same account with the cosmetics, Apex ranks, and everything else. This is great if you’re switching between platforms like starting on an Xbox and then stepping up to PC.
This is still being rolled out over time, essentially as an invite only system. Players will have to wait until their account gets upgraded over the coming seasons.
So how do you know how to add friends on Apex Legends cross-platform? Well, to play with someone, you’ll need to add them as a friend. You can now do this regardless of their platform. Go to your ‘Friends‘ menu and click on ‘Find a Friend’. Search for their username and then add them as a friend.
They will get a notification and be prompted to accept, reject, or block the request. When they have accepted, you can check the Friends menu again and find them there. There will also be an icon indicating their platform:
When you have your friends sorted, it’s time to invite them to play. Once again, use the ‘Friends menu‘ to invite players – just like you used to do before the update. All lobby players, be they console or PC, will be able to use the in-game voice chat, so you’ll be able to communicate with them, no problem.
If the Apex Legends crossplay ‘add friends’ feature is not working, then it’s probably best to restart your device and make sure that you have downloaded the latest operating software. All of these should open you up to enjoying the full crossplay potential of Apex Legends.
We realise that all of that might sound confusing. So here’s a quick recap of how to set up Apex Legends crossplay:
There are many pros to trying out cross-play in your Apex Legends playtime. You can benefit greatly from matching up with PC-only players if you are not a PC player. The highest skill ceiling for Apex Legends is found in PC match-making. If you seek to increase your aim and skill, matching against PC players is beneficial.
In turn, once aim assist gets boosted and eventually buffed for other platforms, PC players can try to match up with their console counterparts to try to battle an aim-assisted cheater-like opponent in some of their matches. Finally, if your queue times are getting increasingly high, Apex Legends crossplay is designed to alleviate some of that.
Above all, crossplay simply enables you to enjoy playing against a much larger number of potential gamers. This means that you can take on friends regardless of whether you’re playing on a PC or console. Plus you’ll get access to compete against the best Apex Legends players regardless of the device that you’re using. All of which should provide a much tougher and more enjoyable Apex Legends gaming experience.
As a default, the setting is enabled. If you do not team up with any friends, it probably won’t bother you, but you can still turn it off if you want. To do so, go to the Apex Legends settings and switch the “Cross Platform Play ” option to disabled. If you are trying to use it and it is not working, check you didn’t accidentally disable the feature on your or your friend’s platform.
Tip: By disabling this setting, you may strongly increase your matchmaking times. You’ll ONLY be put into matches with other players that disabled the setting. It’s a trade off to only be against users on similar hardware.
By now, you definitely won’t have to ask, ‘Is Apex cross platform?’ anymore. After all, we have shown you that you can play this game against friends, whether they are using a PC, Xbox, PlayStation or Switch. This means that you can simply fire up Apex Legends, get in a party with a bunch of other players and enjoy the carnage even though you are probably playing from a bunch of different devices.
While all of this is good, it’s still not quite the perfect picture. Cross-progression for Apex Legends is here too but has had a sloppy rollout. Once this has finished we’ll have a clearer idea of how to truly carry your Apex account across every platform.
So make sure that you bookmark this page to ensure that you’re fully up to date with all of the awesome crossplay and cross-progression options for Apex Legends!
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