Is ESO Cross-Platform?

Elder Scrolls Online first emerged in 2014, and by 2022, it had established itself as one of the leading MMORPGs in the business. With millions of players across PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and Google Stadia platforms, ESO serves as the multiplayer experience for fans of the age-old Elder Scrolls franchise. It’s a vibrant, thriving ecosystem that is constantly growing with fresh expansions, and it’s expected to live on for several years. Today, we’re taking a close look at the platform, answering the question, ‘is ESO cross-platform’?

For several years, Elder Scrolls Online has been exploring a lengthy development roadmap. With each new expansion, brand-new areas are added to the game, along with a host of new weapons, dungeons, events, and questlines. It’s a remarkably diverse title, and the millions of players that explore the game do so safely in the knowledge that it’s a stable, well-supported experience. This is the first true multiplayer experience in the history of the franchise, but the important question is, is Elder Scrolls Online crossplay?

Let’s dig into the platform and find out.

Is Elder Scrolls Online Worth It?

is eso cross platform

Image Credit: Zenimax

Before we learn if ESO crossplay features exist, let’s determine whether or not the game is even worth it for the players. On the other side of the Bethesda table sits the Fallout franchise, and Fallout 76’s, the multiplayer release for that series, bombed relatively hard at launch and has been struggling to recover ever since. We can confirm that Fallout 76 cross-progression or crossplay features don’t exist, but that’s not what we’re talking about here.

Elder Scrolls Online has been well received since it was first released, enjoying positive reviews from the start. As the years have pushed on, ESO has seen more meaningful and valuable updates than Fallout 76, bringing players much more content to explore. However, the key difference here is that Fallout 76’s updates tend to be free, while ESO expansions are paid-for updates, operating in a similar fashion to World of Warcraft or The Sims expansions.

In fact, ESO is similar to the traditional MMORPG experiences in more ways than just the expansion mechanics. For instance, the WoW ranking system is similar to ESO, as is the guild system, the raids, and the open-world events. Ultimately, Elder Scrolls Online is a popular, enjoyable game with plenty to see and do.

But, is ESO cross-platform, do ESO cross-progression features exist, and if so, how do you access them?

Is ESO Cross-Platform?

eso crossplay

Unfortunately, ESO crossplay features do not exist, but cross-generation functionality is present in the game. There’s no way to connect with and play with other gamers across formats, but you can cross over the generational gap to connect with other explorers. For instance, if you were on PlayStation 4, you could play with gamers on PlayStation 5. However, if you were playing ESO on Xbox Series X, you couldn’t connect with gamers on PC.

While Elder Scrolls Online cross-platform features do not exist, it’s still a fantastic game in its own right. Typically, the best crossplay games will be short-form, rapid-release experiences and not persistent, open-world adventures like Elder Scrolls Online. There’s nothing lost in the fact that ESO crossplay features aren’t a thing, and the game still offers players a brilliant adventure across all the regions of Tamriel.

This is a similar story to many of the open-world, sandbox titles out there. For instance, Red Dead Online crossplay features don’t exist, and Elden Ring crossplay isn’t a thing – it’s another cross-generational title, though. Ultimately, there are no expectations that Elder Scrolls Online will ever be crossplay, and there isn’t likely to be an Elder Scrolls Online 2 anytime soon. This is a persistent, constant, live-service game, and as such, there’s no ‘room’ for a sequel.