Crossplay not working? Check these settings
The game says it has crossplay, but you and your friend still can't find each other. Work through this list on both sides: most problems come from a console setting, a missing account link, or one player being on an older version.
1. Turn crossplay on in the game, on both sides
Most games have their own crossplay setting, usually in the game's Settings or Options menu under Gameplay, Online or Network. Both players need it on. In some games, players who turn it off only match with others who also turned it off, and on consoles it's sometimes off by default. Some games only apply the change after a restart. Each game page here has a "How to turn crossplay on or off" section when we know the exact menu.
2. Check the Xbox cross-network setting
On Xbox, a system setting can block crossplay in every game, whatever the game's own setting says. Press the Xbox button, then go to Profile & system → Settings → Account → Privacy & online safety → Xbox privacy → View details & customize → Communication & multiplayer, and set You can join cross-network play to Allow. You can join multiplayer games has to be allowed too. Voice and text chat with other platforms is a separate setting on the same screen.
For a child account, only the family organizer can change these, from the Xbox Family Settings app or account.microsoft.com, and players report the change can take a while to reach the console. The Xbox app on PC uses the same privacy settings for your Microsoft account.
3. Check parental controls on PlayStation and Switch
On PlayStation, crossplay is set inside each game, not in the system settings. On a child account, though, the family manager can restrict communication with other players and content made by other players, which can block chat or invites. Check it under Settings → Family and Parental Controls, or in Family Management on the PlayStation website.
On Nintendo Switch, the Parental Controls app can restrict communication with other players for a child. If a child's account can't invite or chat with friends on other platforms, check it there.
4. Make sure everyone has the online subscription
Online play in paid games needs PlayStation Plus on PlayStation, a Game Pass plan with online play on Xbox, and Nintendo Switch Online on Switch. Free-to-play games such as Fortnite, Warzone and Apex Legends don't need PlayStation Plus or Game Pass. A lapsed subscription on one side is a common reason a party invite silently fails.
5. Link the publisher account
A lot of crossplay runs through the publisher's own account rather than PlayStation Network, Xbox or Steam: for example an EA account, an Epic Games account, Ubisoft Connect, an Activision or Battle.net account, a Bungie account or an Embark ID. If one of you hasn't linked it (or linked a different one), you won't see each other. Check the game's account or social menu on both sides.
6. Add each other through the game, not the console
Your PlayStation, Xbox, Switch or Steam friends list doesn't carry across platforms. Cross-platform friends are added inside the game, usually by the publisher account name or a friend code. Party invites sent through the console's own menus generally only reach friends on the same platform.
7. Update everyone to the same version
Patches sometimes land on PC a day or more before consoles (or the other way round). Players on different versions can't join each other. Check for an update on every device and restart the game.
8. Check you're on versions that actually play together
Crossplay is often only between some platforms, modes or store versions. Some PC games only cross with Xbox in the Microsoft Store version, not on Steam; some games keep PS4 and PS5, or ranked and casual, apart; some only mix consoles. Look up the game here: the "Who can play with whom" section shows exactly which versions share players.
9. Check your network
A strict NAT type can stop you joining a friend's party even when matchmaking works. On PS5, run Settings → Network → Connection Status → Test Internet Connection; on Xbox, Settings → General → Network settings shows your NAT type. If it's strict, your router's UPnP setting or your internet provider is the usual place to fix it.
Still stuck?
Some games have known crossplay bugs after a patch. The game's official support site, status page or Discord is the fastest place to check. If our page for the game is wrong or out of date, let us know.
Sources: PlayStation safety guide for parents; Rockstar Support on Xbox app privacy settings; VGC on Xbox free-to-play online play. Menu names can change with system updates.