Cross-play and Multiplatform Gaming: What It Changes for PC Gamers

Cross-Platform Gaming

Cross-platform gaming, or crossplay, is a technology that allows players on different devices—personal computers (PCs), gaming consoles, and smartphones—to interact in a single virtual space. For PC gamers, this feature fundamentally changes the rules, erasing technical boundaries between communities and opening doors to significantly more populated worlds. Today, it's no longer an experiment but a stable trend defining the future of multiplayer projects. Research shows that more than half (55%) of mobile gamers also play on consoles, and 42% play on PC, creating a unified, interconnected audience.

What Are Cross-Platform Games?

Cross-platform gaming is the ability for users of different systems to run the same game and participate in joint multiplayer mode. If a project supports this feature, the owner of a powerful gaming PC can easily team up with a friend on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, or even Nintendo Switch.

It's important to distinguish between several types of implementation of this technology in modern projects:

• Fully Cross-Platform Games (True Cross-Platform): Bright examples include Fortnite, Minecraft: Bedrock Edition, and Genshin Impact. Players can freely switch between devices, preserving all progress, and matchmaking automatically combines users from different platforms.
• Games with Cross-Progress Support (Cross-Save): Projects like Destiny 2 allow transferring saves, achievements, and inventory between different platforms. However, multiplayer itself may remain separated, meaning a PC player cannot directly battle a console player.
• Adapted Versions (Multiplatform with Variations): The same game universe exists on different platforms but in technically separate versions optimized for the capabilities of a specific device. A classic example is PUBG and PUBG Mobile.

History of Cross-Platform Gaming

The origins of the technology date back to the early 2000s, when the first, albeit limited, experiments in uniting players from different systems appeared.

Regarding Consoles

Early attempts were fragmented and often ran into closed policies from hardware manufacturers.

• Microsoft: The company became one of the first major players, beginning to explore interaction between Xbox and Windows PC. The pioneer in 2007 was the game Shadowrun. Later, with the release of Windows 10, Xbox Live services were deeply integrated into the PC ecosystem, laying the foundation for modern cross-platform solutions.
• Nintendo: Traditionally took a more cautious position. However, with the growing popularity of the phenomenon, successful multiplatform hits like Fortnite came to Switch, supporting crossplay with other systems.
• Sony: Long remained a proponent of a "walled garden" for its PlayStation platform. The turning point came in 2019, when after lengthy discussions, cross-platform mode was finally added to Minecraft for PS4. Today, many of the largest multiplayer games, including Call of Duty, support cross-platform gaming with PlayStation by default.

Regarding Mobile Devices

The introduction of the technology to mobile platforms became a true revolution. It allowed uniting the multi-million smartphone audience with traditional gaming platforms. Breakthrough projects included Fortnite: Battle Royale and Minecraft. Major publishers are now actively developing this practice, and game engines provide tools for relatively simple integration of mobile devices into the overall ecosystem.

Trends and Future of Cross-Platform Gaming

Cross-platform gaming has ceased to be just a convenient option—it's a growth driver for the entire industry. The market for corresponding development is estimated at tens of billions of dollars and continues to expand.

Why Cross-Platform Games Are Becoming a Trend

There are several reasons for rapid development, and all of them have a direct impact on user experience. First, expanded audience. Games go beyond niche platform communities, creating unified and vibrant worlds where you can always find company for a match or cooperative playthrough. Second, social freedom. Players are no longer limited in choosing friends based on "what your computer plays." Now only the game itself matters, not the device for running it. Third, business efficiency. For developers and publishers, releasing a single version of a project with subsequent adaptation for different systems is often more economically profitable than creating several separate products.

Cooperative Development and Progress Support

The next logical step after uniting players in real-time was synchronizing their long-term efforts. The cross-progression feature is becoming standard for service games. It allows starting a gaming session on PC and continuing from the same point on a console or mobile device. This trend is supported by platform giants: for example, Microsoft implemented synchronization of game history and progress between Xbox consoles and Windows PCs. This proves that the future lies in seamless gaming experiences tied to a user account, not specific hardware.

Best Cross-Platform Games 2025

2025 offers a rich selection of quality projects where the technology is implemented at a high level. Here are just a few bright examples from different genres that are perfect for playing with friends on any devices.

Action and Shooters

• Call of Duty: Black Ops 6: The legendary series continues to set standards for cross-platform competitive shooters, offering unified matchmaking for PC and consoles.

• Marvel Rivals: A third-person team shooter with an extensive roster of Marvel superheroes. The high-production-quality project supports crossplay between PC and next-generation consoles, allowing you to assemble dream teams regardless of platform.

Survival and Horror

• Abiotic Factor: A cooperative survival-horror with the atmosphere of classic Half-Life, designed for up to 6 players. The game is available on PC and actively uses cooperative survival mechanics.

• Dune: Awakening: A large-scale survival-MMO in the Dune universe. Players must survive, gather resources, and engage in conflicts on Arrakis, supporting cross-platform play between PC and consoles.

MMO and RPG

• Diablo IV: A dark action/RPG where you can team up and explore the dungeons of Sanctuary with friends, regardless of whether they play on PC, PlayStation, or Xbox.

• Monster Hunter Wilds: The latest installment in the cult series, taking a bold step toward a fully open world. Cooperative hunting of giant monsters has become even more accessible thanks to cross-platform support for PC and consoles.

Sports and Racing

• F1® 25: The official Formula 1 simulator offers highly realistic racing with cross-platform multiplayer support between PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, erasing boundaries between racing communities.

Sandboxes and Simulators

• Minecraft: The perennial champion and genre pioneer. The Bedrock Edition serves as the benchmark for full cross-platform gaming, uniting players from virtually all existing devices in one cubic world.

Fighting Games

• MultiVersus: A dynamic and spectacular crossover fighting game, whose return is expected with updated cross-platform play support, allowing tournaments with players from any system.

Comparison of Cross-Platform and Multiplatform Games

It's important not to confuse two key concepts that often appear in project descriptions. Multiplatform gaming means the same game is released on multiple platforms (e.g., PC, PlayStation, Xbox). However, players of these different versions exist in isolation from each other, in separate ecosystems. Cross-platform gaming is the next evolutionary stage. It not only assumes versions for different systems but also connects them into a unified network, allowing players to interact across hardware barriers. Thus, all cross-platform games are by default multiplatform, but the reverse is not true.

Games with Cross-Save and Cross-Progression Support

Beyond real-time joint play, the ability to save and transfer achievements is equally important for many gamers. Cross-save and cross-progression features solve exactly this task. They allow continuing the game from the same point on another device, preserving all progress, items, and in-game currency.

• Full Synchronization: The ideal that modern service games strive for. Progress, unlocked elements, and purchases (for in-game currency) are available everywhere. This is implemented in projects like Fortnite and Warframe.
• Limited Synchronization: Some games may only synchronize basic story campaign progress or character level, while paid in-game purchases made on one platform do not transfer to others. Before starting a game, it's worth checking the specific project's policy.

Cross-Platform Development Tips

Creating a game that will work stably and comfortably on devices with radically different performance and control systems is a complex technical and design challenge.

Optimization and Testing

The main challenge is hardware inequality. A powerful gaming PC with mouse and keyboard, a console with a gamepad, and a smartphone with a touchscreen offer completely different experiences. Gameplay balance becomes key: it's necessary to neutralize the advantages of high frame rates (FPS) and control precision on PC so the game remains fair and interesting for all participants. This requires enormous testing efforts and fine-tuning of game mechanics, such as aim assist systems for gamepad players.

Engine Choice and Marketing

The foundation for cross-platform development is modern game engines. The two most popular solutions—Unity and Unreal Engine—offer developers powerful built-in tools for creating projects ready to launch on multiple platforms. From a marketing perspective, cross-platform gaming itself is a strong advantage. It allows running a unified advertising campaign targeting the widest possible audience and minimizes risks associated with a limited player pool on any single platform.

Artem Smirnov

Expert Author

Leading HYPERPC expert in PC gaming and user experience. Specializes in detailed analysis of gaming innovations, equipment testing in real-world scenarios, and evaluating the impact of hardware on gamer comfort.