Cross-platform gaming has exploded from a novelty to an essential in just a few years. The data says it all – revenue from cross-platform titles has ballooned by over 8000% since 2013 and accounted for 73% of multiplayer-capable games published in 2022.
As barriers between PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo and PC dissolve, players increasingly make purchasing decisions based on flexibility. This guide will get you started by decoding jargon around cross-functionality, reviewing top cross-platform games worth investing in and offering gamer-centric insights on the revolution still in progress.
The Ascent of Cross-Platform Gaming
Gaming systems were traditionally walled gardens – games bought for your Nintendo 64 couldn‘t be played on the original PlayStation. Even as gaming shifted online, cross-play between competitors was rare. The turning point was Fortnite‘s mainstream success as a free-to-play cross-platform title.
Here‘s a snapshot of cross-platform gaming growth in recent years:
- Cross-platform game revenue increased from $1 million to over $80 million between 2013-2018.
- 53% of gamers say they won‘t buy a game if it doesn‘t allow cross-play.
- 74 of the top 100 games on PlayStation supported cross-play in 2022 compared to 37 in 2019.
Developers are incorporating cross-functionality because it aligns incentives – more platforms means larger player networks and lower friction between friends switching devices. Sony‘s U-turn to allow PS4 cross-play after long resisting is recognition of its necessity for marquee titles.
Cross-platform gaming encompasses two overlapping concepts:
Cross-play/Cross-platform Multiplayer: Playing with or against gamers on other hardware e.g. Fortnite teams on PC, Xbox, PlayStation and Switch battling each other.
Cross-progression: Carrying over unlocks, progression, stats when switching between platforms e.g. Switching from PS5 Skyrim to Xbox Series X Skyrim retains character level, equipment etc.
Leading games leverage both although execution varies. Let‘s analyze top cross-platform titles spanning different genres while calling out differences in feature implementation.
Assessing Cross-Platform Gaming Benchmarks
Evaluating how seamlessly games bridge platforms requires identifying pertinent criteria. Here are key cross-functionality metrics and Xbox/Playstation favorites used as illustrations:
Cross-Play:
- PlayStation, Xbox and Switch allow cross-play with no restrictions in Rocket League.
- Xbox/PlayStation cross-play absent in Call of Duty.
Cross-Progression:
- All unlocks and stats sync across devices in Fortnite.
- God of War progression limited to PlayStation family only.
Cross-Generation Play:
- Destiny 2 allows PS5 and PS4 owners to play together.
- Halo Infinite does not support Xbox One/Xbox Series X joint play.
Cross-Input Play:
- Enables controller vs keyboard/mouse player matchmaking like Call of Duty: Warzone.
- Gears 5 segregates input types into separate matchmaking pools.
Cross-Purchase/Cross-Buy:
- Buying Doom Eternal on PS4 provides free next-gen PS5 copy.
- No cross-buy between PlayStation and Xbox for Cyberpunk 2077.
Cross-Save:
- Save transfer between platforms e.g. Xbox Assassin‘s Creed Valhalla save data importable to PC version.
- Resident Evil Village save files locked to original platform.
Now let‘s evaluate notable games for beginners through this cross-platform lens.
Top Cross-Platform Games for Beginners
Choosing games wisely is key to harmonizing your cross-platform library. As a programmer observing industry trends for over a decade, here are my cross-functionality recommendations best suited for first-time gamers. Games are scored from 1-5 across benchmark capabilities.
1. Minecraft
- Cross-Play: 👍👍👍👍👍
- Cross-Progression: 👍👍👍👍
- Cross-Gen: 👍👍👍
- Cross-Input: 👍👍
- Cross-Buy: 👎
- Cross-Save: 👍👍👍
The ultimate sandbox game where you explore, gather resources, craft tools/buildings and battle monsters. Simple graphics but nearly endless creative possibilities make this a perfect cross-platform intro for all ages. Unified gameplay and unified inventory across devices.
Platforms: PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, PC, Mobile
Genre: Sandbox/Survival/Crafting
2. Fortnite
- Cross-Play: 👍👍👍👍👍
- Cross-Progression: 👍👍👍👍👍
- Cross-Gen: 👍👍👍👍
- Cross-Input: 👍👍👍👍
- Cross-Buy: 👍👍👍
- Cross-Save: 👍👍👍👍
As one of the pioneers of seamless cross-platform handling, Fornite empowers users to squad up regardless of device. Unified cosmetics, battle pass level and input matchmaking sets the standard. Next-gen console upgrades also provided for free.
Platforms: PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, PC, Mobile
Genre: Battle Royale/Third Person Shooter
3. Rocket League
- Cross-Play: 👍👍👍👍👍
- Cross-Progression: 👍👍👍👍
- Cross-Gen: 👍👍👍
- Cross-Input: 👍👍👍👍
- Cross-Buy: 👎
- Cross-Save: 👍👍👍👍
Psyonix‘s sports hybrid allows seamless matches between all major platforms (sorry macOS/Linux) with ranks/inventories unified across devices. However, no free next-gen upgrades provided necessitating repurchase.
Platforms: PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, PC
Genre: Sports/Racing
4. Genshin Impact
- Cross-Play: 👍👍
- Cross-Progression: 👍👍👍
- Cross-Gen: 👍
- Cross-Input: 👍
- Cross-Buy: 👎
- Cross-Save: 👍👍👍
miHoYo‘s anime action-RPG impresses with frictionless synchronization between PC/mobile versions. Console connectivity experiences hiccups. Next major update promises controller support on mobile. Surprisingly deep for a gacha game.
Platforms: PlayStation, PC, Mobile
Genre: RPG
5. Destiny 2
- Cross-Play: 👍👍👍👍
- Cross-Progression: 👍👍👍
- Cross-Gen: 👍👍
- Cross-Input: 👍👍
- Cross-Buy: 👎
- Cross-Save: 👍👍👍
Bungie‘s signature looter shooter allows unified PvE and PvP multiplayer across generations and input mechanisms. Cross-purchases still need adoption and Stadia connectivity lags.
Platforms: PlayStation, Xbox, PC
Genre: FPS/RPG
6. Elden Ring
- Cross-Play: 👎
- Cross-Progression: 👎
- Cross-Gen: 👍👍👍
- Cross-Input: 👍👍
- Cross-Buy: 👍
- Cross-Save: 👎
FromSoftware‘s brutal action-RPG provides last-to-current gen crossplay and unified input matchmaking. No cross- saves or account synchronization offered, restricting platform migration. Heavyweight GOTY contender for Souls genre fans.
Platforms: PlayStation, Xbox, PC
Genre: Action RPG
7. Among Us
- Cross-Play: 👍👍👍👍
- Cross-Progression: 👍👍👍
- Cross-Gen: 👍👍
- Cross-Input: 👍👍👍
- Cross-Buy: 👎
- Cross-Save: 👍👍
Innersloth‘s social deduction hit allows seamless multiplayer between all relevant gaming platforms. Quick offline play and online matchmaking with console/PC friends. Cosmetics integration needs improvement.
Platforms: PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, PC, Mobile
Genre: Party/Social Deduction
8. Dead by Daylight
- Cross-Play: 👍👍👍👍
- Cross-Progression: 👍👍
- Cross-Gen: 👎
- Cross-Input: 👍👍👍👍
- Cross-Buy: 👎
- Cross-Save: 👎
Asynchronous multiplayer horror with satisfying killer vs survivor gameplay. Cross-platform matches use unified friends system and profiles across hardware. Last-gen consoles abandoned after updates cease later this year.
Platforms: PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, PC
Genre: Survival Horror
9. World of Tanks
- Cross-Play: 👍👍👍👍👍
- Cross-Progression: 👍👍👍👍
- Cross-Gen: 👎
- Cross-Input: 👍👍👍👍
- Cross-Buy: 👎
- Cross-Save: 👎
Wargaming‘s flagship vehicular combat MMO with one unified account between all platforms. Keyboard and controller player matchmaking prevents unfair battles. No next-gen upgrade path necessitates repurchase.
Platforms: PlayStation, Xbox, PC
Genre: Vehicle Combat MMO
10. Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid
- Cross-Play: 👍👍👍
- Cross-Progression: 👍👍👍👍
- Cross-Gen: 👎
- Cross-Input: 👍👍👍👍
- Cross-Buy: 👎
- Cross-Save: 👍👍
Solid tag-team fighting game adaptating the Power Rangers IP across platforms. Good regional rollback netcode and unified Ranger unlocks between accounts. Last-gen absence and DLC repurchases mar otherwise polished experience.
Platforms: Xbox, Switch, PC
Genre: Fighting
This curated sampler packs engaging experiences for both gaming newcomers and veterans. But cross-platform gaming remains an unfinished vision – attempting to innovate while restricted by technical limitations, commercial considerations and outdated conventions.
Let‘s conclude by addressing frustrations users still encounter while trying to game across their devices.
Common Pain Points in the Cross-Platform Journey
Inadequate information on compatibility, disjointed friends/message systems and missing account merges hamper the plug-and-play ubiquity platforms aspire towards. Here are key trouble areas:
- Confusion on Cross-Play availability: Directory sites like crossplaygames.com attempt to catalog compatibility but most gamers are unaware and details frequently outdated.
- Remembering multiple friends networks/IDs per platform: Unified social graphs remain a distant dream outside select titles. Managing platform-specific contacts lists creates further user fragmentation.
- No Progress/ Purchase state synchronization: Cloud save conflicts or accounting mismatches like currencies not carrying over continue blocking holistic profile portability.
- Multiplayer matchmaking issues: Even technically cross-play enabled games often struggle with quick matchup between platforms or suffer gameplay imbalances.
Solutions to paint a more harmonized landscape involve coordinated initiatives between dominant console makers. For example, Xbox already allows importing friend networks via Facebook integration on Windows 10/PCs. Expanding social connectivity to PlayStation/Nintendo systems could accelerate unified identities.
On the data storage front, blockchain-based decentralized gaming profiles linked to individual users rather than hardware accounts offer a potential way forward. These can preserve purchase histories, achievement progress and customization unlocks for integration into games with data *interoperability baked in regardless of platform.
Technologically, cloud-native server infrastructure with predictive scaling will be key to ensuring consistently smooth cross-platform multiplayer. Rather than physical last-gen/current-gen limitations, play states of users would be maintained virtually mitigating transitions between devices.
Of course, commercial incentives remain the fundamental driving force. User perferences increasingly demanding cross-functionality means industry movement in that direction is inevitable – even if the precise roadmap remains unclear. With the building blocks largely in place, the cross-play gaming ambition may be realized sooner than anticipated.
Let the Cross-Platform Adventure Begin
Gaming is now a multi-tools hobby where your personalized profile flows across smartphones, consoles and computers alike. Cross-platform mechanics reduce friction for trying new games, playing with friends and continuing sessions across devices.
This guide should equip you to enter the cross-play future. We discussed what cross-platform terminology means, used data to highlight its rising prevalence, reviewed top cross-functionality games for every beginner and analyzed pain points blocking the end state vision.
Armed with background and recommendations, it‘s time to dive in! Build that mega-base in Minecraft on the couch with your Switch, then continue questing in Genshin Impact upstairs on your gaming laptop. Happy cross-platform gaming!
