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Apex Legends crossplay: how to play with friends across platforms

If you're trying to play Apex Legends with friends on different platforms, here's everything you need to know about Apex Legends crossplay for PC, PS5, and Xbox

Apex Legends crossplay: Lifeline looks down a Scout

Is Apex Legends crossplay? Yes it is and you’ll be pleased to know that it’s super easy to set up. Finding a game these days that you can actually play online with friends on different platforms is tough, but Apex Legends is one of the best for cross-platform play. While it might have taken an absolute age for Apex Legends crossplay to be set up, the community is all the better for it now.

With crossplay set as default, everyone, whether they’re playing on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, or even the Nintendo Switch, can now come together for a couple of games on Kings Canyon, World’s Edge, and Olympus, and, let’s be honest, that’s pretty special.

So if you’re sat there twiddling your thumbs, trying to work out how the hell crossplay works, then don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Here’s everything you need to know about Apex Legends crossplay, including how to set it up, how it works, what platforms are involved, and how to turn it off.

How to enable Apex Legends crossplay

Crossplay is enabled by default in Apex Legends, so you won’t need to worry about fiddling with settings to play with friends online. However, Apex Legends crossplay will only kick in when you’re playing with a friend on a different platform. In other words, if you’re flying solo and you’re on PC, you’ll only be matched with players on PC to keep things fair.

But how do you play with friends on another platform? Well, it’s pretty simple. All you need to do is open up the friends menu on the lobby screen, drop their username, and add the right person on the right platform. Once they’ve accepted your invite, get them in the lobby, and start searching for games.

How does Apex Legends crossplay work?

When it comes to matchmaking, there’s a few rules to Apex Legends crossplay. If a party consists of only PC players, they’ll only be matched with PC players. The same is true for console players, who’ll only be matched with fellow console players.

In the event of mixed parties, matchmaking will always place them in lobbies with PC players.

Related: Find out what’s new in the Apex Legends patch notes

How to add friends on apex legends crossplay

Adding friends across platforms is super simple, and can be achieved in just a few steps:

  1. Go to your friends list, and select ‘Find Friend’.
  2. Type in your friend’s username, which will bring up a list of players matching that tag.
  3. Hover over your friend’s tag – it will also have an icon corresponding to which platform the account’s playing on – and ‘Send Friend Request’.
  4. Received requests will appear in the top left corner of the game. Players should therefore not worry about looking out for Xbox Live, PSN, Steam, or Origin prompts, as it’s all handled in-game.
  5. Once the request has been accepted, you’re good to go.

Can you turn off Apex Legends crossplay?

If you’re a PlayStation player sick of playing against sweaty players on Xbox, then you might want to turn off Apex Legends crossplay. In this case, all you need to do is head to your settings (that’s the cog at the bottom right of the main menu), and disable crossplay.

However, it’s worth noting that this option is only available to console players at this time. PC players do not have the option to turn off Apex Legends crossplay, so the only remedy to this, we’re afraid, is getting good.

It’s also worth noting that disabling crossplay can increase the waiting times for games, so do this at your own risk.

When is cross-progression coming to Apex Legends?

Cross-progression is coming to Apex Legends sometime in 2022.

Sadly Apex Legends does not have cross-progression at this time. This means, even if you have accounts on console and PC, you won’t be able to transfer your stats and cosmetics.

As such, you’re going to want to make sure you buy any skins on your main account.

However, game director Chad Grenier confirmed back in April 2021 that cross-progression is coming at some point.

“One thing that I am passionate about is cross-progression which we don’t support yet,” Grenier says. “But we are working on cross-progression that will allow people to carry over purchases, skins, account progress – stuff like that – regardless of which platform they are playing on.”

Cross-progression was later given a 2022 release window by Respawn’s then-director of communications, Ryan Rigney, as part of an Apex Legends Season 10: Emergence launch AMA on Reddit.

So there you have it, that’s everything you need to know about Apex Legends crossplay and cross-progression. If anything changes, we’ll be sure to update this guide and let you know. For now though, make sure you check out our Apex Legends tier list to prepare you for next big Apex Legends ranked game.