I recently explained how Xbox closing Social Clubs felt like part of a wider clean-up ahead of the next generation. In that, I explored what else could be on the chopping block, and briefly touched on something bigger.

Xbox, a platform that once thrived on social features, has quietly handed that over to Discord, a private company that can implement any changes they deem necessary. A platform that, lately, has been dealing with its own set of issues, from age-verification concerns to security breaches and eroding user trust.

Which raises a bigger question: Why have Xbox, PlayStation, and yes, even Steam, all ended up relying on Discord to handle something that used to be so central to all their own platforms? First, it’s important to lay out what’s actually happening.

On Xbox, integration with Discord is now built in, and with the recent removal of Social Clubs, that shift feels more intentional than ever. It was a feature with its fair share of issues, and one that may not have fit into Xbox’s broader push toward unifying with Windows.

That said, removing it doesn’t really benefit players. Instead, it leaves a gap where those communities used to exist, and in most cases, that gap is now being filled by Discord.

Looking at PlayStation, it’s the same pattern. Discord integration is now part of the PlayStation experience, while Communities were shut down in 2021, a year later, Discord came to the platform. Those who can’t build their social experiences within PlayStation’s ecosystem now have little choice but to go elsewhere.

It all points to the same broader trend across both companies, whereby platform holders are stepping back from directly managing social spaces.

On PC, things are a bit different. Steam still offers its own social features through Steam Groups, but in practice, many players default to Discord anyway, even when native tools are available.

It’s equally important to understand why these platforms stepped away from social features. As much as I want them back, the reality is they’re difficult to maintain and expensive to build, and that’s before even considering moderation, which comes with its own risks, no matter how it’s handled.

Even Discord has faced ongoing scrutiny over moderation, which shows just how complex this space really is.

Then there’s cross-platform play, which made platform-locked communities far less valuable. Discord stepped in and solved that problem, offering voice, text, and shared spaces that work across Xbox, PlayStation, and PC.

It’s not that Xbox, PlayStation, or even Steam failed at social features, but instead that they chose to stop competing in that space. In essence, the trade-offs likely became too big for them to even consider trying to compete anymore.

All of this helped Discord become the default. People were already organizing communities there, and over time, even developers followed that same trend, creating official servers to share updates and gather feedback, which only reinforced Discord’s position as the default.

Now, of course, it’s great that players can gather together regardless of platform, but Discord isn’t just popular anymore; it’s become central to how people communicate across Xbox, PlayStation, and PC.

The issue comes from the fact that Xbox, PlayStation, and Steam have no control over how Discord is handled. Some might see that as a positive, others less so.

Personally, I tend to be cautious when it comes to large corporations and how they operate, but the bigger point is that any decision Discord makes can affect everyone at once, whether that’s changes to monetization, new policies, or shifts in moderation.

We already have real examples of this. Discord has faced security issues in the past that exposed user data, and more recently, there’s been backlash around age verification, with concerns over privacy and how that data might be used.

At the same time, Xbox and PlayStation specifically are stepping back from social features, and it’s hard to ignore the timing. For example, Xbox removed Social Clubs just as Discord was facing backlash over privacy concerns, leaving users who had built communities with few real alternatives beyond a platform already under heavy scrutiny.

Even now, as I was writing this, Xbox and Discord have announced a new partnership, teasing what could likely be an even bigger collaboration between the two brands, teasing Game Pass flexibility. Whether it's Nitro included in Game Pass or some sort of cloud-based partnership like streaming your games directly in Discord, it's clear that Discord isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

With that said, ultimately, this shift leaves gaming in a strange place, where the social spaces that once defined platforms like Xbox and PlayStation now live almost entirely on Discord.

It works, it’s convenient, and for most players, it’s already the default, but it also means the experience is no longer controlled by the platforms themselves. That trade-off is easy to ignore now, but as Discord continues to evolve, it’s something that could shape how players connect across every platform moving forward.

Without repeating myself too much, I’d love to hear from you. Do you think Discord is a great solution, or do you find yourself concerned by the recent controversies and looking for alternatives?

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

WWE 2K25 will have cross-play and cross-progression ...

If you're a big fan of the wrestling scene, one new game that you can't miss this year is WWE 2K25 — the latest entry in publisher 2K's popular sim that pulls directly from the legendary World Wrestling Entertainment league. At the time of writing, it's now just a few short days away from its scheduled March 14 release date, at which point it will become available to play on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, PS5, and PS4; if you preorder the Deadman Edition or The Bloodline Edition can actually start playing now thanks to the Early Access they include.

Between a huge roster of over 300 different wrestlers from multiple generations, a Showcase mode that puts The Bloodline faction and its iconic bouts front and center, a MyRISE campaign-style story mode, a general manager-focused MyGM mode with four-player co-op, and intergender wrestling, there's plenty to look forward to in WWE 2K25. Because of this, interested fans are trying to learn everything they can about the title — and one thing many are wondering is if it will have cross-play and cross-progression so they can enjoy it with fans on other platforms or transfer progress between systems, respectively.

Cross-play and cross-progression tend to be somewhat rare, which is why you might be surprised to learn that WWE 2K25 actually supports both. As long as you have cross-play enabled in your console settings and the game's settings menu (if that's necessary), you'll be able to play with and match against folks using a different system. Cross-progression between different copies of the game works, too. However, there are some restrictions on how both cross-play and cross-progression work that I'll go over below.

... but there are some noteworthy limitations

WWE 2K25 may have cross-play multiplayer and cross-progression, but both features are not without some restrictions. Specifically, it's important to note that the game's cross-play support is not cross-generational, and that its implementation of cross-progression only works for systems in the same console family.

In other words, this means cross-play is only available between Xbox One, PS4, and PC players and then between Xbox Series X|S and PS5 ones; since the Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S are from a different generation, cross-play isn't possible. Cross-progression, meanwhile, only works if switching between the Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One version of the PS5 and PS4 edition (the PC version on Steam doesn't have cross-progression with Xbox or PlayStation).

Some other things to keep in mind is that DLC items won't carry over from one generation to the other like the rest of WWE 2K25 does, and also that Community Creations like custom-made Superstar characters won't be sharable across generations. Remember these limitations so that you're not unexpectedly disappointed by them once you start playing WWE 2K25.

WWE 2K25 looks to be one of this year's best Xbox games and best PC games if you're a wrestling fan. It may not be on Game Pass, but you can still pick it up for some nice discounts thanks to CDKeys deals on each of its editions you can check out below. Note that if you buy the Deadman Edition or The Bloodline Edition, you'll get Early Access and can start playing today ahead of the full March 14 launch.

Split Fiction is getting cross-play, a first for Hazelight

Developer Hazelight Studios impressed players in 2017 with A Way Out, a creative two-player co-op game with an always-on splitscreen view that allowed both players to see the world from the other's perspective. The action-packed prison break thriller was then followed up by It Takes Two, a title with the same type of gameplay but refined design choices, an arguably better story about a fractured couple trying to repair their relationship, and a stylized, yarny art direction. It Takes Two proved to be an even bigger hit and ended up winning 2021's Game of the Year award, and now, Hazelight is about to drop its third cooperative adventure on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and PS5: Split Fiction.

Split Fiction looks to be the developer's most creative co-op game yet, with its story following two fiction writers and their struggle to work together after getting trapped in simulations of the sci-fi and fantasy worlds they themselves created. Trailers for the title have shown how players will need to hop between these universes on the fly to progress, and will occasionally even need to cooperate across these worlds. These genre-bending thrills have greatly piqued the interest of gamers worldwide, and as a result, lots of folks are trying to learn more about the game.

One thing many are wondering about it is whether or not it will have cross-play or cross-platform play — the ability to team up with a player using a different system than yours. A Way Out and It Takes Two didn't have this feature, but folks interested in Split Fiction will be happy to learn that Hazelight's new game actually does — a first for the studio. That means regardless of what platform both you and the person you want to co-op with are using, you'll be able to play together.

And the Friend's Pass will have it, too!

It's great news that Split Fiction will have cross-play, but the good news doesn't stop there. Ahead of the game's launch on March 6, publisher Electronic Arts and Hazelight have confirmed that its Friend's Pass will have cross-play and cross-platform play support as well.

For those new to Hazelight's co-op titles, their Friend's Passes allow someone who buys a copy of the game to invite someone else to play with them free-of-charge. Effectively, this means you only need one copy of Split Fiction for two people to play it, and like the game itself, that Friend's Pass functionality supports cross-play as well.

To use the Friend's Pass, the person who didn't buy the game simply has to install the free Split Fiction Friend's Pass on their platform of choice and then get an invite from their buddy who did purchase the game. Once they accept it, they'll be able to connect to their friend's game and jump into the adventure with them.

If it's anything like A Way Out and It Takes Two before it, Split Fiction will likely stand out as one of the best Xbox games and best PC games to play this year if you're after a memorable co-op experience. Preorders for it are available now from a number of different retailers, with the Steam version notably discounted down to just $40.59 at CDKeys.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has suffered under the weight of cheaters due to poor implementation of the proprietary RICOCHET anti-cheat system following the launch of Season 1 in December. From scripting devices to unlock tools and wall-hacking software, more players than ever have likely encountered a disruptive player utilizing a third-party tool for an unfair advantage.

Despite acknowledging data outages that affected RICOCHET anti-cheat, Activision and the developers responsible for Call of Duty were still under fire from players and pros alike, who were threatening to abandon Black Ops 6 and Warzone unless the system changed.

One oft-requested feature from the console players in the community was the ability to disable cross play with PC players. This is based on the idea that cheating is more rampant on PC, where players have easier access to third-party software that can be installed and running in the background.

That's not to say cheating is impossible on console, but it does take a more dedicated cheater to make it happen. To help mitigate concerns of cheating PC players, Treyarch has finally conceded and is allowing cross play to be split for Black Ops 6 Ranked Play.

The steps for turning off cross play are the same in both Black Ops 6 and Warzone.

How to opt out of cross play in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Warzone on Xbox

1. From the Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 title splash screen, select Ranked Play.
2. Press the Menu button on your Xbox Series X|S or Xbox One controller.

3. From the drop-down menu on the right side of the screen, press right bumper to tab into the Settings menu.
4. Select Account and Network from the Settings menu.

5. On the Account and Network menu, select Ranked Crossplay.
6. Another menu will drop down, providing you three options for Ranked Crossplay settings.

• On allows matchmaking with all other gaming platforms on Ranked playlists.
• On (Console Only) allows matchmaking between Xbox and PlayStation consoles when searching for matches in Ranked playlists.
• Off limits matchmaking exclusively to the console platform you are currently playing on.

7. Select which option you prefer and Apply Settings. You may now back out to the lobby and search with your preferred platforms.

Little more than a workaround for lacking anti-cheat

There's some commendation to be had on Treyarch's part for recognizing the voices of the Call of Duty community and offering a workaround for players who were frustrated by their gaming experience. However, segregating platform communities does about as much to fix the issue as putting a bandage on an axe wound.

Call of Duty doesn't need platform separation, it needs a good working anti-cheat solution. The current solution only alleviates console players from encountering would-be cheaters on PC, but it does nothing to alleviate the struggles of PC players who may also be encountering cheaters and other disruptive players through no fault of their own. It also doesn't help console players from having negative interactions with other console players who may be using cheat hardware.

There are some good things to be said for RICOCHET, but there's also a lot to find frustration with. The Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 launch was undeniably successful, and it wasn't until the launch of Season 1 that players began to become vocal about rampant cheating. So there's clearly a reference point for when RICOCHET worked, at least to an extent that it was satisfactory enough for the community to not want to leave in droves. The trick is finding at what point it actually fell apart and why.

With Treyarch focusing on solutions like platform segregation, there's some concern that we may never actually find a proper anti-cheat that works full stop. And that's before we even take into consideration that RICOCHET is a kernel-level driver that has had issues with falsely flagging players for cheats simply for having RGB controllers installed. A massive outage hit 8.5 million PCs as a result of a kernel-level bug during testing in CrowdStrike security software in June 2024, an outage that left more and more users wary of software that has access to the Windows kernel.

While Activision shared are community update on the current state of RICOCHET for Black Ops 6 Season 2, there's still plenty of room for improvement as the shooter progresses through its seasonal post-launch content.

Once Human has both features, but...

One of the biggest multiplayer games released this summer is Once Human, a free-to-play post-apocalyptic survival shooter with a strong emphasis on combat, open world exploration, base building, and a blend of both PvE and PvP experiences. Conceptually, it stands out from similar titles like ARK: Survival Evolved with its elements of science and "weird" fiction; it takes place in a near-future where an alien entity called Stardust has overrun and corrupted most of Earth's lifeforms, resulting in the creation of bizarre, almost Lovecraftian monstrosities (check out our Once Human FAQ for more details).

Since it was one of the most-wishlisted games on Steam and could be one of the best PC games of the year, it's no surprise that it's had quite a big launch so far. Given that it's out on multiple platforms, though, many are wondering if the game has two highly requested features: crossplay and cross-save/cross-progression. The former allows you to play with players using systems and platforms other than your own, while the latter lets you move between these different platforms while saving and transferring your progress.

Fortunately, there's good news for hopeful fans: as confirmed in Once Human's official release FAQ, Starry Studio and NetEase's survival shooter has these features. In other words, as the developers put it in the FAQ itself, "whether you log in through Loading Bay, Steam, or any other platform, you will be able to play with your friends so long as you are all on the same server."

With that said, something important to note is that cross-platform saves are not available for the Steam version of the game, with Starry Studio noting that this is due to Steam accounts and "their inherent limitations." The good news, though, is that the developer says it "will be adding more account options in the future to make it easier for you to play across platforms."

Another thing to know is that Once Human's release date for the mobile edition that's coming to iOS and the Google Play Store hasn't been revealed yet. That means crossplay and cross-progression will be limited to the PC version of the game until the mobile one is pushed live at a later date.

What about if the game comes to consoles?

Once Human will have crossplay and cross-progression between the PC and mobile versions, but will those same features be present in potential releases on Xbox and PS5 consoles? It's impossible to say for sure right now, but if I had to guess, I'd say it's very likely these features will be supported on console as well.

Frankly, it would be very strange if this wasn't the case, as expectations for both features have risen greatly in recent years. Many popular online games like Fortnite, Destiny 2, and others have crossplay and cross-save between consoles and other platforms, so them being absent in console ports of Once Human would be both surprising and frustrating for multiplatform gamers.

Of course, we don't know if there will even be a console release for Once Human yet, as developer Starry Studio is still "carefully deciding whether to release the game to console based on the testing and player feedback, which will take some time." Hopefully the studio will have a clear answer for hopeful console players soon.

Once Human is here, and the multiplayer open world survival shooter might just end up being one of 2024's biggest and brightest PC games. Notably, it's completely free to play, so you can check it out without spending a penny.

People play video games all over the world and on a variety of platforms and devices, but they still want to play together. The First Descendant is one of the latest online multiplayer games that encourages gamers to work together, and its co-op features span platform lines to make it happen. However, it can take a little bit of work to enable all of the cross-platform features in The First Descendant, which is where we come in.

The First Descendant supports full cross-play between Xbox, Windows PC, and PlayStation platforms, and will carry all your progression between those platforms, too. If you have friends on other platforms, you can easily find them in The First Descendant to play time and time again. The thing tying all of these features together is your Nexon account, which you'll need to get the most out of The First Descendant. Let's get started.

Creating your Nexon account

You can absolutely play The First Descendant without a Nexon account, and you can also play with players from all regions and platforms, too. What you'll miss out on is being able to easily find your cross-platform friends, syncing your progress across platforms, and earning rewards like The First Descendant Twitch Drops. Fortunately, creating a Nexon account is completely free and easy to do.

Obviously, if you already have a Nexon account from playing a previous Nexon title, you can (probably) skip this section. However, everyone should know that if you use Google or Facebook to login to your Nexon account that you may be unable to link any other third-party platforms or accounts! You'll need to be able to login to your Nexon account with just your email and password to move on (although you can always add Google or Facebook as login alternatives later).

The first step is to head to Nexon's "Create an account" page. Here, you start by entering your region and your date of birth. On the next page, you'll enter your email, a strong password, and your full name. And that's it! Your Nexon account will be created, and you can head to Nexon's account settings page, to manage all your account features, including setting up two-factor authentication (please do that) or enabling a Google or Facebook login option.

That being said, you may encounter an error code when attempting to create your Nexon account, as I and many other people have. If you hit an error that prevents you from finishing the last step, try these troubleshooting steps:

• Use a widely supported browser like Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, or Mozilla Firefox
• Disable any adblockers
• Disconnect from any Virtual Private Networks (VPN)
• Open an InPrivate or Incognito tab
• Restart the Nexon account creation process

Hopefully, this will resolve any issues you have. It worked for me! Other potential issues include using an abnormal or unique email address, such as one with a custom domain, or attempting to create a Nexon account through a third-party platform like Steam or Xbox (it's way easier to create your Nexon account on a computer or phone first, then connect it to your platforms of choice).

Linking The First Descendant across platforms

Once you have a Nexon account, it's easy to connect it to The First Descendant. You actually have multiple options, here. If you plan to play across multiple platforms regularly, it's probably easier to link to your various accounts from Nexon's side of things. However, if you're only planning to play on one platform and just want to make it easier to find your friends, you can connect The First Descendant to your Nexon account straight from the game. Let's do one option at a time.

First, let's discuss how you can easily connect your Nexon account to Steam, Xbox, PlayStation, and Twitch in just a few minutes, so you can take full advantage of cross-play, cross-save, and other features like Twitch Drops. Start by ensuring that you're signed in to your Nexon account plus all other accounts you want to connect to in your browser of choice.

Next, you can head to Nexon's account settings page, navigate to the "Linked Account" tab, find the "External Connections" box, and click/tap on the "Link/Delink Account" button. Or you can go straight to Nexon's third-party account linking page and skip all of that, as long as you're already logged in. Here, you'll see options to link to Steam, Twitch, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo. Just go down the list and click/tap "Link" to begin the process.

Each account linking process will be a little different depending on the platform and your security settings, but it should be pretty straightforward from here. After you're done, make sure that the platforms you wanted to connect now have a "Delink" button next to them instead. Next time you start The First Descendant on those platforms, it should automatically register that you're using a connected account and sync to your Nexon account!

If you'd rather connect to your Nexon account from The First Descendant, you can do that, too. Mind you, this process will go a lot smoother if you already have a Nexon account setup and ready for third-party connections, so head back to the first section if you need to do that. Once you're ready, you'll want to open The First Descendant on Xbox Series X|S or Xbox One, Windows PC via Steam, or PlayStation 5 or 4.

You can do this either from the main menu or from in-game, as long as you're logged into your The First Descendant profile. Open the "Options" menu and navigate to the far right, to the "Account" tab. The top option should be a "Link Account" box with a button to connect to your Nexon account. Once you click that option, what will happen will depend on your platform.

If you're playing on Steam, it should open an in-launcher window and let you sign in to your Nexon account directly. If you're playing on Xbox, it should open up the console browser and automatically direct you to a page that gives you an eight-digit alphanumeric code that you can enter into Nexon's activation code page, as well as a QR code you can scan to skip the whole code-entering step. Follow the steps to sign in to your Nexon account, and you should be redirected back to the game.

Once you've accomplished this, The First Descendant will be connected to your Nexon account and begin syncing your data! You'll also be able to add friends from every platform and be able to easily find them whenever they're online.

Inviting and playing with friends online

Once The First Descendant and your Nexon account are connected, you'll never have to fear losing your progress no matter what device you play on. However, you'll also be able to begin building a cross-platform list of all your friends, so you can easily find them in-game and create parties whenever they're online. Here's a quick rundown of The First Descendant's social features.

To begin, you will need to actually be in-game to access any of these features. The "Social" menu may feel a little tricky to find at first, too — simply open up the "Map" menu (this would be pressing the "Options" button on an Xbox controller), and navigate to the far-right "Social" tab. Here, you'll see three columns: a list of players, your friends list, and a dynamic menu with a search bar, pending friend requests, and incoming requests for in-game support.

The first column on the left has two views that you can alternate between by clicking the tiny squares in the upper left-hand corner (they're both the same, but the top has an infinity symbol). The top button shows a list of all the players in your current server from all platforms, while the bottom button only shows players from your platform. The former is only really useful if you have a Nexon account, but the latter lets you add friends on your platform, letting you rely on those baked in social features instead.

Yes, you can use this list of players to add new friends in your server, send requests, and (if they're on the same platform as you) view that player's platform profile information. The middle column also updates depending on which view you're using — the multiplatform view will only show your Nexon account friends, while the platform-specific view will only show your platform friends that play The First Descendant (which you can add to your Nexon account friends list, too).

The final column includes a search bar that lets you search for any player using their The First Descendant ID (you can always find your ID in the upper right-hand corner of the pause menu). This will be your most powerful tool for finding your cross-platform friends and adding them to your in-game friends menu, where you'll be able to see if they're online and create parties. The last two boxes here are pretty self-explanatory.

As long as your Nexon account is connected to The First Descendant, your in-game friends list will follow you across platforms; if you plan to play on multiple platforms, don't rely on Xbox or Steam social features. Add your friends in the game! Oh, and there's a "block" function, too, which is always great to see. You can access your block list by pressing the corresponding button in the lower right-hand corner (on Xbox it is the "X" button).

As a final note, the pause menu (which you access by holding down the "Menu" button on an Xbox controller) features some audio controls at the bottom to disable or enable your mic or speaker, and switch between party chat and squad (players in the same mission as you) chat. Sure, you can use Discord like many people, but The First Descendant does offer an in-game solution for multiplatform parties.

Cross-platform fun with The First Descendant

The First Descendant may be shaping up to be one hell of a game, but it wouldn't be nearly as enticing if it didn't fully support cross-platform features. That's basically mandatory for any co-op multiplayer game in a day and age when players don't want to be restricted by their gaming platform of choice anymore. Fortunately, Nexon put in the work to ensure that wouldn't be an issue.

With a free Nexon account, you can sync all your progression across Xbox, Windows PC, and PlayStation platforms, and create a multiplatform friends list to easily play with the people you know. Even without a Nexon account, you'll still be able to play with players from all platforms! The First Descendant may not just be one of the best Xbox games, but it may be one of the best multiplayer shooter looters on all its platforms.

If this is what convinced you to try The First Descendant, be sure to stop by our The First Descendant character tier list to familiarize yourself with all the characters. You can also check out our in-depth The First Descendant FAQ for even more information. Whenever you're ready, The First Descendant is available to play from July 2, 2024 for free at Microsoft Store (Xbox), so there's no reason to delay.

Long ago, there was a time when players had to purchase and play on the same console or PC platform to play their favorite online multiplayer games together. Fortunately, those dark times are now a distant memory as cross-platform gaming has now become the norm – allowing friends to play their favorite together, regardless of whether they play on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, or even PC.

As awesome as that is, there are still a ton of games out there that don’t feature cross-play at all or have limited cross-platform capabilities. It can be a rather time-consuming process for the average person to find out which Xbox titles support cross-play and which systems they can cross-platform with.

So, to make this task easier on you, we at Windows Central have decided to put together a list of every single Xbox game that supports cross-play and the extent of their cross-platform capabilities so you can more easily pick out the best Xbox games to play with your friends on other platforms.

Full list of Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One cross-play games

The concept of cross-play for Xbox games initially began during the Xbox One’s lifecycle and has continued to grow exponentially with the launch of the Xbox Series X|S even to the point where it now supports cross-generational play.

However, some games require players to create a third-party account outside of Microsoft accounts to cross-play online like EA Play for example. So to keep things simple and easy to understand, we have compiled our list of cross-play-compatible Xbox games to include which platforms they can cross-play with and if a game is available on Xbox Game Pass.

The power of cross-play and cross-platform not only grants players the ability to play with others across multiple platforms but also their preferred gameplay method. As more developers integrate cross-play into their titles, they also bring with them keyboard and mouse support, allowing console players to play the best Xbox mouse and keyboard games with the original control methods they were designed for on PC.

However, if you wish to forgo cross-platform play for personal reasons, you can disable or enable cross-play within the Xbox Series X|S system settings. Also, you can control the options through the Xbox's Family Settings for child accounts.

Our recommendations for the best Xbox cross-play titles

As you can see, there are mountains of cross-play Xbox titles on offer for you and your friends to enjoy playing together with. One of our personal favorite cross-play Xbox titles is Minecraft, the world-renowned survival-crafting that can be played on any console and with any gamer of any age.

Another great cross-play Xbox title we recommend is Halo Infinite, which allows players to play together across Xbox platforms and PC via Steam. The latest edition to the Halo franchise features an excellent, action-packed story campaign that can be played in 4-player co-op, and multiplayer modes where players can challenge each other in intense online matches or work together to overcome enemies in the Firefight PvE mode.

Keep checking back here as we will update this list with more upcoming Xbox titles with cross-play compatibility in the future.

Elden Ring is Bandai Namco and FromSoftware's latest action role-playing game, setting players loose in the Lands Between, a world created in collaboration with A Song of Ice and Fire author George R.R. Martin. Based on our player impressions and general critical acclaim, you're probably wondering how quickly you can dive into one of the best Xbox games with your friends now that the big expansion, Shadow of the Erdtree, is on the way. 

Multiplayer is a large component of many FromSoftware titles and Elden Ring is no exception, allowing players to take part in co-op, summoning each other for battle, or even invading other players' worlds.

Unfortunately, there are some restrictions in place. Elden Ring does not support cross-platform play, so if you've picked the game up on an Xbox Series X, you won't be able to play with anyone who instead decides to buy the game on PC or PS5. If you've got anyone you like playing with and you both own multiple platforms, be sure to talk together and figure out where you're going to play.

With that in mind, there is crossplay across consoles that are within the same "family" of devices. This means if somebody is playing Elden Ring on Xbox One, you can play with them if you're on Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S. In the same vein, players on PS4 can team up with anyone that's playing on PS5. Given the general supply shortage right now, this is definitely helpful for anyone that hasn't been able to upgrade to a current-generation console from Microsoft or Sony. PC players are left by themselves no matter what, though.

Crossplay used to be relatively rare but is growing rapidly, with more multiplayer games across various publishers supporting it. For example, first-party games from Microsoft such as Halo Infinite and Forza Horizon 5 support cross-platform multiplayer for anybody on Xbox consoles and PC. Many of the most popular multiplayer games, such as Fortnite or Apex Legends also support crossplay, regardless of where people choose to play.

We'll have to wait and see if something changes in the future for Elden Ring, but frankly, the game released years ago and there's been no change. We wouldn't expect to see an update that shakes things up here, or even ever. If you want to see crossplay added to Elden Ring or other future FromSoftware games, we recommend very respectfully reaching out to Bandai Namco and stating that it's a feature you'd like to see added.

Does Elden Ring support cross-progression?

Cross-progression has also grown in popularity over the past several years. With more and more hardcore players owning more than one gaming device, it's nice to keep playing your game no matter what hardware you're using. Unfortunately, Elden Ring does not support cross-progression or cross-save functionality. If, for example, you started playing on your Xbox, you wouldn't have access to the same save files when playing the game on your Steam Deck. 

The sole exception here is, again, transferring saves within console families. If you started playing Elden Ring on Xbox One and want to continue on Xbox Series X|S, you can do so. Likewise, PlayStation 4 players can keep their progress if they transfer their saves to the PlayStation 5 version of the game.

If you have a family group set up with your Microsoft Account and for Xbox, then you'll already know about some of the great features for controlling what your kids have access to. But one thing they may want to use is actually hidden behind a setting you might not know exists.

Crossplay.

This is specifically referring to cross-network play, that is, playing with friends outside the Xbox Live walls. When it comes to some of today's best Xbox games like Minecraft and Minecraft Dungeons, it's perfectly possible for your kids to play from their Xbox Series S with their friends on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation, for example, but to do so, you'll have to give them the magic permission first.

There are a couple of different ways to enable it and we'll walk you through each.

How to set up crossplay in the Xbox Family Settings app

If you have a family group set up for anything relating to your Microsoft account, there are a couple of mobile apps you should definitely have. For managing Xbox-specific settings, the Xbox Family Settings app is the one to have and the one we're using here.

Grab it for either iPhone or Android and get logged in with your Microsoft Account before following these steps.

1. Tap on the relevant child profile.

2. Next, tap the settings icon in the bottom right corner.
3. Scroll down and tap on cross-network play.

4. Set the toggle switch to allow.

This will now enable crossplay outside Xbox Live, but it won't enable communication with those platforms.

How to set up crossplay on the web

If you'd rather set this up on the web, it's very straightforward also. You can either login directly, or you can go via Xbox app for Windows 10 or 11

1. If using the Xbox app, first open settings.
2. Click manage privacy settings.

3. If going through the web, go to account.xbox.com/en-us/settings and login.
4. Click on your child's profile.
5. Click Xbox One/Windows 10 Online Safety
6. Ensure the first box, relating to crossplay, is set to allow.

This will now enable crossplay outside Xbox Live, but it won't enable communication with those platforms.

Xbox Series X/S

Main

• Xbox Series X: Everything we know
• Best games coming to Xbox Series X/S
• List of Xbox Series X specs
• What is the Xbox Series X release date?
• How much does Xbox Series X cost?
• Why you can't preorder Xbox Series X yet
• Best Xbox Series X Headsets

Microsoft has announced an expansion of its Minecraft Realms platform, in an attempt to unite Minecraft players across platforms.

As a part of the program, Minecraft players across Windows 10, iOS, Android and Gear VR will be able to connect over multiplayer for the first time. Tagged as 'The Friendly Update', the expansion will provide dedicated servers for multiplayer sessions, acting as a unified solution for mobile cross-platform multiplayer.

This title joins the existing support for PC and Mac, but multiplayer support will still be divided between these platforms. Support for consoles is planned to rollout in the next year.

Update: The Realms update is now live for the Windows 10 version of Minecraft

Download Minecraft Windows 10 Beta from the Windows Store ($9.99)

Rocket League will be among the first to benefit, joining the Xbox One version of the frenetic soccer cars hybrid to users of the PC version — massively expanding the matchmaking pool in the process.

Microsoft effectively invited Sony and its PlayStation Network to join the party, and now the Xbox's chief rival has responded, appearing open to the idea.

In a blog post on Xbox Wire, ID@Xbox champion Chris Charla stated that Xbox games will be able to connect with "other consoles" and PC networks.

In a statement issued to GameSpot, Sony praised their efforts to bring cross-platform play to consoles, touting the MMO Final Fantasy 11, which featured cross-play as early as 2002. The console giant said it would be happy to discuss cross-platform play with "any publishers or developers", which suggests that Rocket League's player pool could eventually expand even further.

Cross-platform play has an interesting history on Xbox. The game mentioned by Sony, Final Fantasy 11, was also available for the Xbox 360 — complete with cross-play between PS3, PS2, and PC. In the pre-World of Warcraft era, Final Fantasy 11 was instrumental in bringing MMOs to the mainstream, and ensuring the title had access to the largest player-base possible was paramount.

FF11's successor, the MMO Final Fantasy 14: Realm Reborn, features cross-play between PS4 and PC, and Square Enix have famously stated that the only reason there's no Xbox One version is that Microsoft wouldn't allow players from different networks to share the same servers.

Thankfully, it now seems that Microsoft is fully prepared to allow that to happen:

Microsoft has been exploring the realms of cross-platform play for quite a while, but only for internal titles. Gigantic and Killer Instinct are both slated for cross-platform play between Xbox One and Windows 10. Now that they've opened up the system to extend to third-party networks, that is only going to benefit gamers and developers whose games depend on large player pools for things like faster skill-based matchmaking algorithms. It'll also massively benefit MMOs like the aforementioned Final Fantasy 14, who depend on thriving communities of players to remain fun.

If you're interested, we discussed some of the benefits (and potential downsides) of cross-platform play on this week's episode of our Xbox podcast, the #OneCast, check that out right over here!

What games would you like to see pick up cross-platform play?

Source: GameSpot