You’re mid grind on your PC, your college roommate only owns a PS5, and your younger cousin plays exclusively on Switch. You all want to queue for a few quick play matches together, so the first question you’ll probably type into search is can you play cross platform Overwatch? Crossplay functionality has evolved a lot since the original Overwatch launched, and most of the old restrictions that kept players on different devices from linking up are gone. This guide breaks down everything you need to know to play with friends no matter what device you prefer, no complicated workarounds required.
Can You Play Cross Platform Overwatch Across All Devices?
The short answer is yes, cross platform play is fully supported for the current free-to-play Overwatch 2 client across all major gaming devices. That includes PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch, with no extra purchases required to access crossplay features. It’s enabled by default for all new accounts, so you won’t have to dig through settings to turn it on when you first boot up the game.
Crossplay is not supported for the original 2016 Overwatch anymore, since Blizzard shut down all legacy servers a few years ago. I ran into this exact issue last year when a friend tried to join my lobby from an old unupdated copy of the original game, so make sure everyone in your group has downloaded the latest Overwatch 2 client before you try to queue together. All console players will also need to link their console account to a valid Battle.net account to access crossplay, no exceptions.
If you only play Overwatch on PC, you already have a Battle.net account set up, so you don’t need to take any extra steps to enable crossplay. You can even link your console accounts to the same Battle.net profile to access cross-progression, which we’ll cover in more detail later.
Key Crossplay Rules and Limitations You Need to Know
While crossplay works for almost all game modes, there are a few small restrictions in place to keep matches fair for all players, regardless of their device or input type. Most casual players won’t run into these limits at all, but it’s good to know they exist to avoid frustration later.
First, competitive Top 500 leaderboards are split by platform and input type, so you won’t see PC mouse and keyboard players on the console Top 500 list, even with crossplay enabled. This rule was added after hundreds of players complained about input imbalance in high-skill competitive lobbies, and it’s stayed in place ever since. Solo players are matchmade with others using the same input type when crossplay is enabled, so controller players don’t get stuck against high-skill mouse and keyboard players when queuing alone.
Other common crossplay restrictions you might run into include:
I host custom game nights for my mixed-platform friend group every other week, and I usually leave crossplay enabled unless we’re running a controller-only casual tournament. The custom game crossplay toggle is really flexible, so you can adjust it to fit whatever your group wants to play.
How to Set Up Crossplay For Your Overwatch Account
The setup process for crossplay takes less than five minutes for most players, even if you’ve never linked a Battle.net account to your console before. If you play on PC, you’re already set up to join crossplay lobbies, and you can skip the first few steps unless you want to link your console accounts for cross-progression.
For console players, boot up Overwatch 2 on your device, and you’ll see a pop-up prompting you to link a Battle.net account. You can either scan the on-screen QR code with your phone to log in to your existing account, or enter the 8-digit code displayed on your screen on the Blizzard website to finish linking. Once you confirm the link, crossplay will be enabled automatically, and you’ll be able to add friends from any platform to your friend list.
If you want to turn off crossplay for any reason, you can find the toggle in the Gameplay tab of the settings menu. Just note that turning off crossplay will significantly increase your queue times on most consoles, especially for less popular modes like Competitive Open Queue, because you’ll only be matching with other players on the same device who also have crossplay disabled. I only recommend turning it off if you’re dealing with consistent toxic players from other platforms, or if you’re practicing for a console-only competitive event.
One common mistake new crossplay users make is searching for a friend’s display name instead of their full Battle.net tag, including the 4-digit number at the end. I’ve wasted 10 minutes before trying to add a friend who went by “MercyMain123” when their actual tag was MercyMain123#4567, so double check you have the full tag before you send a friend request.
Pros and Cons of Using Crossplay for Overwatch
Crossplay is a great feature for most players, but it’s not perfect for every use case. It’s worth weighing the pros and cons before you decide to leave it enabled, especially if you play a lot of competitive mode.
The biggest pro is obviously that you can play with all your friends no matter what device they own, which is the main reason most people look up crossplay information in the first place. Cross-progression, which comes paired with crossplay, also lets you swap between devices whenever you want without losing any skins, battle pass progress, or unclaimed rewards. I regularly play on my Switch when I’m traveling for work, then pick up right where I left off on my PC when I get home, and it’s saved me so much time re-grinding battle pass levels. Crossplay lobbies also have much faster queue times, especially during off-peak hours when not a lot of players are online on your specific platform.
On the downside, if you’re a controller player queued with a mouse and keyboard friend, you’ll be matchmade against mouse and keyboard players, which can feel unfair if you’re not used to playing against faster, more precise inputs. A small number of PC players also use cheats or hacks, though Blizzard’s anti-cheat system has gotten a lot better over the last year at catching and banning bad actors. Crossplay does not share competitive ranks across different input types, so your controller rank on console won’t carry over to your mouse and keyboard rank on PC, even if your accounts are linked. That’s a common point of confusion for a lot of new players, so it’s worth keeping in mind if you swap between inputs often.
For most casual players, the pros of crossplay far outweigh the cons. If you’re just looking to mess around with friends and play a few matches for fun, you won’t even notice the small limitations most of the time.
At the end of the day, if you’ve been wondering can you play cross platform Overwatch with your friends on different devices, the answer is a resounding yes, as long as you’re all on the current Overwatch 2 client and have linked your Battle.net accounts. The few limitations that exist are there to keep matches fair for all players, and the setup process takes less than five minutes for most people. Whether you’re queuing for quick play, arcade modes, or even standard competitive, crossplay makes it easier than ever to enjoy the game with everyone you know, no matter what device they prefer to play on. Just double check you have your friend’s full Battle.net tag before you try to invite them, and you’ll be good to go.