Have you ever wanted to play your favorite games with friends, but found yourselves unable to because everyone is playing on different gaming platforms? You’re not alone! To solve this pressing issue, the video game industry has come up with an interesting solution: crossplay gaming.
But what is crossplay and how does it work? What are its benefits? Are there any drawbacks? What are some popular games leveraging this technical feat to delight their players? This is precisely what we’ll tell you in this article – so keep reading for a complete guide.
What is crossplay in games?
Within the gaming industry, “crossplay” is a term that has become increasingly significant in recent years. Short for cross-platform play, the term refers to the possibility for gamers on different gaming platforms to play together. While not a feature of all games, it’s an increasingly popular trend as games continue to conquer more people year after year.
Imagine the following scenario: you’re playing your favorite battle royale game on your Xbox. Out of the blue, your friend chimes in and wants to play with you, but they only have a powerful computer at their disposal. In the past, this would mean either would need to switch their gaming platform to join forces in the virtual battlefield.
However, with the creation of cross-platform play, you and your friend can team up, strategize, and compete against players from all supported platforms, creating a more inclusive, convenient, and interconnected gaming experience for everyone.
The pros and cons of developing crossplay games
One of the most significant advantages of crossplay games is their ability to tap into a larger player base. As players from various platforms can join the same gaming experience, developers can reach a broader audience, which leads to more active and engaged communities, the crux behind the success of many games.
With bigger player bases, also come reduced matchmaking times and fairer matches, as there are more players available to form balanced teams, which leads to a more enjoyable gaming experience. Crossplay also extends the lifespan of their games thanks to larger and more diverse player bases, ensuring that games remain active and relevant for longer.
Another point that isn’t talked about enough is that crossplay games often have better game support. It sounds counterintuitive, especially once you understand how costly cross-platform development can get, but developers are often more motivated to provide consistent updates and support since they know their player base is large and more engaged.
As with almost everything, there’s a catch – or multiple ones. And it’s not any different with cross-platform game development.
We talked a little bit about the biggest one – the cost involved – just a while ago. The added financial stress happens due to different platforms’ varying hardware capabilities, making it tough for developers to port a game to other platforms and properly optimize it. There might also be platform-specific guidelines they have to follow and the possibility of having to create new performant assets, which can add complexity to the process.
Another challenge cross-platform developers face is balance and fairness. Achieving it in these games can be a tricky affair depending on its genre – some input methods are inherently better or more convenient for certain tasks, like aiming with a mouse or precisely controlling a character with the thumbstick. This can create disparities that affect gameplay fairness.
Crossplay gaming might also open the door to cheating and hacking issues, as some platforms may have weaker security measures. This reiterates how critical it is for developers to invest in robust anti-cheat systems to minimize their occurrences.
Popular crossplay games
Fortnite
Developed by Epic Games, Fortnite is one of the most popular games of all time. In this battle royale, 100 players scavenge for items, collect resources, build crazy structures, and fight each other to be the last one standing. The game also features collabs you probably won’t see anywhere else – do you want to win a match by wielding Attack on Titan’s iconic Thunder Spears while playing as a My Hero Academia character? As outlandish as it sounds, Fortnite can provide it.
This iconic battle royale supports crossplay across multiple platforms, including desktops, consoles (PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch), and mobile devices, allowing friends to team up regardless of their gaming system of choice, helping further boost its popularity.
Rocket League
Rocket League is a unique game that unites rocket-powered cars with soccer. Teams of 3 players control customizable vehicles and engage in competitive matches where the objective is to score goals on the opposing team. The game’s unique theme and blend of skill, strategy, and teamwork make it a popular title among casual and hardcore gamers. Rocket League offers full crossplay support between PCs and the most popular gaming consoles.
Minecraft
Created by Notch and currently developed by Mojang, Minecraft is one of the biggest successes of the gaming industry, having sold over 230 million titles since its launch as of April 2021. By the way, this figure doesn’t take the franchise’s mobile and spin-off sales into consideration.
In this open-world adventure game, players explore and manipulate the voxel-based, procedurally generated worlds according to their whims. Famous for its creative mode, where players can build massive structures without having to grind for the resources, and its survival mode, which can be further augmented with mods, there’s always something to look forward to.
Minecraft also supports crossplay across various platforms, making it easy for players on PC, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, mobile devices, and more to join each other’s worlds. Keep in mind this is only possible so long as all players are running on the same version and edition – there are third-party plugins and modifications to bridge the gap, but they’re not officially supported.
Call of Duty: Warzone
Also joining on the battle royale bandwagon, Call of Duty: Warzone is another installment of the highly acclaimed Call of Duty franchise. In this game, players are dropped into the fictional city of Verdansk, where they must outlast other players by any means necessary. In other words, the game combines the memorable franchise’s action with the excitement of a modern battle royale setting.
Call of Duty: Warzone offers crossplay support across different platforms, including desktop, PlayStation, and Xbox, so players can form squads to conquer Verdansk with friends playing on various ecosystems.
Among Us
One of the most iconic and meme’d games of recent years, Among Us saw huge success as the pandemic conquered the world, causing harsh lockdowns that seemed to last forever. In this social deduction game, players collaborate aboard a spaceship, completing maintenance tasks all over the place.
But there’s a catch: among them, there are impostors trying to sabotage all other players. The rest of the crew must work together to identify them before they completely take over the ship or eliminate the entire crew.
The game also features crossplay support between players on PC and mobile devices, enabling a broader player base and ensuring the game is readily accessible for most gamers.
Paladins
Developed by Hi-Rez Studios, Paladins is a dynamic hero-based first-person shooter that draws inspiration from other team-based games in the genre, like Team Fortress 2, which made some people tout Paladins as the “poor man’s Overwatch”. The game also features a variety of game modes and extensive character customization, allowing players to mix and match different perks to suit their playstyle better.
Paladins boasts extensive crossplay support, enabling players on multiple platforms to join forces in action-packed 5v5 battles. You can team up with friends and challenge enemies across PCs, consoles, and even some mobile devices, ensuring a healthy player base with low matchmaking times.
Conclusion
As seen in this article, cross-platform games are an essential trend in the gaming industry, bridging the gap between users playing on many different platforms and devices.
The technology, albeit potentially expensive to implement, can massively benefit game developers with longer game life spans and a bigger player base. However, like any innovation, it’s not without its challenges, which range from technical complexities to potential issues of fairness and security.
Thankfully, crossplay gaming is here to stay, and it’s becoming an essential component of many new releases – after all, it’s evident how the benefits can far outweigh the challenges.
If you’re looking for professional game development services, look no further than Main Leaf! We are an indie game studio with a proven track record, providing high-quality and custom-tailored solutions for multiple clients since 2012. Whether you need an entire project or need a trusted partner to outsource some work, our 70+ talented professionals are here to provide you with a helping hand.
Start working with us at Main Leaf today by filling out the form below – don’t worry, you’ll hear from us within 24 hours.
