You’re grabbing your controller on your PS5, ready to queue for a quick play match, and your best friend texts they’re logged on their gaming PC. The first question that pops into your head is can you crossplay in Overwatch 2, right? We’ve all been there—coordinating game nights with friends who own different devices can get frustrating fast, especially when a game advertises cross-platform support but hides weird limitations in fine print. I’ve spent dozens of hours testing Overwatch 2’s crossplay features across every platform over the past year, from Switch to PC to Xbox Series X/S, so I’m breaking down exactly how it works, what you can and can’t do, and how to avoid common glitches that ruin group play.
Can You Crossplay in Overwatch 2 Across All Device Types?
The short answer is yes, crossplay is enabled by default for all supported Overwatch 2 platforms, with no extra purchases or downloads required to access the feature. Supported platforms include PC (via both Battle.net and Steam), PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and even the currently rolling out mobile beta version of the game. All players are added to the same crossplay pool for casual matches unless they manually adjust their settings to opt out.
Crossplay functionality works for almost all game modes, including Quick Play, Arcade, Custom Games, and co-op story missions when they are available. The matchmaker automatically adjusts lobby pools based on input type to keep games as fair as possible. Console players who group with PC players will not be placed in console-only lobbies, even if they have crossplay turned off for solo play. You also don’t have to worry about region locking getting in the way, as crossplay works across all global regions as long as your group has a ping that falls within the acceptable range for all members.
If you play on console and prefer to only match up against other controller users, you can turn off crossplay for all solo modes in your game settings menu. PC players do not have the option to turn off crossplay entirely, but they can disable cross-platform text and voice chat if they only want to communicate with other PC users.
Key Crossplay Limitations You Need to Know Before Queuing
While crossplay works seamlessly for most casual play sessions, there are a few important limitations that most players don’t find out about until they run into them mid-game night. These rules are in place to keep competitive play fair and avoid platform-specific exploits, but they can throw off your plans if you don’t know about them ahead of time.
Crossplay is disabled for ranked Competitive Play by default for console players. If you want to play ranked with friends on other platforms, you will have to manually opt in to crossplay for competitive modes in your settings. Once you opt in, you will be matched against both console and PC players, so only turn this on if you’re comfortable playing against mouse and keyboard users. PC players cannot opt out of crossplay for competitive play at all, as the entire PC player pool is shared by default.
Some in-game events and limited-time modes may have restricted crossplay support. Experimental modes and new event game types are often released first for PC players for testing, and may not support crossplay for the first 24 to 48 hours after launch. You can check the in-game news tab to see if a new mode has crossplay enabled before you try to queue with friends on other platforms.
- Cross-progression is tied to a single Battle.net account, so you can’t merge separate accounts from different platforms after the initial merge window closed in 2023
- Custom game lobbies can be set to platform-only if the host chooses, so you may not be able to join a friend’s custom lobby if they have that setting enabled
- PlayStation and Xbox users may need to enable cross-platform play in their console’s system settings first, even if it’s turned on in Overwatch 2
How to Set Up Crossplay to Play With Friends on Other Platforms
Setting up crossplay only takes a few minutes if you follow the right steps, and you only have to do it once to access the feature permanently. The first thing you need to do is link all of your platform accounts to your main Battle.net account. You can do this through the Battle.net website, or directly through the account tab in the Overwatch 2 settings menu. Make sure you link the correct accounts, as you won’t be able to unlink and relink accounts more than once every 12 months.
To add a friend who plays on a different platform, you won’t use their platform-specific username like their PSN ID or Xbox Gamertag. You need to ask for their full Battle.net tag, which includes their username and the 4-digit number at the end of their tag. Always ask for the full Battle.net tag with the 4-digit discriminator when adding cross-platform friends, as duplicate usernames are common and you won’t be able to find the right person without the full tag. Once they accept your friend request, they will show up in your in-game friends list permanently, no matter what platform you or they are playing on.
If you run into issues seeing a friend online or inviting them to your group, double check that both of you have crossplay enabled in your Overwatch 2 settings. If one person has crossplay turned off, you won’t be able to group with each other across platforms. Disabling crossplay will significantly increase your queue times, especially for less popular modes like Mystery Heroes or Competitive Open Queue, so only turn it off if you really don’t want to play against users on other platforms.
Is Crossplay in Overwatch 2 Fair for All Players?
This is one of the most common questions I get from new console players, and it’s a totally valid concern. Mouse and keyboard input gives PC players a huge advantage when it comes to fast aim and movement, especially for high-skill heroes like Widowmaker, Tracer, and Sojourn that rely on quick flick shots and precise positioning. That said, Blizzard has put several safeguards in place to keep crossplay as fair as possible for all users.
First, as mentioned earlier, console players are placed in console-only lobbies by default for all modes, so you won’t run into PC players at all unless you choose to group with one or opt in to crossplay competitive. Second, controller players get a moderate amount of aim assist in console-only lobbies to help make up for the lower precision of controller input, which makes it much easier to keep up with fast-moving heroes. Aim assist is disabled for all controller users in lobbies that include PC players, to avoid giving controller users an unfair edge over mouse and keyboard players who don’t get aim assist.
I’ve played Overwatch 2 on both PC and Xbox for hundreds of hours each, and I’ve found that crossplay lobbies feel fair for casual play 9 times out of 10. The only time you’ll notice a big skill gap is if you’re a casual console player grouping up with a stack of high-rank PC players, which you can easily avoid by sticking to groups with similar skill levels no matter what platform people play on. If you’re a serious competitive player, you’re better off sticking to console-only ranked lobbies if you play on controller, or switching to PC if you want the most consistent competitive experience.
At the end of the day, the answer to can you crossplay in Overwatch 2 is a resounding yes, with a few small caveats to keep in mind for competitive play and group settings. As long as you have your Battle.net account linked correctly and you’re aware of the input and lobby restrictions, you can easily play with almost all of your friends no matter what device they own. Don’t let small technical hurdles stop you from pulling off that perfect team wipe with your best friend who swears by their Switch, or grinding for your next competitive rank with your PC-using sibling. Just double check your settings before you queue, and you’ll be good to go.