There’s nothing more frustrating than loading into a quick play Overwatch 2 match on your console, only to get domed by a PC player using a high-sensitivity mouse and custom keyboard setup before you even finish leaving spawn. I’ve been there, fuming at my screen after three back-to-back losses to players who had a clear hardware advantage, and the first question I asked was can you turn off crossplay in Overwatch 2. This guide breaks down everything you need to know about the setting, from platform-specific rules to how turning it off will change your entire gameplay experience.
Can You Turn Off Crossplay in Overwatch 2? Platform-Specific Steps
The short answer is it depends on what platform you play on. Blizzard has different rules for crossplay access based on hardware, to keep queue times reasonable and player pools healthy for all user groups. PC players cannot disable crossplay entirely, as the PC player base makes up the largest share of active Overwatch 2 users, and removing crossplay would break matchmaking for smaller platform groups that rely on PC players to fill lobbies.
Console players on Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch do have full access to turn off crossplay whenever they want. The steps are almost identical across all three console platforms, and only take a few seconds to adjust. If you’re on console, follow these steps to toggle the setting:
- Launch Overwatch 2 and navigate to the main menu screen, making sure you’re not in an active queue or match
- Open the Options menu, then select the Gameplay tab from the top navigation bar
- Scroll down to the Cross-Platform Play section, toggle the setting from "On" to "Off"
- Save your changes and exit the menu to apply the new setting immediately, no restart required
If you’re a PC player disappointed you can’t turn off crossplay entirely, you do have a secondary option that fixes most of the common complaints. PC players can disable cross-input play, which restricts your matches to only other players using mouse and keyboard, rather than mixing in controller users playing on console or PC. You’ll find this setting in the same Gameplay tab, right under the crossplay options. Many PC players don’t know this setting exists, and it’s a perfect middle ground if you just want to avoid mismatched input advantages.
What Happens When You Turn Off Crossplay in Overwatch 2?
Toggling crossplay off doesn’t just change who you match against, it impacts almost every part of your Overwatch 2 experience, for better and for worse. It’s not a one-size-fits-all fix, and it’s important to know the tradeoffs before you commit to leaving the setting off long term. Many players ask if can you turn off crossplay in Overwatch 2 specifically to avoid PC players in competitive, and that’s a completely valid reason to toggle the setting, but you should know what else comes with that choice.
The biggest benefit for console players is obviously the removal of PC hardware advantages. Mouse and keyboard users have far faster aim and movement control than even the most skilled controller players, especially on high-mobility heroes like Tracer, Genji, and Sojourn. Competitive rank progression feels far more consistent when you’re only matched against players using the same hardware as you, because you don’t have to account for random PC smurfs or players with inherent input advantages skewing match results. I noticed far fewer one-sided matches within a day of turning crossplay off on my Xbox.
There are downsides though, the most obvious being longer queue times. When you restrict your player pool to only people on the same console as you, you’re cutting out 60% or more of the active player base, depending on the time of day. In non-peak hours, like late weekdays or early mornings, you could be waiting 5 to 10 minutes for a single competitive match, compared to 30 seconds to 2 minutes with crossplay on. You will not be able to queue with friends on other platforms when crossplay is turned off, either, so if you regularly play with friends on different hardware, you’ll have to toggle it back on to group up.
You might also notice more variable skill levels in quick play matches, especially on less popular platforms like Nintendo Switch. With a smaller player pool, the matchmaking system has to stretch its skill bounds more to fill lobbies, so you might get matched against top 500 players one match and brand new players the next, if there aren’t enough people in your skill bracket online at the time.
Should You Turn Off Crossplay for Competitive Overwatch 2?
This is the question I get most from fellow console players who are trying to climb the competitive ranks, and the answer depends entirely on your priorities as a player. I tested both settings for three full competitive seasons on my Xbox Series X, so I have hands-on experience with how each impacts rank progression and general enjoyment.
If your main goal is to climb as high as possible, and you don’t mind waiting a little longer for matches, turning off crossplay is almost always the right call. I climbed from low Platinum to mid Diamond in the first season I turned crossplay off, because I no longer had to play against PC players who could out-aim me no matter how well I positioned. The matches felt fairer, and I could actually tell when I was improving, rather than losing to players who had a hardware edge I could never compete with.
If you play mostly for fun, or you regularly group up with friends on other platforms, leave crossplay on. The small number of lopsided matches you get from PC players isn’t worth missing out on playing with your friends, or waiting 10 minutes per match for casual play. You can always toggle it off for a few hours if you want to grind competitive alone, then turn it back on when you’re ready to play with friends.
Rank reset seasons are the best time to test crossplay off settings, because everyone is starting from the same provisional rank pool, so you don’t have to worry about skewed matchmaking from existing rank differences. Play 10 to 15 placement matches with crossplay off, and another 10 with it on, to see which setting feels better for your playstyle before you commit to one for the rest of the season.
Common Crossplay Setting Mistakes to Avoid
Even players who’ve been using the crossplay toggle for months often make simple mistakes that ruin their gameplay experience. These are the most common pitfalls I’ve noticed, and easy fixes to avoid them.
The first mistake is forgetting to toggle crossplay back on when you want to play with cross-platform friends. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve sat in a party with my friend who plays on PC, wondering why we couldn’t queue for a match, before realizing I’d left crossplay off after my competitive grind session the night before. Get in the habit of checking the setting before you join a party with friends on other platforms, to save yourself 10 minutes of confused troubleshooting.
Confusing crossplay with cross-input play is the most common mistake for PC users. I’ve seen dozens of PC players post online complaining that they can’t find the crossplay toggle, when they’re actually looking for the cross-input setting to avoid matching with controller users. Remember, crossplay refers to matching across different hardware platforms, while cross-input refers to matching across different control methods, and PC users only have access to the latter.
Another mistake is writing off crossplay off entirely because you tried it once during a non-peak hour and waited 10 minutes for a match. If you play primarily during peak hours, between 7pm and 11pm local time on weekdays, or most of the day on weekends, your queue times with crossplay off will usually be under 2 minutes, even on less popular consoles. Test the setting at different times of day before you decide if the tradeoff is worth it for you.
The last mistake is assuming turning off crossplay will automatically make you climb ranks faster. You still have to put in the work to improve your mechanics and game sense, and you’ll still run into smurfs and highly skilled players on your own platform. It just removes the hardware advantage variable, so your rank will more accurately reflect your actual skill level, rather than how well you can play against PC players.
Now you have the full answer to can you turn off crossplay in Overwatch 2, plus all the context you need to decide if this setting is right for your playstyle. At the end of the day, the best setting is the one that makes the game feel fun and fair for you, whether that means leaving crossplay on to play with friends, or toggling it off to grind competitive ranks on a level playing field. Take 10 minutes to test both settings this week, and you might be surprised at how much of a difference a single toggle makes to your overall enjoyment of the game.