Battlefield 6 won’t let PlayStation and Xbox team up without PC in the mix.
Crossplay has been one of Battlefield 6’s most talked-about features, but EA has now confirmed that players won’t be able to stick to console-only lobbies after all.
Originally, there was some confusion around the feature. In an interview with IGN earlier this month, Ripple Effect’s Matthew Nickerson suggested that turning off crossplay would still allow PlayStation and Xbox players to match together without PC involvement.
“Console-only crossplay happens if you turn it off. When you flip that switch, then you get, basically, console-only crossplay, and that is, we don't fill with PC players,” he explained in the interview. When IGN asked if this would mean that PlayStation players can queue up with Xbox players even if crossplay is off, Nickerson confirmed it.
However, EA’s latest clarification confirms that isn’t how it works.
No console-only crossplay in Battlefield 6
During a recent Battlefield 6 capture event attended by Dexerto, EA explained how matchmaking and crossplay will actually work. If you’re on PlayStation or Xbox and keep crossplay switched on, the system will try to pair you with other console players first–but PC players are still in the pool, so you could find yourself up matched up with them.
Turning crossplay off on console doesn’t mean you’ll be thrown into a joint PlayStation–Xbox lobby either. Instead, it locks matchmaking to your own platform only, meaning PlayStation players will only face PlayStation users, and Xbox players will only face Xbox. Partying up across platforms also becomes impossible with crossplay disabled.
PC users, on the other hand, don’t get the option to opt out of crossplay at all.
Why players wanted console-only matchmaking
The demand for console-only crossplay largely comes down to two things: balance and cheating. Many console players feel that PC opponents have a natural edge thanks to mouse and keyboard setups and higher frame rates. On top of that, cheating remains a bigger issue on PC, leading some fans to hope that avoiding PC lobbies would mean a cleaner, fairer experience.
Cheaters will still be a factor
The developers have been upfront about the challenge of tackling cheats. In that same IGN interview, they admitted they’ll “never win” outright against cheaters, but promised they’re taking an “extremely aggressive” stance to keep them at bay.
For players, the takeaway is simple: if you want crossplay in Battlefield 6, you’ll have to accept the chance of running into PC players–and the risks that come with it.
