Is Battlefield 2042 Cross-Platform?

Battlefield 2042 is slated to become one of the largest-scale games in the Battlefield series. Besides the obvious quantifier of its gigantic, living maps, it’s also releasing on just about every current generation console with a bunch of different modes to tinker with. Of course, when you’re releasing on a bunch of different platforms, the usual question manifests: is Battlefield 2042 cross-platform?

The answer to that question is a resounding… sort of. Battlefield 2042 is releasing on both current-gen and previous-gen consoles, but because the consoles of the previous generation don’t have the same kind of muscle as the consoles of the current one, it simply isn’t feasible to attempt to have them run the same game concurrently. As such, while both generations are getting Battlefield 2042, they’re not technically the same game.

Is Battlefield 2042 Cross-Platform?

Battlefield 2042 Cross-Platform explained:

• Current-gen platforms (Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC) can only play with other current-gen platforms
• Previous-gen platforms (Xbox One and PS4) can only play with other previous-gen platforms

Battlefield 2042 exists in two separate ecosystems. The first group is composed of the Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC. Since these are the current gen consoles with the most muscle, they can render larger, more detailed maps, as well as maintain up to 128 players per match. The second group is composed of the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. This group can’t handle maps on the same scale as the first group, so they use smaller, more paired-down ones, and can only handle up to 64 players. 

To get to the point here, Battlefield 2042 is cross-platform, but only within those two groups. Someone playing on an Xbox Series X could play with someone on a PlayStation 5 or PC, for example, but not with someone on an Xbox One. This goes both ways; that Xbox One player can’t play with an Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5 player, but they can play with a PlayStation 4 player.