Overwatch 2 supports crossplay between PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch for most game modes.
However, competitive mode has restrictions on crossplay to ensure fair and balanced matches.
In competitive, console players (PlayStation, Xbox, Switch) are placed in a separate matchmaking pool and can only play with and against other console players.
PC players are in their own matchmaking pool and only match with other PC players for competitive.
Key Takeaways:
- Overwatch 2 competitively separates console and PC players into different matchmaking pools.
- Console competitive only allows crossplay between PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch players.
- PC competitive only allows crossplay with other PC players.
- This is to keep matches fair and balanced due to control and performance differences.
- In Quick Play, the console can group with PC but aim assist is turned off and they match with PC players.
Is Overwatch Cross Platform?
Well, The short answer is. Yes, it does feature crossplay. Although it wasn’t available at launch until recently in 2021 when all 4 versions of this game (PC, Playstation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch) merged, and the cross-play was made available for all players.
With the growing popularity of games like call of duty, Fortnite, and apex legends, this update was inevitable. It has to be done sooner or later, especially with the overwatch fanbase demanding this for quite some time.
Players would need to sign into the battle.net account and link their existing accounts to enjoy crossplay.
PC players don’t need to do this as they are already signed into battle.net client, but console and switch users need to make one account and link their existing Overwatch to battle.net before they launch their game.
How To Enable Crossplay In Overwatch
Crossplay in Overwatch is enabled for PC players by default, and unfortunately, there is no option for PC users to toggle out crossplay.
Console and switch can toggle out crossplay from settings, but then the match-making pool will be restricted to only console players, and this could hurt queue times.
As PC players are already logged into the battle.net account, console players will be required to create an account on the battle.net website even if they don’t want to queue up against other platform users
How Crossplay Works In Overwatch?
Overwatch offers several playlist modes, and crossplay is enabled in all of them except the competitive mode where players will join the same platform players. PC players can’t go against console players and vice versa.
There is a significant skill gap between PC players and Console players, so this could be the primary concern of this decision. Skill issue is something that should be balanced out to have a fair and equal skillset in matches.
Even in casual game modes like quick play, console players will be matched against other console players by default.
They have to manually enable cross-play for this cross-platform queue. The competitive queue remains restricted for PC and console players, and there is no chance for crossplay in higher ranking game modes anytime soon.
How To Link Console And Battle.net Accounts?
Since crossplay was introduced, it is now mandatory for everyone to make an account on battle.net and link it with your existing overwatch account. As I mentioned above, Pc players won’t need to worry about this its only for non PC players.
They already own a battle.net account if they are playing Overwatch. For console players, visit battle.net and create a new account.
It’s for free, and once you are done, go to the account settings and look for the connections option. In there, you will link your console to your newly created battle.net account.
Now that your account has been created, it’s time for step 2. Upon launching the game, you will be greeted with a confirmation button on the screen. Confirm it and enter the numeric code you see on your screen on the blizzard website.
After this, the final step requires you to sign in to your battle.net account and confirm the credentials that you have linked your console account with your battle.net account. After this, you will receive a notification in-game that confirms crossplay is active and you are ready to go.
Final Verdict:
Overwatch is still played by millions of players nowadays. It is a fun game that offers team-based objectives to work against opponents, and with its catchy, vibrant, cartoonish art style, it is no surprise that this game is still a mega-hit to this day.
The introduction of crossplay made the experience even better. Overwatch is crossplay available to this day and lets us hope that the developer can remove even more limitations so players can fully enjoy this game to its potential.
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FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
What frame rate and resolution will Overwatch run on Nintendo Switch?
Nintendo switch provides 30 fps with a resolution available up to 900p. The fps are locked at 30 fps, while the other consoles can easily deliver 60 fps.
This is because of the portable nature of the device and low technical resources, the switch fails to deliver optimal fps.
Will Overwatch 2 Be Cross-Platform?
There is still zero confirmation from developers regarding this topic, but as Cross-play was introduced recently in Overwatch. It is safe to bet that cross-play will be available for Overwatch 2 soon after its launch if it’s not available on launch.
Can ps4 and PC play Overwatch together?
PS4 and PC players can play Overwatch together as it is part of cross-play that was introduced in 2021.
However, there is a limitation regarding competitive mode that restricts the involvement of console and PC players in the same match.
Both players will queue against their own platform users. This is a balancing feature to ensure fair play between the player base as mouse and keyboard users have a fair advantage over console users.
