Is Elden Ring Cross-Platform? What Works and What Does Not

Summary: No, Elden Ring does not support crossplay. PlayStation, Xbox and PC players cannot summon each other, and that has not changed since launch in 2022. What does work is cross-generation co-op inside a single console family, so PS4 pairs with PS5 and Xbox One pairs with Xbox Series X|S. There is no cross-save either, so a character stays on the platform where you made it.

• No crossplay between PlayStation, Xbox and PC.
• Cross-generation co-op does work: PS4 with PS5, Xbox One with Xbox Series X|S.
• No cross-save or cross-progression, so progress does not follow you between platforms.
• Shadow of the Erdtree did not add crossplay, and neither did Nightreign.

The short version: a friend on Steam and a friend on PS5 cannot appear in each other's world. Elden Ring keeps three separate multiplayer pools - PlayStation, Xbox and PC - and there is no setting, password or workaround that bridges them. FromSoftware has never shipped crossplay in any of its games, including Dark Souls, Bloodborne and Sekiro, so this is a house pattern rather than an oversight.

What Does Work: Cross-Generation Co-op

Crossplay and cross-generation play get confused constantly, and the difference is the whole answer here. Elden Ring has the second one. Within a single console family, older and newer hardware share the same pool:

• PS4 and PS5 players can summon each other and invade each other.
• Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S players can do the same.
• PC players are limited to other PC players, regardless of hardware.

Cross-generation co-op happens automatically once you are in the same family. Set a multiplayer password in the settings and share it with your group, and matchmaking will prioritise each other over strangers. That password is the single most useful thing to agree on before a co-op session, because without it the game will happily pair you with random players instead.

Cross-Save Is Also Missing

This one catches people who own the game twice. Elden Ring has no cross-save and no cross-progression. Character data, save files and achievements are tied to the platform where you created them, so buying it again on PC after a hundred hours on PS5 means starting from the first Site of Grace. If you are choosing a platform mainly to play alongside friends, that decision is effectively permanent.

Nightreign and Shadow of the Erdtree Did Not Change It

Both additions inherited the same restrictions. The Shadow of the Erdtree expansion left multiplayer structure untouched, and Elden Ring Nightreign is also locked to platform families despite being built around three-player co-op. Nightreign has no cross-save either, so unlocked Nightfarers stay where you earned them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can PS5 and Xbox players play Elden Ring together?

No. PlayStation and Xbox run entirely separate multiplayer pools. Some guides claim otherwise, and they are wrong - there has never been crossplay between the two console families in Elden Ring.

Is Elden Ring crossplay with PC?

No. The PC version sits in its own pool. A Steam player cannot join a console session in any mode, co-op or PvP.

Can PS4 and PS5 players play Elden Ring together?

Yes. This is the cross-generation exception, and it works both ways. Agree a multiplayer password first so the game matches you with each other rather than with strangers.

Will FromSoftware add crossplay later?

There is no announced plan and no indication it is coming. Retrofitting crossplay into a networking system built per platform is a substantial rebuild, and FromSoftware has never done it for any of its titles. Treat it as settled rather than pending.

Decide the Platform Before You Buy, Not After

Because there is no crossplay and no cross-save, the platform question is the only one that really matters for co-op, and it is worth settling with your group before anyone pays. Ask where the people you actually want to summon are playing, then buy there. If you are still weighing whether a game supports this properly, our list of crossplay games covers titles that do, and if the answer for your group is PC, you can pick up Elden Ring on Steam.