Is Rainbow Six Siege Crossplay in 2024?
Rainbow Six Siege, developed by Ubisoft, has been one of the standout tactical shooters since its release. Known for its strategic gameplay, operator abilities, and intense matches, it has maintained a loyal player base for years. But, is Rainbow Six Siege Crossplay?
As gaming continues to evolve, crossplay has become a highly sought-after feature, allowing players across different platforms to team up or compete against each other.
Is Rainbow Six Siege Crossplay?
The good news is that Ubisoft has introduced crossplay, but with a few key limitations and conditions that affect how and where players can use it. These restrictions are crucial to know, especially if you’re looking to squad up with friends on different consoles or even on PC.
Crossplay, simply put, allows players from different platforms to play together in the same matches. In the case of Rainbow Six Siege, this feature has been partially available since 2022, but with some restrictions. Crossplay is currently divided between console players and PC players, meaning you can only play with others who are on a similar platform.
For instance, if you are playing on PlayStation, you can match up with and against players on Xbox. However, crossplay between PC and consoles is not yet fully available, though it is scheduled to roll out in Year 9 Season 4. When this update happens, PC players will be able to team up with console players, but the matchmaking system will place these mixed teams against other PC users to avoid an unfair advantage due to control differences.
For now, PC players can only crossplay with users on Amazon Luna or Stadia. Console players (PlayStation and Xbox) enjoy more crossplay freedom within their ecosystems, but still can’t play with those on PC. Crossplay in Rainbow Six Siege aims to unite the gaming community, but it does come with certain limitations, especially when it comes to balancing gameplay between controllers and mouse/keyboard setups.
Which Platforms Support Crossplay?
When it comes to crossplay in Rainbow Six Siege, the platforms are divided into two distinct groups: consoles and PCs. Currently, Rainbow Six Siege players of PlayStation and Xbox users enjoy crossplay functionality, meaning players on these platforms can match with each other. This includes cross-generational support, so if you’re on a PS5, you can still play with friends on PS4, and the same goes for Xbox Series X|S users playing with Xbox One users.
However, crossplay between PC and consoles is not yet active. PC players are grouped with those playing on Amazon Luna or Stadia, but there’s no crossover between PC and console players. The reasons behind this separation mostly revolve around competitive balance. Playing on a PC with a mouse and keyboard provides a different level of precision compared to console controllers, which could lead to unfair advantages in competitive matches.
An exciting update is set to release in Year 9 Season 4, which will allow crossplay between PCs and consoles. However, even when this update launches, mixed teams of console and PC players will be matched against PC players to maintain fairness. This division ensures that no one platform has an inherent advantage during gameplay.
How to Enable/Disable Crossplay?
Enabling or disabling crossplay in Rainbow Six Siege is a straightforward process, but it’s essential for players who want to tailor their multiplayer experience. By default, crossplay is enabled when you first start the game, allowing for broader matchmaking pools and potentially faster queue times. However, some players prefer to disable this feature due to the differences in platform performance or to avoid unbalanced matchmaking.
To enable or disable crossplay, follow these steps:
1. Launch Rainbow Six Siege and navigate to the Settings menu.
2. Under the General tab, scroll down until you find the Crossplay Matchmaking option.
3. Toggle the setting ON or OFF, depending on your preference.
4. You can also disable Crossplay Communication if you prefer not to interact with players on other platforms.
Players may choose to turn off crossplay for several reasons. Console players, for instance, might find that crossplay introduces longer matchmaking times or an uneven competitive experience. On the other hand, enabling it can broaden your matchmaking pool, ensuring you find matches more quickly, especially during off-peak hours.
Cross-Progression in Rainbow Six Siege
Cross-progression is another key feature introduced alongside crossplay in Rainbow Six Siege, giving players the ability to maintain their progress across different platforms. With cross-progression, you can switch from playing on one console to another without losing your in-game achievements, unlocks, or ranks. However, it’s important to note that cross-progression is only fully functional within console ecosystems or between PC and cloud gaming platforms like Amazon Luna or Stadia.
For example, if you’ve been playing on a PlayStation, you can seamlessly switch to an Xbox while retaining your operators, rank, and skins, provided your Ubisoft account is linked to both platforms. Unfortunately, cross-progression between PC and consoles is not supported at this time. This means that if you play on a PC, you won’t be able to transfer your progress to a PlayStation or Xbox and vice versa.
To enable cross-progression:
1. Visit the Ubisoft Account Information webpage.
2. Go to the Linked Accounts section.
3. Select the platform you want to link and follow the on-screen instructions.
This linking process allows your progress, including ranks, skins, and battle pass achievements, to be shared across consoles. While the lack of full cross-progression between PC and consoles is a limitation, Ubisoft’s partial cross-progression ensures players can maintain their hard-earned rewards within their chosen platform ecosystems.
Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Q)
Does Rainbow Six Siege have crossplay between PC and consoles?
As of now, there is no crossplay between PC and consoles in Rainbow Six Siege. PC players are restricted to playing with others on PC, Amazon Luna, or Stadia. However, console players (PlayStation and Xbox) do have crossplay functionality, allowing them to match and play together. Ubisoft plans to introduce crossplay between PC and consoles with the Year 9 Season 4 update, but even then, mixed teams of PC and console players will face PC opponents to maintain fairness.
Can you disable crossplay in Rainbow Six Siege?
Yes, crossplay can be disabled in Rainbow Six Siege. Many players, especially those focused on competitive gameplay, opt to turn it off to ensure more balanced matches. Disabling crossplay can be done through the game’s settings menu, under the “General” tab. While turning it off might lead to longer matchmaking times, it ensures you’re only playing against others on the same platform, potentially creating a more controlled environment for competitive play.
What about cross-progression?
Rainbow Six Siege supports cross-progression between platforms of the same type—PlayStation to Xbox or within the PC ecosystem (including Luna and Stadia). This means that your progress, skins, and rank can be transferred between consoles or PC platforms, as long as your Ubisoft account is linked to both. However, cross-progression between PC and consoles is currently not supported.
Wrapping Up
In conclusion, Rainbow Six Siege does offer crossplay, but with some significant caveats. Console players on PlayStation and Xbox can enjoy crossplay between their systems, allowing for a more dynamic matchmaking experience. However, crossplay between PC and consoles remains off the table until a future update is expected in Year 9 Season 4. Once this update is live, mixed teams of PC and console players will be possible, but only when matched against other PC players to ensure fair gameplay.
