Currently, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019), Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, Call of Duty: Vanguard, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (2022), and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (2023) offer cross-platform play.
Ever wondered what call of duty games are cross platform? It’s a frequent question for gamers eager to play with friends on different systems. The good news is that the franchise has embraced crossplay in recent years.
This means you are not always restricted to playing only with people on the same console or PC. Now, you can team up or compete with a wider range of players. Let’s dive into which titles allow this great feature.
Which Call of Duty Games Are Cross Platform?
Hey there, gamers! Ever wanted to team up with your best friend who plays on a different game system? Or maybe you’ve been itching to take on that player who’s always bragging about their skills, even though they’re on a different console? Well, when it comes to the Call of Duty series, cross-platform play is a game-changer. But not every Call of Duty game lets you play with everyone. So, let’s dive into the exciting world of cross-platform gaming in Call of Duty and see which titles allow you to squad up with friends no matter what system they’re on. We’ll explore the games that support cross-platform play, what that means for you, and how it all works.
The Dawn of Cross-Platform Play in Call of Duty
For a long time, if you played Call of Duty on your PlayStation, you were limited to playing with other PlayStation gamers. Xbox players could only play with other Xbox players, and PC gamers were in their own separate world. This meant that if your best friend played on a different system, you couldn’t play together. Frustrating, right? Thankfully, the folks at Activision and the Call of Duty developers recognized this problem and started working on a solution. That’s where cross-platform play comes in!
What is Cross-Platform Play?
Cross-platform play, or crossplay for short, is a fantastic feature that allows players on different gaming platforms to play together. This means you can play a Call of Duty match with your friends even if they’re on a PlayStation while you’re on an Xbox, or maybe someone is on a PC. It breaks down the walls between different systems and makes the game experience much more inclusive and fun. The main idea is to bring everyone together regardless of the hardware they are using. This lets you play with a much larger pool of players, which means quicker matchmaking and more diverse competition.
Call of Duty Games That Support Cross-Platform Play
Let’s get to the real meat of the matter: Which Call of Duty games support cross-platform play? It’s important to note that not every title in the franchise supports this feature. Cross-platform play started appearing in recent Call of Duty titles, meaning that older games, unfortunately, do not offer this option. Here are the games where you can squad up with players on other platforms:
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019) – This was the game that first introduced the crossplay concept to the Call of Duty franchise. It included cross-platform play between PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
- Call of Duty: Warzone – This free-to-play battle royale game was built from the ground up with crossplay in mind. It allows players on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One to all battle together.
- Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War – Building on the previous success, Black Ops Cold War continued to support cross-platform play between PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
- Call of Duty: Vanguard – Similar to Black Ops Cold War, Vanguard supports crossplay across all the same platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (2022) – This newer title fully embraces cross-platform capabilities across PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (2023) – The latest game in the series also supports full crossplay between all modern platforms, maintaining consistency for the player base.
- Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile – This mobile version of Warzone introduces cross-progression between mobile and console/PC platforms, letting players progress across multiple platforms. While not a complete cross-play in the strict sense, it does merge the player base.
How Does Cross-Platform Play Work in Call of Duty?
So, now you know which games offer this great feature, you might be wondering how it all works. Let’s break down the process a bit.
Account Linking
To use cross-platform play, you need to link your game accounts to your Activision account. This account serves as a central hub and allows you to connect your accounts across different platforms. For example, if you play on a PlayStation and you have an Xbox, you link both of these platform accounts to your Activision account. This process ensures that the game knows who you are, no matter what system you’re playing on. After you’ve linked your accounts, your friends can easily find you by using your Activision ID, which acts as your main identifier in the game.
Enabling or Disabling Crossplay
In most of the Call of Duty games supporting cross-platform play, you have the option to enable or disable it in the game’s settings. This is very useful for people who prefer to play only with players on the same platform as them. For example, you might want to disable it if you only prefer to play against players who are using a controller if you are also playing with a controller, as some people feel that mouse and keyboard gives a huge advantage. If you like the idea of crossplay, you will want to make sure that it is set to “Enabled”. The game will show you all available players regardless of their platform when it is enabled. If you decide to play only with people on your platform, then you simply turn this option off.
Finding Friends
Finding your friends on other platforms is very simple. All you need is their Activision ID, which is different from their PlayStation Network ID or Xbox Gamertag. Once you add them using their Activision ID, you will then be able to see when they’re online, and you can send them game invites, and play together. You don’t need to know whether they are playing on a PlayStation, Xbox or a PC, the game will handle all of this automatically once you have added each other through your Activision IDs.
The Benefits of Cross-Platform Play
Crossplay isn’t just a cool feature; it’s a game-changer for the Call of Duty experience. Here are some of the reasons why cross-platform play is beneficial for everyone:
Play with Friends on Any Platform
This is, of course, the most exciting benefit. Crossplay allows you to team up with your friends no matter what game system they are on. You are not limited to the people who are on the same platform as you are, and this means more friends to play with. It means fewer barriers to enjoying your favorite games, and no more having to buy a different console to play with your friends.
Faster Matchmaking
With a larger pool of players available, it means you will find matches much quicker. Instead of waiting a long time to find enough players on one system, you can quickly get into a match with players from all different platforms. This is especially helpful in modes that have a smaller player base.
More Diverse Competition
Playing with players from different platforms can also lead to a much more diverse gaming experience. You can find different play styles and strategies coming from PC players or other console players. This mix of skill can make the games more dynamic and can make each game feel different. This also gives you an opportunity to learn from your opponents and makes the game more enjoyable.
Extending the Lifespan of the Game
When you can play with people across platforms, the game can still have a strong player base and remain popular for much longer. Games that do not allow crossplay, can often die off sooner, when the player base of a particular platform has moved on to other things. Crossplay helps to maintain an active player base, which means developers are more likely to keep updating the game with new content and features. So, cross-platform play benefits both the players and the game’s long-term health.
Potential Downsides of Cross-Platform Play
While cross-platform play is amazing, it is important to consider some of the potential issues.
Potential for Input Disadvantage
One common concern is that PC players, who often use a mouse and keyboard, might have an advantage over console players who use controllers. Mouse and keyboard users tend to have better aiming and precision than console players with controllers. Call of Duty does have aim assist features for players on controllers, and this helps level the playing field, but some players feel that it is still not perfectly balanced.
Communication Challenges
When you are playing with people on different platforms, sometimes there can be communication problems. Some players might not have headsets or have difficulty hearing each other because of different platform settings, or they might not have the same in game chat settings. While in-game chat works fine most of the time, there might be times when things might not work as smoothly as expected.
Platform Specific Bugs
Occasionally, a bug can affect just one platform and not another. This can sometimes create issues when you’re playing in cross-platform games, as those on the affected platforms may have problems. Although developers always try to fix these problems quickly, they can still create some frustration in a cross-platform game.
Cross-Progression in Call of Duty
While we have been mainly talking about cross-platform play, it is worth mentioning another related feature – cross-progression. Cross-progression means that the progress you make in one Call of Duty game can carry over to other platforms. For example, if you level up a gun on your PlayStation, this progress will transfer to your PC or Xbox. This feature is also tied to your Activision account. It lets you keep your progress whether you switch between systems. This makes it very easy to play on different systems, without having to start from zero every time you jump to a new platform. It is another way that Activision is trying to make gaming more fluid and accessible for players who own different systems.
How Cross-Progression Works
With cross-progression, the game tracks your experience, levels, weapon unlocks, cosmetic items, and battle pass progress through your Activision account. So if you make any progression while playing on your PC, the next time you log in on your Xbox, your progress and unlocks will all be there. This lets you move from platform to platform without losing anything. This also means if you decide to get a new gaming system, you will not lose any of your progress.
The Future of Cross-Platform Play in Call of Duty
Given the success of cross-platform play in the recent Call of Duty games, it is safe to say that crossplay is likely here to stay. The company has fully embraced this concept and it’s clear that they will try to improve upon it in future titles. This means more fun times with all of your friends no matter what platform they are using. As technology keeps improving, we can expect a very seamless experience across platforms. It is very clear that cross-platform play will be a key component of the future of Call of Duty.
Cross-platform play in Call of Duty is a fantastic way to connect with friends, find more matches quickly, and play a lot more diverse games. It brings the gaming community together and allows players to compete with a much wider audience. Whether you’re on a PlayStation, an Xbox, or a PC, crossplay in Call of Duty helps make the game an even more exciting experience. The linking of your Activision account will make sure that your progress is saved on all platforms through cross-progression. While there can be some slight downsides such as input differences, the overall benefits far outweigh any drawbacks. So, get your Activision account linked, grab your friends, and jump into a cross-platform Call of Duty game!
Warzone 3 PS4/PS5 : How to Add & Play Crossplay With Xbox & PC Friends Tutorial! (Easy Method)
Final Thoughts
Currently, Modern Warfare (2019), Black Ops Cold War, Vanguard, and Modern Warfare II and Modern Warfare III all support cross-platform play. These titles allow players on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox to play together. Therefore, the answer to “what call of duty games are cross platform” is those mentioned.
This feature enables players to easily enjoy the game with their friends. This unified experience is a great benefit for the franchise.



