Last month, I was grinding for Primogems on my Android phone during my morning commute, and wanted to team up with my roommate who was playing on his PS5 when I got home. I’d heard conflicting things about PlayStation crossplay support in the past, so I found myself googling can genshin impact crossplay just to be sure we could join the same co-op session. If you’ve ever had the same question, you’re not alone — crossplay is one of the most requested features for live service games, and Genshin’s player base spans nearly every major gaming device. This guide breaks down everything you need to know about crossplay support, setup steps, and fixes for common issues you might run into.
Which Platforms Can Genshin Impact Crossplay Between?
HoYoverse has rolled out full crossplay support for almost every platform Genshin Impact is available on, after lifting the last remaining PlayStation restrictions a few years back. That means you don’t have to worry about being locked out of playing with friends just because you prefer different devices. It’s worth noting that all versions of the game are kept on the exact same update schedule, so you’ll never be stuck waiting for your platform to get a new patch to play with others.
- PC (both official HoYoverse launcher and Epic Games Store versions)
- iOS and Android mobile devices, including both budget and flagship models
- PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 consoles, including digital and disc editions
- *Nintendo Switch (release date still unannounced, but crossplay support has been confirmed for launch)
PlayStation players no longer have restricted crossplay access, which was the biggest pain point for cross-platform groups before 2022. The only platform that’s still missing from the lineup is Xbox, and HoYoverse has not shared any plans to release Genshin Impact for Xbox consoles as of now. All platform versions receive the same update schedule, so you don’t have to worry about being on a different version than your friends when a new character banner or event drops.
How to Set Up Crossplay for Genshin Impact With Friends
Setting up crossplay is surprisingly straightforward, and you don’t need any special accounts or subscriptions to make it work for most devices. The first thing you need to confirm before anything else is that you and your friends are all on the same regional server. You pick your server when you first create your Genshin account, and you can’t switch servers for free later on. Crossplay is only possible between players on the same regional server, so if you made your account on the North America server, you won’t be able to join a friend who plays on the Europe server, no matter what device you both use.
Once you confirm you’re on the same server, you just need to reach Adventure Rank 16 to unlock multiplayer co-op. This usually takes 3 to 5 hours of gameplay for new players, so it’s not a huge grind to access crossplay. After you unlock multiplayer, exchange UIDs with your friends — you can find your UID in the bottom right corner of your main menu screen. Send a friend request, wait for them to accept, and either player can host a co-op session that the other can join directly from their friend list.
One big perk for PlayStation players is that you don’t need a paid subscription to access crossplay. PlayStation users don't need an active PS Plus subscription to access Genshin Impact crossplay or co-op, which saves you $10 to $15 a month compared to most other online console games. Mobile and PC players also don’t need any paid subscriptions to play co-op, so crossplay is completely free for everyone who owns the game.
Common Crossplay Issues and How to Fix Them
Crossplay works seamlessly 90% of the time, but there are a few common issues that pop up for players, especially if you’re playing with people across different device types. The most frequent issue I run into is version mismatch, which happens when one player hasn’t updated their game to the latest version. HoYoverse releases small patches every few weeks, and you can’t join a session with someone on a different game version. The fix is simple: just check your device’s app store, launcher, or console update menu for any pending Genshin Impact updates, install them, and restart your game.
Another common issue is friend requests not showing up. This almost always happens because you entered the wrong UID, or the person you’re trying to add has their friend request privacy settings turned off. Double check that you typed the 9-digit UID correctly, and ask your friend to go to their privacy settings and make sure friend requests are allowed from all users, or at least from users who input their UID. I’ve had this happen twice with friends who accidentally set their requests to “friends of friends” only, and changing that setting fixed it instantly.
Lag or disconnections during crossplay sessions are also pretty common, especially if one player is on a mobile data connection or rural internet. Genshin’s co-op runs off the host’s internet connection, so if the host has slow or unstable internet, everyone in the session will feel it. The easiest fix is to have the player with the most stable, high-speed internet host the session. You can also try closing any background apps that use bandwidth, like streaming services or download clients, to free up more speed for the game.
Crossplay Vs Cross Save: What’s The Difference, And Do You Need Both?
A lot of players mix up crossplay and cross save, but they’re two separate features that serve different purposes. Crossplay is what lets you play with friends on different devices, while cross save lets you access your own Genshin account progress across multiple devices. You don’t need cross save to use crossplay, but they work really well together if you play Genshin on more than one device. For example, I use cross save to play on my phone when I’m out running errands, and switch to my PC for better graphics and controller support when I’m at home, all on the same account.
Cross save is fully supported across all platforms that have crossplay, including PlayStation. To set it up, you just need to link all your device accounts to a single HoYoverse account on the HoYoverse website. You can only link one HoYoverse account to a PSN account, and vice versa, so double check you're linking the right accounts before confirming. Unlinking accounts is a long, complicated process that requires contacting customer support, so it’s better to take an extra minute to make sure you’re using the right accounts the first time.
The only real downside to using cross save is that you can only be logged into one device at a time on the same account. If you log into your account on your PC while you’re still logged in on your phone, you’ll get kicked out of the session on your phone automatically. It’s a small inconvenience, but it’s worth it for the ability to pick up where you left off no matter what device you have nearby. You also don’t have to repurchase any battle passes or paid content when you switch devices, since all purchases are tied to your HoYoverse account.
At the end of the day, the answer to can genshin impact crossplay is a resounding yes, for almost every major device the game is available on. The setup process is simple, there are no extra fees to use crossplay, and the few common issues that pop up are easy to fix with a little troubleshooting. Whether you’re teaming up to beat a tough weekly boss, farm for ascension materials, or just mess around in Teyvat with friends, crossplay makes it easy to play with people no matter what device they prefer. Just remember to confirm you’re on the same server, keep your game updated, and you’ll be playing cross-platform co-op without any hassle.