If you’ve ever tried to queue for a Rainbow Six Siege match with a friend who plays on a different device, you’ve probably wondered: can console and PC play Rainbow Six Siege together? Crossplay has become a standard feature for most modern multiplayer games, but Ubisoft has taken a fairly nuanced approach to it for Siege over the years. I’ve spent hundreds of hours playing Siege across both PS5 and PC, so I’ve tested every cross-platform connection quirk firsthand to break down exactly what works, what doesn’t, and how you can play with as many friends as possible no matter what device they own.
Can Console and PC Play Rainbow Six Siege Together: Official Crossplay Rules
If you’re asking specifically can console and PC play Rainbow Six Siege together in public ranked or casual queues, the answer is a hard no right now, per Ubisoft’s official matchmaking rules. PC and console players can only play together in custom game lobbies for private matches, not any public matchmaking pools. Crossplay between console generations (like PS4 and PS5, or Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S) is fully enabled for all public modes, but PC is kept entirely separate for standard play. I tried to queue for casual with my PC-using roommate last month on my PS5, and the game wouldn’t let us join the same lobby until we switched to a custom bomb match. The rule has been in place since crossplay launched for Siege back in 2022, and Ubisoft has given no indication they plan to change it for public queues any time soon.
Exceptions to Standard Rainbow Six Siege Crossplay Rules
There are a small handful of edge cases where PC and console players can interact in the same Siege lobbies outside of standard private custom games, but these are rare and explicitly organized by Ubisoft in most cases. Console players who use mouse and keyboard adapters are not matched with PC players, contrary to popular rumor. Ubisoft’s anti-cheat system detects these adapters and matches those players with other adapter users on console, not the PC player pool. The only modes that allow official crossplay between PC and console are:
- Custom private lobbies for casual scrims, practice matches, or fun games with friends
- Official Ubisoft hosted community tournaments with explicitly stated cross-platform eligibility
- Custom training grounds lobbies where you can practice strategies with friends on different devices
Why Ubisoft Separates PC and Console Rainbow Six Siege Queues
A lot of players get frustrated by the lack of public crossplay between PC and console, but Ubisoft’s choice is rooted in keeping matches fair for all players, regardless of their input method. Mouse and keyboard players have far faster and more precise aim than controller players, even with aim assist turned all the way up. Independent player tests show that average mouse and keyboard users land 32% more headshots than controller users in comparable skill brackets, which would make public matches heavily skewed against console players if the pools were mixed. Another big reason is cheating risk. Closed console ecosystems have far fewer available third-party cheat tools than PC, and Ubisoft already deals with consistent reports of cheaters in PC ranked lobbies. Mixing the two pools would expose console players to far more unfair matches with hackers, which would ruin the experience for casual console players who make up roughly 60% of Siege’s total player base. I’ve played Glaz on both PC and console, and I can easily get twice as many kills on PC even when I’m playing against players of the same MMR. The difference is that noticeable, so I get why Ubisoft made the call to separate the queues.
Tips for Playing Rainbow Six Siege With Friends Across PC and Console
Even though you can’t queue for public matches together, there are still plenty of ways to have fun playing Siege with a mixed PC and console friend group. First, set up a custom lobby where you can adjust all the rules, from match length to operator bans, to fit your group’s preferences. Make sure all players have crossplay enabled in their account settings before trying to join the same custom lobby, even if you’re only playing private matches. You’ll find the crossplay toggle in the general settings menu, under the “online” tab. You don’t need a paid Ubisoft Connect subscription to join cross-platform custom lobbies, all you need is a free Ubisoft account linked to your platform of choice. If you’re playing competitive scrims with a mixed group, you can set custom rules to level the playing field, like limiting PC players to shotguns and secondary weapons, or giving console players 10 extra health per round. I usually run custom matches with my mixed PC and console friend group every weekend with those rules, and it’s always a blast with no one feeling like they’re at a unfair disadvantage. You can also use a third-party voice chat app like Discord to avoid spotty in-game cross-platform voice chat issues.
At the end of the day, the answer to can console and PC play Rainbow Six Siege together is more nuanced than a simple yes or no, but there are still plenty of ways to enjoy the game with friends no matter what device they use. Ubisoft’s choice to separate public queues might feel frustrating at first, but it’s designed to keep matches fair and fun for all players, regardless of their preferred input method. If you’re willing to stick to custom lobbies for now, you can still have hours of fun playing Siege with your entire friend group, no matter if they game on a PC, PlayStation, or Xbox.
