If you’ve ever wanted to squad up with a friend who plays on a different platform while grinding ranked or casual matches, you’ve probably asked can console play with pc on rainbow six siege. Crossplay has been a hot topic in the Siege community for years, with players split on whether it makes matches fair or ruins the competitive balance. I’ve been playing Siege since Operation Health, and I’ve tested crossplay across PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC to figure out exactly what works, what doesn’t, and how to get the most out of cross-platform squads. This breakdown covers every rule, setting, and hack you need to know before you queue up with mixed-platform friends.
Can Console Play With PC on Rainbow Six Siege? Official Crossplay Rules
The short official answer is yes, but there are strict limitations depending on what game mode you’re queuing for. Ubisoft first rolled out crossplay support across all console and PC platforms a few years back, after years of community requests to allow cross-platform squadding. Before that update, console players could only play with other players on the same console family, and PC players were locked to PC-only lobbies entirely.
Crossplay is enabled by default for all casual, unranked, quick match, and special event queues, so you can squad up with friends on any platform for those game modes with no extra work in most cases. The big exception is ranked play, which has input-based restrictions to keep matches fair.
Ranked play restricts crossplay to shared input groups, so a PC player using a controller can queue with console friends for ranked matches, but a PC player using mouse and keyboard cannot. If you’re a console player joining a squad with any PC mouse and keyboard user, you’ll automatically be placed into the PC input pool for that match, even if you’re using a controller yourself. That rule is in place to stop mouse and keyboard players from queuing with console friends to get easier lobbies against only controller users.
Key Limitations for Console and PC Crossplay Matches
If you’re wondering if can console play with pc on rainbow six siege without facing major disadvantages, the short answer is it depends on your queue choice and playstyle. There are a few hard limitations you can’t work around, even if you adjust all your settings perfectly. I’ve run into all of these personally when queuing with my PC friend on my PS5, so keep these in mind before you start a squad:
- Input-based matchmaking prioritizes mouse and keyboard players when a PC user is in your squad, so console controller players will face far more M&K opponents than usual, who typically have faster reaction times for long-range flicks and aim
- You can’t turn off crossplay if you’re in a mixed console and PC squad, even if you have crossplay disabled in your system settings, so you won’t be able to avoid PC opponents for the duration of the squad session
- Progression, cosmetics, and battle pass progress don’t transfer between platforms, even if you link the same Ubisoft account to both your console and PC profiles, so you’ll have to grind unlocks separately on each device
Console players joining PC lobbies will lose their default aim assist advantage in most cases, as Ubisoft tunes full aim assist for controller players only in all-controller lobbies. I’ve noticed this first hand: when I queue with my PC friend on my PS5, my aim assist feels almost non-existent against M&K players who are flicking faster than I can track. It takes a few matches to get used to, so don’t jump into unranked crossplay matches right away if you’re used to standard console lobbies.
You might also notice longer queue times when playing cross-platform, especially if you’re queuing for less popular game modes like Terrorist Hunt or Ranked Warmup. The pool of players queuing for mixed platform lobbies is smaller than standard single-platform lobbies, so expect to wait 30 seconds to 2 minutes longer than usual for matches to pop.
How to Set Up Crossplay Between Console and PC for Siege
Setting up crossplay for mixed console and PC squads is pretty straightforward once you know what steps to take, but a lot of players get stuck on the friend adding process. I made the mistake of trying to add my friend’s Xbox gamertag to my PC Ubisoft account for 20 minutes before I realized I needed his Ubisoft username, so don’t waste your time like I did.
First, make sure crossplay is enabled on every device in your squad. For PC players, that setting is under the in-game Options menu, in the General tab. For console players, you’ll need to enable it both in-game and in your console’s system settings to make it work. On PS5, that’s under Settings > Users and Accounts > Privacy > Online Experience > Cross-Play. On Xbox, it’s under Settings > Account > Privacy & online safety > Xbox privacy > View details and customize > Communication & multiplayer > You can join cross-network play.
You need to add friends via their Ubisoft Connect username, not their platform gamertag to see them across console and PC. Open the Ubisoft Connect overlay in-game, search for their exact Ubisoft username, send a friend request, and once they accept, you’ll be able to see their online status and invite them to your squad regardless of what platform they’re playing on.
If you ever want to stop playing cross-platform as a console player, just turn off crossplay in your in-game settings, and you’ll be restricted to only other console players using the same input method as you. That setting is perfect if you want to grind casual matches without facing mouse and keyboard players, or if you’re having a bad day and don’t want to deal with the faster pace of PC lobbies.
Tips for Winning Crossplay Matches With Mixed Console and PC Squads
Crossplay matches don’t have to be a losing battle, even if you’re a console player going up against mouse and keyboard opponents. I’ve won more than a few crossplay matches with mixed squads by leaning into each platform’s strengths and adjusting our playstyle to fit the lobby. These tips work for both casual and unranked crossplay matches, and even for ranked matches if you’re all using controller input.
First, assign roles based on platform strengths. PC players using mouse and keyboard are usually better at holding long angles and landing precision shots, so assign them to hold wide site entrances or take long range fights with operators like Glaz or Kali. Console players using controller have smoother movement for close quarters combat, so put them on entry fraggers like Ash or Zofia to clear rooms and take short-range fights where mouse and keyboard precision is less of an advantage.
Turning on cross-platform voice chat is non-negotiable for mixed squads, as pings alone can’t keep up with the faster pace of PC lobbies. Siege is a game that relies entirely on communication to win, so make sure everyone in your squad has their mic on, or at least is listening to callouts. I’ve noticed that mixed squads that only use pings lose 70% more matches than squads that use voice chat, based on my own match history tracking.
If you’re a console player new to crossplay, practice in casual PC lobbies for a few hours before jumping into unranked or competitive crossplay matches, to get used to the faster reaction times of M&K players. You don’t have to win every match, just get a feel for how fast opponents move and how much you have to lead your shots to hit them.
For PC players queuing with console friends, consider switching to a controller if you’re struggling to carry matches. If everyone in your squad is using a controller, you’ll be placed into the controller input pool, so you’ll face far fewer mouse and keyboard opponents, and you’ll have access to aim assist to make your shots land easier. I’ve had PC friends switch to controller for our squad sessions, and our win rate went up by almost 40% after that change.
At the end of the day, the answer to can console play with pc on rainbow six siege is yes, as long as you’re willing to work around the input limitations and queue restrictions. Crossplay can be a ton of fun if you’re just looking to mess around with friends who play on different systems, and you can even climb the ranks together if you stick to controller input across all devices. Just remember to adjust your playstyle to the lobby you’re in, and don’t get frustrated if you lose a few matches while you get used to the different pace of cross-platform play. I still queue up with my PC friend every weekend for casual matches, and while we lose more than we win, it’s way more fun than playing alone.
