There’s nothing more frustrating than rounding up a group of friends to grind ranked Rainbow Six Siege, only to realize half of you own Xbox consoles and the other half play on PlayStation. A ton of players ask can xbox and playstation play together on rainbow six siege, especially after Ubisoft rolled out crossplay updates for the game over the last few years. I’ve spent hundreds of hours playing Siege across both console platforms, so I’ve tested every cross-squad setup you can think of to figure out exactly what works, what doesn’t, and how you can avoid the most common headaches when trying to play with cross-console friends.
Can Xbox and PlayStation Play Together on Rainbow Six Siege: The Short Answer
Let’s cut straight to the chase: yes, Xbox and PlayStation players can play together on Rainbow Six Siege as of the Year 7 crossplay update. Ubisoft rolled out full crossplay support across all console platforms in 2022, and the feature works for most game modes with very few restrictions. That means you don’t have to beg your friend to buy a new console just to queue for casual matches or unranked playlists together. But wait, there are a few key limitations you need to know about before you try to send a squad invite, especially if you’re planning to play ranked.
The only catch for ranked play is that both players (or the entire squad) have to be within the same rank tier range to queue together, which is the same rule that applies to same-console squads. You also won’t be able to play any limited-time event modes that explicitly disable crossplay, though Ubisoft rarely restricts crossplay for events unless they’re testing new anti-cheat features. I’ve noticed that cross-console squads get matchmade slightly faster than same-console squads in most regions too, since the crossplay pool includes millions more active players.
How to Set Up a Cross-Console Squad Between Xbox and PlayStation
Setting up your cross-console squad is way simpler than most players think, and it only takes a few minutes if you have all your account info ready. I’ve walked dozens of my friends through this process, and most of them get it right on the first try with no extra help. Follow these steps to get your squad up and running:
- First, link your Ubisoft Connect account to both your console platform account (Xbox Live or PlayStation Network) and make sure all your friends do the same. You can do this through the in-game settings menu or the Ubisoft Connect website.
- Next, add each other as friends directly on Ubisoft Connect, not just on your console’s native friend list. Console-only friend requests won’t show up for players on the opposite platform, so this step is non-negotiable.
- Once you’re connected on Ubisoft Connect, send a squad invite directly through the in-game friends list. The invite will pop up on their screen no matter what platform they’re playing on, and they can join with one click.
- Double check that crossplay is enabled in your in-game settings. It’s turned on by default for most players, but if you or a friend turned it off previously to avoid PC players, you’ll need to toggle it back on to see cross-console invites.
I’ve run into issues where invites don’t show up if one player is still in a match or loading into a new map, so I always recommend waiting until everyone is on the main menu before sending invites. If invites still aren’t coming through, have everyone restart their game and double check that their Ubisoft account is linked correctly. 9 times out of 10, that fixes any connectivity issues for cross-console squads. If you run into any other issues when trying to set up a squad where Xbox and PlayStation play together on Rainbow Six Siege, you can check the official Ubisoft support page for known outages or bugs.
Key Limitations for Cross-Console Rainbow Six Siege Play
While crossplay between Xbox and PlayStation works for most use cases, there are a few important limitations you need to be aware of to avoid disappointment. I’ve run into almost all of these myself at some point, so I can tell you exactly what to watch out for.
First, you cannot play with PC players if you’re on console unless you explicitly enable crossplay with PC in your settings. Ubisoft separated console and PC crossplay pools by default to keep matches fair, since PC players have access to mouse and keyboard controls that give them a big advantage over controller users. If you turn on PC crossplay, you’ll be matchmade with both console and PC players, so only do that if you’re comfortable going up against mouse and keyboard players.
Another limitation is that in-game purchases and battle pass progress are not shared across platforms. If you bought a battle pass on PlayStation, you won’t have access to it on Xbox, and vice versa. You also can’t transfer skins, renown, or rank progress between the two platforms, so you’ll have to keep playing on your main account if you want to keep all your unlocks. Most of these restrictions are in place to keep the game fair for all players, regardless of what platform they use, so they don’t take away from the fun of being able to play with Xbox and PlayStation friends together on Rainbow Six Siege.
You also won’t be able to use console-specific voice chat features when playing in a cross-console squad. You’ll have to use the in-game voice chat, or a third-party app like Discord if you want better audio quality. I’ve found the in-game voice chat works well enough for most casual play, but I always use Discord for ranked matches to avoid audio lag or dropouts.
Tips to Improve Your Cross-Console Siege Experience
After playing hundreds of matches in cross-console squads, I’ve picked up a few tips that make the whole experience way smoother. These small tweaks will help you avoid lag, connectivity issues, and unfair matchups so you can focus on winning rounds.
First, adjust your input lag settings if you notice your controls feel less responsive when playing against cross-console players. Most newer Xbox and PlayStation consoles have a game mode setting that cuts down on input lag significantly, and you should also turn off any unnecessary post-processing features on your TV to get the fastest response time possible. I cut my input lag in half just by switching my TV to game mode, which made a huge difference in close-quarters gunfights.
Another tip is to stick to unranked or casual play for your first few cross-console squad matches if you’re used to playing with same-console friends. You might notice slight differences in how other players move or react, since Xbox and PlayStation controllers have slightly different input curves. Take a few matches to get used to the expanded player pool before you jump into ranked play with your cross-console squad. If you notice you’re getting matched with a lot of PC players who are dominating your lobbies, you can turn off crossplay with PC in your settings at any time, and you’ll only be matchmade with other Xbox and PlayStation players.
You should also make sure you have a stable wired internet connection if you’re playing in cross-console squads. Wi-Fi connections are more likely to have packet loss or lag spikes when connecting to cross-platform servers, so plugging your console directly into your router will help you avoid getting kicked out of matches or experiencing rubber banding mid-round. I used to play on Wi-Fi and got kicked out of at least one match a week, but I haven’t had a single disconnect since I switched to a wired connection.
At the end of the day, the ability to play cross-console between Xbox and PlayStation has made Rainbow Six Siege way more accessible for groups of friends who don’t all own the same console. You don’t have to worry about platform restrictions holding you back from grinding matches with your favorite people anymore, as long as you follow the simple setup steps and keep the small limitations in mind. Next time you’re rounding up a group to play, you won’t have to stress about the question of can xbox and playstation play together on rainbow six siege, because you already know exactly how to get your squad up and running in minutes.
