Ever logged onto your PlayStation ready to grind ranked, only to realize your best friend only plays Rainbow Six Siege on their PC? If you’ve ever asked can you cross play in rainbow six siege, you’re not alone. Cross-platform support is one of the most requested features for online competitive shooters, and Ubisoft has rolled out consistent updates to make crossplay work for as much of the Siege community as possible. I’ve been playing Siege on and off since Year 3, switching between Xbox, PC, and my mobile account for casual matches, so I’ve tested every crossplay scenario you can think of to break down exactly what works, what doesn’t, and how to avoid common headaches when squadding up across devices.
Can You Cross Play in Rainbow Six Siege Across All Platforms?
The short answer is yes, but with a few key restrictions depending on what platform you’re playing on, and what game mode you’re queuing for. Ubisoft first rolled out crossplay support for console players back in 2022, before expanding the feature to include PC players for non-ranked modes later on. If you’re playing casually, you can squad up with almost anyone, no matter what device they use, but ranked play has stricter rules to keep competition fair.
One thing to note right off the bat: mobile players are currently only able to crossplay with other mobile players, even if you’re using the same Ubisoft account you use on PC or console. The mobile version of Siege has adjusted gameplay mechanics and shorter match times, so mixing mobile players with PC or console players would create an unfair advantage for anyone using a keyboard and mouse or controller. That rule might change in future updates, but as of the latest patch, mobile crossplay is locked to its own ecosystem.
- Console players (PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One) can crossplay with each other for both casual and ranked game modes
- PC players can crossplay with all console players for casual, unranked, and special event modes, but cannot queue for ranked crossplay with console users
- Mobile players can only play with other iOS and Android mobile users, with no crossplay support for PC or console at this time
If you’re still having trouble finding friends after linking accounts, double check that they haven’t disabled crossplay entirely, as that’s another common reason people can’t find an answer to can you cross play in rainbow six siege when they’re first testing the feature. You can easily check if a friend has crossplay enabled by looking for a small platform icon next to their name on your Ubisoft Connect friends list. If the icon is missing, they likely have crossplay turned off in their settings.
How to Enable Crossplay for Your Rainbow Six Siege Account
Even if crossplay is supported for your platform, you might have the feature turned off without realizing it. Ubisoft turns crossplay on by default for all new accounts, but many players disable it to avoid playing against PC users if they’re on console, or to reduce queue times for certain modes. Turning it back on only takes a few seconds, no matter what device you’re using.
First, head to the main settings menu from the Siege home screen, then navigate to the Gameplay tab. Look for the option labeled “Crossplay Matchmaking” and toggle it on. You’ll also want to make sure the “Crossplay Communication” option is toggled on if you want to talk to friends on other platforms using in-game voice chat. If you’re playing on PC, you’ll need to link your Ubisoft Connect account to your console account if you haven’t already, otherwise you won’t see your console friends on your in-game friends list.
So I ran into this issue last year when I tried to squad up with my cousin who plays on PS5 from my PC. I had crossplay turned on, but I hadn’t linked my PSN account to my Ubisoft Connect account, so his name didn’t show up when I searched for it. Once I linked the accounts through the Ubisoft website, he popped up immediately, and we were able to queue for casual matches with no issues. It’s a small step that a lot of players skip, but it’s necessary to access crossplay features fully.
Key Crossplay Restrictions You Need to Know Before Queuing
Crossplay works great for casual play, but there are a few limitations that are important to understand before you try to queue for ranked with friends on other platforms. These rules are in place to keep competition as fair as possible, and they’ve been adjusted multiple times based on community feedback over the past two years.
The biggest restriction by far is no ranked crossplay between PC and console players. PC users have access to keyboard and mouse controls that give them faster reaction times and more precise aim than controller users, even with aim assist turned on for console. Ubisoft tested crossplay ranked for a short beta period in 2023, and found that PC players had a 17% higher win rate against console players in ranked matches, which led to the permanent restriction. You can still play unranked or casual with your PC friends if you’re on console, but you won’t be able to climb the ranked ladder together.
Another restriction to note is that crossplay is disabled for all custom tournament lobbies by default, even if all players have crossplay turned on. If you’re hosting a custom tournament for friends across different platforms, you’ll need to go into the lobby settings and manually enable crossplay for that specific lobby before anyone can join. That rule is in place to stop tournament organizers from accidentally letting players from different platforms join when the tournament is supposed to be platform-locked.
You also won’t be able to share in-game cosmetics or loadouts across platforms, even if you have cross-progression turned on. Cross-progression lets you keep your rank, stats, and renown balance across all your linked accounts, but skins that you bought on PC won’t transfer to your console account, and vice versa. That’s a common point of confusion for a lot of players, so it’s worth double checking before you buy a premium skin on one platform expecting to use it on another.
Tips for a Smooth Crossplay Experience With Friends
Even if you have all the right settings turned on, crossplay can still have a few hiccups if you don’t know what to look out for. I’ve put in hundreds of hours of crossplay matches across casual and event modes, so I’ve picked up a few tricks to avoid common issues that ruin squad sessions.
First, if you’re a console player playing with PC friends, turn on “Advanced Aim Assist” in the gameplay settings. This setting gives you a small boost to aim assist when you’re playing against keyboard and mouse users, which helps level the playing field a little bit. It won’t make you as precise as a high-level PC player, but it will make it much easier to track moving targets and win close-range gunfights.
Another tip: use Ubisoft Connect for party chat instead of in-game voice chat if you’re playing across multiple platforms. In-game crossplay voice chat has a lot of lag and audio cutout issues, especially if one player is on a older console like a PS4 or Xbox One. Ubisoft Connect’s party chat works across all platforms, and it has much more stable audio, so you won’t have to yell at your friends to repeat themselves mid-match when you’re calling out enemy positions.
If you’re queuing for casual matches with a mix of PC and console players, expect to wait a little longer for matches than you would if you were queuing alone. The matchmaker has to find a lobby that has crossplay enabled, and it will try to balance the number of PC and console players on each team to keep matches fair. Wait times usually only go up by 30 to 60 seconds, but it’s not uncommon to wait two or three minutes during off-peak hours when fewer players are online.
Finally, if you run into issues where you can’t join a friend’s lobby even though you both have crossplay turned on, try restarting your game and your router first. 9 times out of 10, the issue is a small connection glitch that fixes itself with a quick restart, instead of a problem with your account settings. If it still doesn’t work, double check that both of you have the latest game patch installed, because mismatched patch versions will block crossplay lobbies even if the difference is a small hotfix.
At the end of the day, if you’re wondering can you cross play in rainbow six siege, the answer is almost always yes, as long as you’re willing to work around the small restrictions for ranked and mobile play. Crossplay has made it so much easier to play with friends no matter what device they prefer, and Ubisoft is consistently rolling out updates to make the feature even better. Whether you’re grinding casual matches with friends across different consoles or trying out new event modes with PC teammates, the crossplay setup is simple enough that you can be in a match together in just a few minutes. Just don’t forget to link your accounts first, or you’ll spend half your play session troubleshooting instead of planting the defuser.
