If you’ve ever hopped on a Discord call with friends only to realize half your group plays Rainbow Six Siege on PS4 and the other half on PC, you’ve definitely asked can you cross play Rainbow Six Siege PS4 PC at least once. Ubisoft’s tactical first-person shooter has built its reputation on tight, squad-based gameplay, so being locked out of playing with people you click with because of different hardware is frustrating. I’ve spent years bouncing between console and PC versions of Siege, testing every workaround and official feature to figure out exactly what cross-platform play is and isn’t supported for these two devices. This guide breaks down all the official rules, hidden tricks, and limitations you need to know before you try to squad up.
Can You Cross Play Rainbow Six Siege PS4 PC: Official Ubisoft Rules
Let’s cut straight to the most important question first. There is no official, built-in support for cross play between PS4 and PC versions of Rainbow Six Siege as of 2024. I tested this myself last month when I tried to invite my PS4-using roommate to my PC casual queue, and the invite never popped up, even when we were on each other’s Ubisoft Connect friends lists and had cross play enabled in both of our settings. Ubisoft first confirmed they would not mix console and PC player pools back in 2021 when they rolled out cross-generation play for PlayStation and Xbox consoles. Many players hoped the feature would be added with the Operation Heavy Mettle or Operation Deep Freeze updates, but Ubisoft reaffirmed their stance each time, noting they had no immediate plans to change the current cross play structure. This rule applies to all game modes, including casual, ranked, unranked, and even custom lobbies by default.
Key Reasons PS4 and PC Cross Play Isn’t Enabled For Siege
Ubisoft’s decision to keep PS4 and PC pools separate isn’t arbitrary, and it’s rooted in years of player feedback and internal testing. The biggest factor by far is input disparity. PC players use mouse and keyboard, which offers far faster aim precision and reaction time than a standard PS4 controller, even with aim assist turned all the way up. A 2022 internal Ubisoft test found that PC players had a 23% higher win rate against controller players when placed in the same lobbies, which would make ranked play completely unbalanced for console users. Input advantage is the single biggest reason Ubisoft has no plans to add PS4 to PC cross play in upcoming patches.
Anti-cheat is another major concern. The closed nature of console systems makes it much harder for cheaters to access and modify game files, so PS4 players rarely encounter hackers in standard lobbies. PC systems are far more open, and cheat providers regularly create new hacks that bypass anti-cheat software for weeks at a time. Mixing the two pools would expose PS4 players to far more cheaters, which would ruin the fair, tactical experience most console Siege fans expect. Performance gaps also play a role. Most base PS4 models run Siege at 30 to 60 FPS, while the majority of active PC players run the game at 144 FPS or higher, which gives PC players a noticeable edge in reaction time during close-quarters fights.
Workarounds to Play With Friends Across PS4 and PC
Official cross play isn’t available, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find legitimate ways to play with your friends across devices if you’re willing to put in a small amount of extra work. None of these workarounds let you mix PS4 and PC players in the same standard lobby, but they do let you play together without buying an entirely new console or PC. Just make sure you follow Ubisoft’s terms of service to avoid account bans when using these methods.
- PS Remote Play streaming: If you own a PS4 copy of Siege, you can stream the game to your Windows PC via the official PS Remote Play app. You’ll be matched with other console players, so you can squad up with your PS4 friends while using your PC monitor to display the feed. The feature works best if you have a wired ethernet connection for both your PS4 and PC, as Wi-Fi can cause input lag that makes fast-paced tactical matches unplayable. You can use a controller or even a mouse and keyboard with third-party input mappers, though keep in mind input mappers are against Ubisoft’s terms of service for ranked play, so stick to casual lobbies if you use that setup.
- Dual platform game ownership: If you play Siege regularly on both devices, buying a copy for both PS4 and PC lets you switch between pools depending on who you’re playing with. Your in-game rank won’t carry over between platforms, but cross-progression support means all your cosmetics, renown, and R6 credits will be available on both versions as long as you link the same Ubisoft Connect account. This is the most reliable option if you play with both PC and PS4 groups on a weekly basis.
- Community run cross-platform events: Many large Siege community groups host casual tournaments and custom game nights that let PC and PS4 players compete against each other in separate lobbies, with shared leaderboards for bragging rights. These events often use custom rules to level the playing field, like requiring PC players to use controllers if they’re competing against console teams. They’re a great option if you just want to play with friends for fun without worrying about rank or match balancing.
Supported Cross Play Options For Siege You Can Use Right Now
While PS4 to PC cross play isn’t available, there are plenty of other cross play features you can take advantage of to play with a wider group of friends. Cross generation play is fully supported between PS4 and PS5, so you can squad up with friends on newer PlayStation hardware without any extra work. The same goes for Xbox consoles: Xbox One players can queue with Xbox Series X/S players with no restrictions, and all console players on PlayStation and Xbox can cross play with each other as of 2022. That means if half your group is on PS4 and the other half is on Xbox Series X, you can still play together without any workarounds.
PC players also get access to cross play across all PC storefronts. All PC versions of Siege support cross play between Steam, Epic Games Store, and Ubisoft Connect, so you don’t have to worry about which store your PC friends bought the game from. I tested this last week when I invited my friend who owns Siege on Epic to my Steam ranked lobby, and the invite worked instantly, no extra linking required beyond being friends on Ubisoft Connect. Cross progression is also supported across all platforms, so if you eventually decide to switch from PS4 to PC full time, you won’t lose all the skins and renown you’ve earned over the years.
At the end of the day, the answer to can you cross play Rainbow Six Siege PS4 PC is no for official standard queues, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find ways to play with your friends across devices. If you’re only playing casually, the workarounds we listed are more than enough to have a good time, and if you play ranked, you’re better off sticking to your platform’s pool to keep matches fair. Ubisoft occasionally tests new cross play features, so it’s worth keeping an eye on official patch notes if you’re holding out for official support down the line. For now, focus on the cross play features that do work, and you’ll have no trouble building a solid squad no matter what hardware your friends use.
