You’re probably here because you’re sitting on your PS5 waiting to queue for a ranked R6 match, and your best friend texts you they’re logging on from their Xbox Series S. First question that pops up? Can you crossplay in Rainbow Six Siege without jumping through a dozen hoops? Ubisoft has adjusted cross-platform rules for the game multiple times over the years, so it’s easy to find outdated info that doesn’t match the current setup. This guide breaks down exactly what crossplay features are available, how to use them, and what limitations you need to know before you try to squad up.
Can You Crossplay in Rainbow Six Siege Across All Platforms?
The short answer is yes, but only for certain platform groups. Crossplay is enabled by default for all console players as part of Ubisoft's 2022 cross-platform rollout, meaning anyone playing on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, or Xbox Series X/S can match and squad up with each other with no extra work required for most cases. You don’t have to download any extra apps or pay for any special subscriptions outside of your platform’s online play service to use it.
PC players are completely locked out of crossplay with any console platform, and Ubisoft has repeatedly stated this will not change for the foreseeable future. The company made this call to reduce cheat risk across both player pools, as PC environments are far more vulnerable to undetectable third-party cheat software than closed console systems. PC players can only match with other PC players, regardless of if they download the game through Steam, Ubisoft Connect, or the Epic Games Store.
Nintendo Switch players who have the cloud version of Rainbow Six Siege also have limited crossplay access. They can only match with other Switch cloud players, and can’t squad up with anyone on other console platforms or PC. That’s due to the large performance gap between the cloud version and native console builds, which would create unfair matches for Switch players if they were grouped with others.
How to Enable and Use Crossplay for R6 Siege Console Matches
Most of the time, you won’t have to do anything to turn crossplay on, since it’s enabled by default the first time you launch the game after updating to the latest patch. If you previously turned it off and want to turn it back on, you can find the toggle under the “Gameplay” section of your settings menu, labeled “Cross Platform Play”.
To squad up with friends on other console platforms, you first need to make sure your Ubisoft Connect account is linked to all the platform accounts you use. You can link accounts through the Ubisoft Connect website, or directly in the game’s settings menu under the “Account” tab. Once linked, your cross-platform friends will show up in your in-game friends list, with a small icon next to their name indicating what platform they’re playing on.
If you don’t see your friend in your list, double check that both of you have your Ubisoft account privacy settings set to “Public” or “Friends Only”, not “Private”. Private accounts can’t be found by cross-platform users, even if you’ve added each other on your respective console networks. You can adjust privacy settings through the Ubisoft Connect website or mobile app in less than a minute.
Cross-progression works across all platforms, including PC and console, so all your operator unlocks, rank stats, battle pass progress, and earned skins will carry over no matter what console you log into. The only exception is paid in-game purchases made on PC won’t show up on console, and vice versa, due to platform store policies. You still keep the purchases on the platform you bought them on, they just don’t transfer across the PC/console divide.
Key Limitations and Rules for Rainbow Six Siege Crossplay
While crossplay works seamlessly for most casual and ranked matches, there are a few hard limits you need to be aware of before you plan a cross-platform squad night. These rules are set by Ubisoft to keep matches fair and avoid technical issues, and they apply to all players regardless of rank or account status:
- No crossplay between PC and any console platform, as Ubisoft has kept these player pools fully separate to reduce cheat risk in both lobbies
- Crossplay is not supported for custom ranked tournaments hosted by third parties or Ubisoft official esports qualifiers, which require all players to be on the same platform
- You can't transfer in-game purchases like skins, operator bundles, or battle pass tiers between PC and console, even if you use the same Ubisoft account for both
- Controller aim assist is disabled for any console player who squads up with a mouse and keyboard user on the same console family, to avoid unfair input advantages
If you’re playing in a cross-platform squad, your matchmaking pool will automatically include all eligible console players, even if some members of your squad have crossplay turned off in their personal settings. The game overrides individual crossplay settings when you join a squad that includes players from other platforms, to make sure the queue works correctly.
You also can’t use cross-platform voice chat by default in most regions. You’ll have to use a third-party voice chat app like Discord to talk to friends on other consoles, since the in-game voice chat only works for players on the same platform family. That’s a common pain point for players, but Ubisoft has not announced any plans to add cross-platform voice chat support yet.
Is Turning Off Crossplay the Right Choice for You?
A lot of console players choose to turn crossplay off for a number of reasons, and there’s no right or wrong answer here—it all depends on what you prioritize in your matches. It’s easy to toggle the setting on and off between matches, so you can test both options to see what works best for your playstyle.
If you play during off-peak hours in your region, leaving crossplay on will cut your queue times by up to 70% in most cases, especially for less popular modes like Ranked Solos or Terrorist Hunt. When you turn crossplay off, you only match with players on your same console family, so the player pool is much smaller, and you could end up waiting 10 minutes or more for a match during slow hours.
Many players turn crossplay off because they’re worried about facing mouse and keyboard users on other consoles, or players with higher performance hardware that gives them a frame rate advantage. It’s worth noting that skill-based matchmaking works across all console platforms, so you’ll still be matched with players of roughly the same skill level regardless of what platform they’re on. If you’re a controller-only player, turning crossplay off won’t stop you from facing mouse and keyboard users on your own console family, but it will narrow the pool enough that you’ll run into them less often.
You will not lose any existing unlocks or rank progress when you switch between crossplay enabled and disabled lobbies, so you don’t have to worry about penalization for changing the setting. If you’re grinding for a top 100 rank in your region, you might prefer to turn crossplay off to make sure you’re only competing against players on the same hardware as you, which evens out any performance gaps between console generations.
At the end of the day, the answer to can you crossplay in Rainbow Six Siege depends entirely on what platforms you and your friends play on. Console players have full crossplay support across all PlayStation and Xbox systems, with short queue times and full cross-progression for all earned content. PC players don’t have crossplay access with consoles, but that choice helps keep PC lobbies fair and free of the cheat issues that plague many other cross-platform FPS games. As long as you know the limitations and have your Ubisoft accounts linked, you can squad up with almost all of your friends for casual or ranked matches with almost no extra setup.
