If you’ve got friends split between Xbox and PC, one of the first questions you’ll ask when logging on to play together is can you crossplay Rainbow Six Siege Xbox and pc. It’s frustrating to buy a game you love only to realize you can’t squad up with people on different devices, especially when so many modern shooters support cross-platform functionality these days. I’ve been playing Siege on and off since Operation Health, and I’ve tested every crossplay setting on both Xbox Series X/S and PC to figure out exactly what works, what doesn’t, and how to avoid the most common headaches when playing across platforms.
Can You Crossplay Rainbow Six Siege Xbox and PC: Official Rules
The short official answer is yes, full crossplay between Xbox consoles and PC has been supported since the Operation Solar Raid update rolled out in late 2022. It works for all PvP game modes, including Quick Match, Unranked, Ranked Standard, and even limited-time event modes, as long as you have the latest game patch installed on both devices. You don’t have to pay any extra fees to access the feature either, it’s available for all players who own a legitimate copy of the game.
Input-based matchmaking is enabled by default for all crossplay sessions, which is designed to keep play fair for everyone. That means if you’re playing on Xbox with a controller, you’ll only be matched with other controller players, whether they’re on Xbox or PC. If you plug a mouse and keyboard into your Xbox, you’ll automatically be placed in lobbies with PC mouse and keyboard players, even if you don’t adjust any other settings. You can turn off this input matching if you want, but most players leave it on to avoid unfair matchups.
The only default restriction is that Xbox players are opted out of crossplay with PC out of the box. Ubisoft added this setting to give console players more control over who they play against, so you’ll have to manually turn crossplay on if you want to squad up with PC friends. PC players are opted into crossplay by default, but you can turn it off at any time if you only want to play against other PC players.
How to Enable Crossplay Between Xbox and PC for Rainbow Six Siege
Setting up crossplay only takes a few minutes, but you have to adjust both system-level settings on your Xbox and in-game settings on both devices to make it work. First, on your Xbox, head to the Settings menu, select General, then Online Safety & Family, then Privacy & Online Safety, then Xbox Privacy. From there, select View Details & Customize, then Communication & Multiplayer, and set the “You can join cross-network play” option to Allow. If this setting is blocked, you won’t be able to use crossplay even if you turn it on in the game.
Next, open Rainbow Six Siege on both your Xbox and PC, head to the Options menu, then the General tab. Scroll down until you see the Crossplay section, and toggle “Crossplay Matchmaking” to On. If you want to play against PC mouse and keyboard players while using a controller on Xbox, you can also toggle “Allow Crossplay With Input Mismatch” to On, but I don’t recommend this for new or casual players. You don’t need a Ubisoft+ subscription to use crossplay, despite what some old forum posts might say, this feature is completely free for all players.
Once both settings are enabled, you can add your friends via their Ubisoft Connect usernames, send a squad invite, and jump into a match together. If you can’t see your friend’s online status, make sure both of you have your Ubisoft Connect profiles set to public, and that you’ve both linked your Xbox accounts to your Ubisoft accounts correctly.
Key Pros and Cons of Crossplaying R6 Between Xbox and PC
Crossplay isn’t perfect for every player, and you should weigh these upsides and downsides before you turn it on, especially if you play a lot of ranked matches. I switch my crossplay settings on and off depending on who I’m playing with, and these are the biggest differences I’ve noticed after hundreds of crossplay matches:
- Larger player pools: You’ll wait less time for matches, especially in less popular modes like Ranked Standard or Tactical Realism, even during off-peak hours. I’ve seen queue times drop from 10 minutes to under 2 minutes for ranked when crossplay is turned on in my region.
- Play with all your friends: No more splitting lobbies or forcing someone to buy a second copy of the game just to squad up with people on other devices. I’ve been able to reconnect with old Siege friends who switched to PC a few years ago, which has made the game feel fresh again for me.
- Higher potential for skill mismatch: Even with input-based matchmaking, some PC players have years of experience with mouse and keyboard that can give them an edge over newer Xbox controller players. If you’re still learning the game, you might find crossplay lobbies feel a lot harder than console-only lobbies.
- Higher risk of encountering cheaters: BattlEye anti-cheat is very effective, but it’s still more common to find hackers in PC lobbies than in console-only lobbies, so keep that in mind if you’re grinding for a higher rank. I’ve only run into 2 cheaters in crossplay lobbies in the last year, but that’s 2 more than I’ve run into in console-only lobbies.
At the end of the day, I only turn on crossplay with PC when I’m squadded up with PC friends. If I’m playing solo ranked, I keep it turned off to avoid the rare cheater and to make sure I’m only playing against other controller players at my skill level. You can adjust these settings as often as you want, so don’t be afraid to test both options and see what works best for you.
Troubleshooting Common Crossplay Issues Between Xbox and PC
Most crossplay issues are easy to fix if you know where to look, and these are the most common problems I’ve helped friends solve over the last year. First, if your friend requests aren’t showing up, that’s almost always because you’re sending the request to their platform-specific gamertag instead of their Ubisoft Connect username. Always add friends via their Ubisoft Connect username instead of Xbox gamertag or Steam ID to avoid this issue, since crossplay runs through Ubisoft’s servers, not platform servers.
Second, if you can’t join the same lobby as your friend, first check that both of you have the latest game patch installed. Ubisoft releases small patches every few weeks, and if one of you is on an old version, you won’t be able to connect. If you’re both on the same patch, double check that both of you have crossplay enabled in your in-game settings, and that your Xbox privacy settings allow cross-network play. I’ve had friends spend 20 minutes troubleshooting only to realize they forgot to turn on the cross-network play setting on their Xbox.
Third, if you’re getting high ping in crossplay lobbies, that’s usually because the game is putting you on a server that’s closer to your PC friends than to you. You can fix this by setting your preferred server in the game’s settings to the one closest to the majority of your squad, which will force the game to use that server for all your matches. This usually cuts 20-30ms off my ping when I’m playing with friends from a different region.
If none of these fixes work, a quick restart of both the game and your device usually solves 90% of remaining connection issues. Ubisoft’s servers are pretty reliable, but every now and then they have small outages that cause crossplay issues, so you can also check the official Ubisoft support page to see if there are any active server problems in your region.
At the end of the day, the answer to can you crossplay Rainbow Six Siege Xbox and pc is a clear yes, as long as you adjust your settings to match what you want out of your play session. Whether you’re looking to squad up with old friends who switched to PC or just cut down on your queue times, crossplay is a great feature that makes Siege far more accessible for most players. Just remember to keep input-based matchmaking turned on if you want a fair playing field, and only enable crossplay with mismatched inputs if you’re ready for a tougher challenge. Next time you log on, give it a try, you might be surprised how much fun it is to play with people across different devices.
