The best cross-platform co-op game is the one every person in your group can actually join. Start with the exact console generation and PC edition, then look at player count, accounts, and whether everyone wants the same kind of evening. A game being sold on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox does not by itself mean those versions connect.
This list focuses on playing together against a game or toward a shared objective. For competitive games and a wider mix of genres, see our broader cross-platform PC games guide.
Match the Game to Your Group
Before diving into each title, here is a quick reference for finding the right fit:
- Two players and a story campaign: Split Fiction. PC, PS5, Xbox Series X or S, and Nintendo Switch 2 can connect.
- Up to three players and demanding combat: Remnant II. PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X or S support cross-play.
- Kitchen coordination: Overcooked All You Can Eat. Steam, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X or S, and Nintendo Switch support cross-play.
- Shared planetary exploration: No Man's Sky. Check the multiplayer-capable edition, especially when a friend says they play on Switch.
- A pirate crew: Sea of Thieves. PC, Xbox, and PS5 players can sail together when their cross-play settings allow it.
Split Fiction
Split Fiction is designed around two people working through the same adventure. Its sci-fi and fantasy settings give the developers room to change what the pair is doing, rather than asking you to repeat one cooperative task for an entire campaign.
The practical advantage is Friend's Pass. EA's current FAQ confirms that one player can own the full game while the other downloads the pass, including for cross-play between PC, PS5, Xbox Series X or S, and Switch 2. Online play uses linked EA and platform accounts; applicable console online-play requirements still matter.
Choose it if you have a reliable partner and want to experience a campaign together. Skip it for a three-person group or a session where people constantly drop in and out , the two-player design is the point.
Remnant II
Remnant II is a better fit for a trio that likes mastering combat. The game supports solo play or co-op with two friends, while its archetypes and equipment give the group room to build different approaches to a difficult encounter. The official overview explains the campaign's mix of exploration, bosses, and character progression.
The important cross-play detail is the invitation route. Gunfire Games' FAQ explains the Epic account system used to connect friends across platforms. It also distinguishes that process from Quickplay: PC Quickplay is not a universal matchmaking pool that automatically includes console players.
Pick Remnant II for friends who find retries motivating. If one player mainly wants to chat while exploring, the pressure of bosses may make it a poor group choice. It is available on current-generation PlayStation and Xbox hardware; a friend's older PS4 copy of a different Remnant game does not make it compatible.
Overcooked All You Can Eat
Overcooked All You Can Eat is the safest edition to put in the group chat when cross-platform cooking is the goal. Team17's updated FAQ explicitly lists Steam, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X or S, and confirms cross-platform play for all levels.
Everyone works on a shared kitchen problem: prepare ingredients, keep orders moving, and avoid getting in each other's way. That makes it easy to understand even when friends have different gaming backgrounds. It does not guarantee a relaxed experience, though , timers and coordination can become stressful, so use the available Assist Mode if the default pressure stops being fun.
Edition Warning
All You Can Eat is a separate game from Overcooked and Overcooked 2; owning one of those does not mean you own the cross-play collection. Team17 also notes that saves from the original games do not carry over, and All You Can Eat saves are tied to their platform.
Choose it for discrete challenges rather than a persistent world. Give players clear jobs, but rotate them so nobody spends the entire night doing the least interesting task.
No Man's Sky
No Man's Sky works for friends who want to share an activity without being tied to a continuous combat campaign. Exploration, building, and survival give you several possible goals for an evening. A group can decide to visit a planet, work on a base, or pursue an expedition into unfamiliar territory.
Hello Games' cross-play announcement established connected PC, PlayStation, and Xbox groups, including the game's own friend-code system. Its later Beacon update specifically added multiplayer and cross-play support for the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition.
That distinction is essential when organizing the group. Ask which Switch someone owns and which edition they are launching. The original Switch release should not be treated as equivalent to the multiplayer-capable Switch 2 version.
Choose this over Split Fiction when the group wants an open-ended place to spend time together rather than a tightly authored sequence. Skip it if everybody needs a clearly assigned next objective at all times. Set one modest shared goal for the first session; otherwise friends can spend an evening near one another without feeling that they actually played together.
Sea of Thieves
Sea of Thieves is the choice for friends who want a crew. Steering, watching the horizon, and keeping a ship moving give the group useful things to discuss beyond individual combat performance. Cross-play connects PC, Xbox, and PS5 players, but the experience depends heavily on which mode you choose.
Rare's PS5 FAQ explains cross-platform friend invitations and settings. It also describes Safer Seas, where a crew can play without other player crews sharing its session, while some content remains outside that mode. Safer Seas still runs online , it is not an offline campaign.
Choosing Your Mode
- Safer Seas: Best for learning to sail together or following Tall Tales without other crews interrupting.
- High Seas: Choose this when the possibility of meeting rival pirates is part of the attraction.
Do not sell a reluctant friend on peaceful sightseeing and then place them into the shared-world mode without discussing that choice. PS5 multiplayer requires PlayStation Plus, according to Rare. A PS5 player does not need to buy an Xbox Game Pass subscription to join their PC or Xbox friends. Each person should verify the requirements for their own platform before planning the session.
Five Checks Before Anyone Buys
- Write down the complete platform names. PS4 and PS5 are different answers, as are Nintendo Switch and Switch 2.
- Agree on the exact release. Overcooked All You Can Eat is not simply another name for Overcooked 2. Similar artwork is not proof of compatible multiplayer.
- Check the group size. Split Fiction is for a pair, and Remnant II tops out at three. A technically compatible fourth friend still cannot join a three-player game.
- Prepare accounts, updates, and invites before game night. A cross-play feature can be disabled in game or platform settings, and friend invitations may use a publisher's system rather than a platform's normal friends list.
- Separate cross-play from cross-save. Playing with someone on another system does not promise that your own progress or purchases will move between platforms. Overcooked All You Can Eat is a useful example: Team17 supports cross-play while keeping saves platform-specific.
The Best Starting Point
Split Fiction is the clearest recommendation for two friends who want a complete shared adventure across different systems. Remnant II suits a trio looking for difficult combat. Overcooked All You Can Eat works for a group that wants short coordinated challenges. No Man's Sky is the stronger choice for shared exploration. Sea of Thieves adds sailing and crew roles, with a choice between its shared pirate world and the more sheltered Safer Seas mode.
For a pair, try Split Fiction's opening with Friend's Pass before committing to the full campaign. For three committed action players, investigate Remnant II. For a mixed-experience party, Overcooked All You Can Eat makes the shared task obvious, provided everyone is comfortable with its pace. Choose No Man's Sky or Sea of Thieves when the group wants a place and a set of activities to return to , then agree on the goal and mode before you launch.
