Is PUBG Cross Platform? The Complete 2025 Guide (PS5, Xbox, PC & Mobile)

Trying to figure out if you can squad up with your friends on different platforms in PUBG: Battlegrounds can be a headache. The simple answer is a mix of yes and no—it all boils down to which platforms you and your friends are using.

The game’s cross-play functionality is split into separate ecosystems. While console players can unite, they are kept separate from PC and mobile players. In this definitive 2025 guide, we’ll break down exactly which platforms can play together, explain why PC is in its own world, and clarify the crucial difference between cross-play and cross-progression.

PUBG’s Cross-Play Status

For those in a hurry, here’s the bottom line. Cross-play is enabled for consoles but not between console, PC, or mobile.

The table below gives a clear overview of which platforms can connect.

Key Takeaways:

• Console vs. PC: There is no cross-play between console and PC. This is a deliberate choice by the developers to ensure competitive fairness.
• Mobile vs. All: PUBG Mobile is a completely separate game on different servers and cannot play with console or PC versions.
• Mobile Cross-Play: PUBG Mobile has full cross-play between iOS and Android devices.

The Console Ecosystem: How PlayStation & Xbox Play Together

The most robust cross-play in PUBG: Battlegrounds exists within the console family. This feature unites the PlayStation and Xbox player bases, creating a larger, more active community.

Yes, PlayStation and Xbox Can Squad Up

Players on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S can all be matched into the same lobbies and play together seamlessly. This feature, officially called “Cross-Platform Play,” was introduced in Console Update 4.3 to merge the console communities.

When enabled, the game treats all console players as a single matchmaking pool. You’ll see a small platform icon next to a player’s name in-game, showing whether they’re on Xbox or PlayStation.

How to Enable and Use Console Cross-Play

Cross-play should be enabled by default, but you can easily check your settings.

1. From the main lobby, open the System Menu and go to Settings.
2. Navigate to the Gameplay tab.
3. Scroll down to the Cross-Platform Play option.
4. Ensure it is toggled to Enabled.

Once activated, you can add friends from the other console using their in-game PUBG ID, not their Xbox Gamertag or PSN ID. Go to the Social menu, search for their nickname, and send a friend request. After they accept, you can invite them to your squad like any other friend.

Should You Turn Off Cross-Play?

For most players, keeping cross-play on is the best choice. The primary benefit is a much larger player pool, which leads to faster matchmaking times.

However, if you disable it, be prepared for consequences. Players who turn off cross-play report extremely long queue times. To compensate, the game fills lobbies with a very high number of bots—sometimes up to 90% of the match. This drastically lowers the competitive challenge and can make victories feel unearned, a sentiment also seen with bots in games like Fortnite.

The Great Divide: Why PC and Console Are Separate

A common question is why PC players, a massive part of the audience, are isolated from consoles. The developer, KRAFTON, Inc., made this decision not due to technical limits, but to maintain competitive fairness.

The core issue is the control scheme. PC players using a mouse and keyboard (M&K) have a significant advantage in aiming precision and reaction speed over players using a standard controller. In a high-stakes game like PUBG, this difference would create a deeply unbalanced playing field. For players weighing the pros and cons of different platforms, understanding this divide is crucial to deciding if PC gaming is worth it.

Unlike other shooters like Apex Legends or Call of Duty, which use “aim assist” to help controller players, PUBG: Battlegrounds is known for its raw gunplay with very little aim assist on consoles. Without this balancing mechanic, there’s no fair way to pit M&K against controllers.

A final factor is the community’s perception of cheating. The PC environment is often seen as more vulnerable to hacks like aimbots. The console community has voiced concerns that merging with PC lobbies could expose them to more cheaters, compromising match integrity.

The Mobile Universe: A Completely Separate Game

While it shares the name, PUBG Mobile is an entirely different game from PUBG: Battlegrounds. It was developed by Tencent Games, runs on separate servers, and is optimized for touchscreen controls.

Because it’s a different product, there is absolutely no way for mobile players to connect with PC or console players.

Within its own ecosystem, however, PUBG Mobile offers seamless cross-platform play between iOS and Android users.

The Special Case: PC Emulators

You can play PUBG Mobile on a PC using an official emulator like GameLoop. However, the game detects these users and places them in a separate matchmaking pool with other emulator players. This ensures they don’t have an unfair M&K advantage over players using standard touchscreen controls.

The Cross-Progression Myth: Your Progress Doesn’t Sync

Perhaps the biggest source of confusion is cross-progression. Many players assume linking their accounts to a KRAFTON ID means their stats and cosmetics will sync everywhere. This is not correct.

While many modern cross-platform games offer this feature, PUBG does not. Your progress, stats, rank, and purchased or earned items are locked to the platform type (PC, PlayStation, or Xbox).

If you have years of progress and rare skins on Xbox, none of it will be available if you log in on PC. You will start over as a new player. A KRAFTON ID is primarily for managing your account and receiving promotional rewards, like Twitch Drops, not for syncing game data between different platform families.

The only exception is within the same console family. Your progress and items will transfer if you upgrade from a PS4 to a PS5 or from an Xbox One to an Xbox Series X|S, as long as you use the same PSN or Xbox Live account.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Final Verdict

Navigating PUBG’s cross-platform features means understanding its deliberate separation of player bases. While the game successfully unites its console community, it maintains firm walls between PC, console, and mobile to protect competitive integrity. For now, squad up with your friends on the same platform type and enjoy the battlegrounds.

Marcus Williams

As our senior Console Gaming Specialist, Mack explores the entire console ecosystem, from hardware nuances to first-party exclusives. With over 20 years of gaming experience, his reviews and guides focus on game design, narrative impact, and the overall player experience. He aims to help readers discover which games will truly resonate with them.