Picture the scene: you’re a Fortnite aficionado capable of building at the speed of light. You’re racking up wins. Your machine of choice is the PlayStation 4 and you want to show off to your friends, only they’re Xbox One gamers. Once upon a time you’d be locked to your machine of choice. But now, thanks to the beauty of cross-platform play, you and your friends can play the same game.
Cross-platform functionality isn’t only exclusive to Fortnite. What cross-platform games are there, you ask? Here’s a rundown of some of the best titles you can enjoy across different machines.
Crackdown 3
Compatible across: PC, Xbox One
Crackdown 3 is a tale of high jinks in the city of New Providence. You play Commander Isaiah Jaxon (Terry Crews) as he enforces law and order across the city. But, if you’re looking to play with friends, the multiplayer modes are where it’s at.
Take part in PvP action (player versus player), irrespective of whether you’re on an Xbox One or Windows 10 PC. If you’re an Xbox gamer, there’s more: you can play Crackdown 3 online free of charge, provided you have an Xbox Live membership and Xbox Game Pass.
Gears of War 4
Compatible across: PC, Xbox One
The Gears series has long had rock-solid online multiplayer modes and Gears of War 4 continues this trend. Thanks to cross-platform integration, you can boot up a session and play against friends, whether you’re on a Windows 10 machine or an Xbox One (that includes the X and S models, of course).
PC players will have a choice of mouse and keyboard or a gamepad, while Xbox players will need to rely on the Xbox One controller. There are rumours that mouse and keyboard support will come to the Xbox One and Gears franchise in the future – just not quite yet.
Hearthstone
Compatible across: PC, Mac, iOS, Android
The first free-to-play game on this list is Hearthstone, the collectible card game based on the Warcraft series. Each player has a deck and takes turns playing their cards as they weigh up game-changing decisions.
Hearthstone will be familiar to anyone who has ever played Magic: The Gathering, though Hearthstone matches tend to be shorter with less overall complexity. The beauty of the game is that its competitive modes can be played across mobiles, PCs, and Macs, so whether you’re on the move or gaming at home, there’s always an opportunity to dive in.
Sea of Thieves
Compatible across: PC, Xbox One
Set sail on the high seas in Rare’s long-awaited pirate odyssey. You and three friends commandeer a ship into the belly of the ocean while taking care of different duties aboard the craft. Together, make your riches and overcome obstacles in your way (including deep sea monsters).
Sea of Thieves is available for free on Xbox Game Pass should you have a membership, and it can be played with friends provided you’re a member of Xbox Live.
Remember, you “own” the games you play on Xbox Game Pass until your subscription expires. Currently, as of April 2019, Game Pass is priced at £7.99 per month, though occasionally month-long deals will tempt you to try out the service for £1.99 or £2.99.
Forza Horizon 4
Compatible across: PC, Xbox One
Few racing games feel as full-bodied or as joyful as Forza Horizon 4. Developed at Playground Games in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, Horizon 4 is a part of the wider Forza Motorsport series but retains a focus on casual racing thrills. Anyone who loves motoring but doesn’t hanker for hardcore simulation will love the quasi-open world on offer here: the long uninterrupted roads, the gorgeous cars, the easy thrills. Critics loved it, and it was recently recipient of Best British Game at the 15th British Academy Game Awards.
Fortnite
Compatible across: PC, Mac, iOS, Android, PS4, Switch, Xbox One
Looking for cross-platform games for PS4 and PC? Trust in Fortnite. The addictive action game drops you and 99 other players on a slowly shrinking map and forces you to find a way to survive. The aim of the game? Be the last person standing.
You begin each session armed only with a pickaxe. To win, you’ll need to harvest materials using the pickaxe, building a protective fortress and scouring the map for weapons to use in battle.
Fortnite is free to play and it’s available as a cross-platform title on almost every major gaming machine. Just keep in mind that Fortnite does have a monetised component: new skins and costumes can be bought amongst other things, and many a parent has discovered a laundry list of bills racked up on their credit card by their Fortnite-playing children.
The good news is that you can use parental controls on your child’s PlayStation 4 or Xbox One to limit screen-time, access to your credit card and more. Thanks to these settings, you can have peace of mind while your child enjoys the biggest sensation in gaming since Minecraft.
Check out the other great games in stock at Currys.
