Is Ark Cross Platform and Offers Crossplay?
8 minutes
Last Updated: May 28, 2024
Ark cross platform options are finally here! One of the best free crossplay games has recently exploded in popularity thanks to its new crossplay feature.
This tried and tested method of publishing free to play games that are available on every platform has done wonders for the gaming industry, with Apex Legends crossplay being one of the many notable examples.
So how does this work? Is Ark Survival cross platform? Stick with us as we examine what Wildcard Studio has done with the title and does Ark have crossplay.
Is Ark Cross Platform?
Yes, as of 2024, Ark is cross platform. This means that you can play the title with your friends or other people regardless of your platform. Exploring this dangerous, dinosaur-filled environment while avoiding dangers and crafting tools to defend yourself is a lot easier with company.
But there’s a catch. ARK: Survival Evolved is an older title. This means it’s not available on newer generation consoles like the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.
Also, Ark crossplay is not fully integrated. There is a mobile version of the game which you can play on iOS and Android. But this version of the game differs from the PC and console versions, so these players can’t be mixed in the same matchmaking pool.
Is Ark Crossplay
At the moment, Ark: Survival Evolved is not crossplay compatible on all platforms the title is available on. Since Xbox and Windows PCs are under the same umbrella of Microsoft, these platforms have Ark cross platform enabled. But these notable platforms still lack coverage.
- PS4: Despite being one of the most popular consoles of all time, Ark crossplay is not available on the PlayStation4. Throughout the years, Sony has been notoriously against enabling crossplay.
Apart from wanting to protect their market and profit margins, security concerns and competitive reasons have also played a big role. If every AAA title was fully crossplay compatible, there would be no need for platform-unique titles.
This would lead many gamers to choose the cheaper console option, which is the Xbox, hurting Sony’s business model. With this in mind, PS4 users are unable to participate in multiplayer servers hosting Ark players from other platforms.
- Nintendo Switch: Likewise, Nintendo Switch users can enjoy solo gameplay adventures on Ark: Survival Evolved. However they are unable to access any form of online multiplayer interaction outside their own platform community.
- MacOS: Although Ark: Survival Evolved is available for both Linux and MacOS users, these pools of players can never mix between each other or the Windows powered platforms.
Since these platforms run incompatible operating systems with the main version of the game, it’s very expensive and practically impossible to unite them to the rest of the multiplayer pool.
Is Ark cross progression?
Yes, Ark has cross progression enabled, but only between Xbox One and Windows. Similarly to the Ark cross platform principle, both of these platforms are operated by Microsoft. That’s why this feature is enabled for the title specifically for these platforms.
If you’re using one of these platforms, you can keep your progress and advance it as long as you’re playing the game with the same account. Unfortunately, this is not the case for other platforms.
You can’t transfer your progress between PCs using Windows and other operating systems like Linux and MacOS. PC users can only use Ark cross platform and cross progression if they have bought the title and created their accounts through the Microsoft store.
If you purchased your title through Steam or the Epic Games Store, cross progression is not enabled. The same goes for Nintendo Switch users who are also bound to the Steam platform.
While you can’t keep your progress when playing Ark on a PC and then a PlayStation, the game is cross-gen. This means that after playing Ark on your Xbox One, you can continue from where you left off when playing it on the Xbox Series X or S. The same applies to switching from the PS4 to the PS5.
Is Ark Cross Platform Xbox And PC?
Yes, Ark: Survival Evolved does support cross platform integration between users running the Windows 10 PC version and Xbox console. Since both platforms fall under Microsoft, this means that you and your friends can fully utilize the cross platform and cross progression feature.
Is Ark Cross Platform Android And iOS?
Yes, Ark: Survival Evolved is cross platform for iOS and Android devices. Since this is the mobile version of the game, it’s produced in the same engine. This means that you can enjoy playing Ark on different iOS and Android devices without worrying about playing together.
But keep in mind that this is only a mobile version of the game. While Ark crossplay is enabled regardless of your mobile platform, you cannot play with users on Xbox or Windows 10. This restriction is necessary to preserve competitive integrity by using the same category of devices.
Is Ark Cross Platform Xbox and PS4
Sadly, Ark crossplay between Xbox and PlayStation is not enabled. This means that neither new nor older generation consoles can team up and face each other if they are not using the same platform.
You can’t enjoy Ark crossplay between different platforms, but you can indulge in the multiplayer mode with your buddy if you both have PlayStations. Since Ark is cross generation, it doesn’t matter which model the platform is. PlayStation 4 users can freely team up with PlayStation 5 users.
Is Ark CrossPlay on PS4 and PC?
Sadly, there is no Ark crossplay between PS4/ PS5 and PC users. You will have to buy the game for the specific platform or stay away from the multiplayer mode.
How To Play ARK Crossplay?
The easiest way to play Ark cross platform is by opening the browser on your device and selecting a server from the list. Joining the server is rather easy, just make sure you are joining a public server that supports Ark crossplay, and not a private one that might go offline at any time.
As we previously mentioned, ARK: Survival Evolved supports crossplay only for specific platforms. This means that PC servers can be accessed only through the Steam and Epic Games launcher platforms.
To play on an ARK PC server, you’ll need to own ARK: Survival Evolved on either Steam, the Epic Games launcher store, or on Google Stadia, and then load and join your ARK server.
Find Ark Cross Platform Server
On that note, Xbox users can also hop in and experience the survival struggle with their friends, you just have to make sure that the servers support console players.
If that’s not the case, here’s how you can change Ark Crossplay servers:
- Go to your ARK server panel and under “SETTINGS”, click “General”.
- Under your “Base settings”, find the “Allowed platforms” option.
Many platforms online like Reddit and Discord host large gaming communities so they are the ideal places to find servers and teammates. Usually, these communities are composed of more experienced players, so they can help you with any questions regarding servers that you might have.
There’s probably a way you can use emulators to enable mobile crossplay with other platforms. Just be careful whose advice you are taking to not put yourself in danger.
You can also just try every server your in-game browser can find and see what suits you and your friends. This might take longer since the browser will show you servers that are eligible for your platform. However that might be the case for other platforms your friends might be using.
Finally, you can also choose to host the server yourself. To accomplish this, you will need to set up options as a host, such as structure resistance and XP multiplier. Make sure to choose a map that will be available to everyone you want to play with.
After that you can get the server online, choosing an admin and password to prevent unwanted guests and enable Ark crossplay before inviting your friends. Optimizing your settings is crucial to having a good time, as we learned with our Apex Legends Pro Controller settings.
Disable Ark Cross Platform
If you want to enjoy ARK: Survival Evolved from a different angle, you can try some of the community mods that have been developed over the years. These might offer a new, innovative, and PogChamp look on the title, but there’s a catch.
You can’t use these mods online for crossplay gaming, so you will need to disable it. The Ark crossplay support for PC servers is optional, allowing you to disable the Epic Games launcher in favor of using the Steam version of ARK to install mods.
Ark: Survival Ascended Crossplay
Ark: Survival Ascended does have full crossplay support. After many delays, this rework of Ark: Survival Evolved was published near the end of October 2023. It was built in Unreal Engine 5, which has helped Studio Wildcard vastly improve the title, as well as enable cross platform play and mods.
In addition to improved functionality, the new Ark title also features modern graphics which are a big upgrade compared to the older Evolved title. The big change here was supposed to be full full Ark cross platform coverage within the new title.
On top of this, it was rumored that cross progression would be enabled alongside Ark crossplay upon release for the Xbox X/S, PlayStation 5, and PCs. That was the case upon release, but in November 2023, the developer disabled crossplay between PCs and console users due to hacking.
As it stands, Ark: Survival Ascended is a paid cross platform title, meaning that people on PlayStation 5 and Xbox X/S can play together on official servers. So make the most of the new and improved version and gather your friends for a real survival expedition.
