Is Apex Legends Cross Platform in 2026?

Is Apex Legends cross-platform in 2025? I get this question every season from friends who want to squad up without buying new hardware. The short answer is yes. Apex Legends supports crossplay across all current platforms. 

It also supports cross progression, so your progress follows your EA Account. I will show you how it all fits together, where people run into trouble, and the fixes that work in real life.

Platform Availability

This is where you can currently play Apex Legends: 

• PlayStation 4 and 5, 
• Xbox One and Series X/S, 
• Nintendo Switch, and 
• PC through the EA app and Steam. 

EA also links to Epic Games Store as a PC option on select pages. These are the official storefronts, and you can move between EA app and Steam on the same EA Account.  

When Apex launched on Nintendo Switch on March 9, 2021, it shipped with feature parity and crossplay support. If you are planning a Switch session, that date matters in the history of rollout.  

Handheld and Linux users should note that EA has restricted Linux access due to anti-cheat concerns, removing native Steam Deck support. Installing Windows remains a viable workaround.

Cross-Platform Play (Crossplay)

Crossplay is on by default. I tell new players to leave it on because it reduces queue time and lets you party up with anyone. You add friends by EA ID and invite them inside the Friends menu. If you prefer a closed pool on console, you can disable crossplay in Settings. PC players cannot turn off crossplay. 

Matchmaking follows a simple rule. Console pools together, PC pools together. If a party mixes console and PC, that team queues into PC lobbies. That keeps input expectations clear while still allowing mixed parties.  

Crossplay Support by Platform

Here’s how crossplay works across different platforms and what you need to know before teaming up with friends on other systems:

• PC. EA app and Steam are fully supported and linked by your EA Account.  
• PlayStation. PS4 and PS5 play with each other and with other platforms through crossplay.  
• Xbox. Xbox One and Series X|S have the same crossplay behavior. 
• Nintendo Switch. Switch plays with other platforms through crossplay and has some wallet rules for Apex Coins described later. 

In practice, I often see players forget to enable the system-level cross-network setting on Xbox. If your invites fail on Xbox, check the console’s online safety settings first, then the in-game crossplay toggle.  

Platform-Specific Limitations and Partial Compatibility

Before diving into Apex crossplay, it’s important to understand a few platform-specific restrictions that affect matchmaking and device compatibility.

• PC crossplay toggle. PC players cannot disable crossplay. Console players can. 
• Matchmaking pools. Console lobbies face console. PC lobbies face PC. Mixed parties go to PC lobbies.  
• Linux and Steam Deck. EA blocked Linux OS access in late 2024 to reduce exploits. Playing on a Steam Deck requires installing Windows. 
• Mobile. Apex Legends Mobile was sunset. Crossplay with the mobile version is not available. EA called it a strategic change and ended support. 

In short, Apex’s crossplay system is generous but not universal – a few technical and platform barriers still exist.

A quick timeline of rollouts

Crossplay and progression features didn’t appear overnight. Here’s a brief timeline showing when major cross-platform updates arrived:

• Oct 6, 2020. Crossplay beta arrives with the Aftermarket Collection Event.  
• Nov 4, 2020. Steam release lands with Season 7. 
• Mar 9, 2021. Nintendo Switch launch with crossplay.  
• Oct 26, 2023. Cross progression begins rolling out with Season 19 Ignite.  
• Oct 31, 2024. Linux and native Steam Deck play blocked. 

These milestones show how Apex gradually expanded its cross-platform support – and where its boundaries currently stand.

Cross-Save and Cross-Progression

Apex uses your EA Account as the source of truth. Your level, owned Legends, non exclusive cosmetics, and many rewards live on that account. When you sign in on another platform with the same EA Account, those items and your progress appear. This is what most people mean by cross save.  

There are important limits. A few items are platform-exclusive and stay on the platform where you earned them. Think PS Plus packs on PlayStation, Xbox Gold items on Xbox, and a Switch launch skin for Pathfinder. Switch also has special rules for Apex Coins, which I’ll cover next.  

Cross-Save Support

If you are new to Apex, cross save works the moment you start. Use one EA Account and link your platform profiles to it. When I onboard friends, I have them create the EA Account first, then link PlayStation, Xbox, Steam, or Switch. That one step prevents most progress headaches later. 

If you played before cross progression shipped and had multiple Apex profiles under one EA Account, EA merged them into a single Cross Progression account. The profile with the highest account level became primary. Content from lower level profiles may not carry over in full. 

Cross-Progression Support

What Carries Across

When you link your platforms under one EA Account, most of your progression and unlocks follow you. This includes unlocked Legends, cosmetics, Crafting Materials, Legend Tokens, Heirloom Shards, as well as challenges, XP, and Battle Pass progress.

What Doesn’t Fully Carry

Not everything transfers perfectly, though. Stats from secondary profiles don’t merge, and some achievement-based badges tied to old stats may disappear after linking. Platform-exclusive items stay locked to the system where they were earned, and ranked leaderboards remain separate for each platform.

Currency

Apex Coins merge across PC, Xbox, and PlayStation, letting you spend them interchangeably on those platforms. Nintendo Switch Apex Coins, however, stay exclusive to Switch. Still, any non-exclusive content purchased on Switch appears on your other linked platforms – and vice versa.

From my experience helping a small community team last year, the biggest issue came from players using different EA Accounts on separate platforms. Two of them ended up with skins split between accounts. We solved it by consolidating everyone onto one EA Account going forward, but it’s worth noting that EA doesn’t support account merges, so content on separate accounts can’t be combined.

Account Linking

You link platforms to your EA Account in two places.

• Inside the game when you first launch on a new console. Enter the code sent to your EA email and the link completes. 
• On the EA Account Connected Accounts page. Sign in, then connect PlayStation, Xbox, Steam, or other services. 

Tips I share with new players:

• Pick one EA Account you always control, then link everything to it before you buy cosmetics. Progress lives on the EA Account and cannot be moved to a different EA Account later.  
• On Xbox, check the console’s cross network settings if invites fail. Then confirm the in game Cross Platform Play setting. 
• If you used two EA Accounts in the past, do not unlink and relink to try to combine progress. It will not merge progress.  

Developer/Publisher Comments and Future Plans

Respawn introduced crossplay during the Aftermarket Collection Event after years of community requests. What started as a beta soon became the default way for squads to team up across platforms.

Cross progression arrived later with Season 19: Ignite and is now a mandatory feature. Respawn outlined clear rules for how cosmetics, currency, and primary accounts work – guidance that still applies today.

EA has also shared insights into its broader platform strategy. Apex Legends Mobile was sunset to refocus development on experiences that better connect with the main game and its ecosystem. On the technical side, EA has confirmed plans to continue adding next-gen enhancements for consoles over time.

If you’re between ranked grinds and want something competitive to play with friends, check out our roundup of the best cross-platform games for quick ideas – perfect for squads who like to rotate titles together.

Summary

Apex Legends supports crossplay on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch. Cross progression lets your unlocks travel when you switch devices, once everything links to the same EA Account. If match times feel long, keep crossplay on and invite friends by EA ID.

If you stick to one EA Account and keep crossplay enabled, you can party up with anyone on PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, or PC, and your progress follows you. The few exceptions are easy to remember. Platform-exclusive cosmetics stay put, Switch Apex Coins stay on Switch, and mixed parties queue into PC lobbies. That simple checklist keeps my friends from losing progress and keeps our queues short. 

Looking to upgrade your loadout or stack up on Coins? Check out the current Apex Legends deals for discounts on bundles and content.

FAQs

Is Apex Legends cross platform between PC and Xbox?

Apex Legends supports crossplay across PC and all supported consoles, so PC and Xbox players can play together once added as friends. Mixed parties with PC go into PC lobbies.  

How do I enable or disable crossplay?

Crossplay is enabled by default. Console players can turn it off in Settings, but PC players cannot disable crossplay.  

Does Apex Legends have cross save or cross progression?

Apex uses your EA Account to share progress, cosmetics, and unlocks across PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch. Some content and stats have limits, which EA lists in the cross progression rules.  

Can I move progress from one EA Account to another?

Progress cannot be transferred between different EA Accounts, and EA does not merge EA Accounts. Choose one EA Account and keep all platforms linked to it.  

What items are platform exclusive after cross progression?

PlayStation Plus items remain on PlayStation, Xbox Founders and Gold items stay on Xbox, and a Switch launch skin for Pathfinder stays on Switch. Non exclusive purchases still show across platforms.  

How do Apex Coins work across platforms?

Coins on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox share one wallet while Switch Coins stay on Switch; purchases of non exclusive content still appear everywhere. That wallet rule is set by EA.  

Why can I not play on a Steam Deck anymore?

EA blocked Linux OS access due to anti cheat concerns, which removed native Steam Deck play. You can still play by installing Windows on the device.