The newly released survival crafting game Palworld has taken the gaming world by storm. Dubbed “Pokémon with guns” by fans, the game allows players to capture and tame bizarre fantasy creatures called Pals, survive in a harsh open world, and build up bases and colonies.
With its unique blend of monster-collecting and survival gameplay, Palworld has rapidly become one of the most popular titles across both Xbox and PC platforms. But a burning question remains: Can players on different systems unite to explore the dangers of Palworld together through crossplay?
What is Crossplay/Cross-Platform?
For the uninitiated, crossplay (also called cross-platform play) refers to the ability for gamers to play together online regardless of which device or platform they are using. It means an Xbox player could team up with a friend on a PlayStation, or a PC gamer could join the same game session as someone on a Nintendo Switch.
In multiplayer games, having crossplay is hugely convenient as it eliminates potential barriers that could split up friend groups simply due to them owning different consoles or hardware. It allows the whole gaming community to intermingle freely.
Is Palworld Cross Platform?
So does the hit new game Palworld support crossplay to bring PC and Xbox players together into one cohesive community? The short answer currently is: No.
The developers at Pocketpair have officially confirmed that Palworld launched without any crossplay or cross-platform functionality enabled. As of now, the PC (Steam) and Xbox versions exist in separate multiplayer ecosystems.
This means that Steam players can only group up with others on the Steam version, while Xbox users are limited to the Xbox ecosystem which includes the console and PC Game Pass.
“Palworld will not launch with crossplay or cross-platform functionality between Xbox and Steam,” Pocketpair stated in an FAQ on their official Discord. “However, there are plans to add this feature after launch.”
Hope on the Horizon
While crossplay is missing at the moment, the good news is that the developers are actively working to implement it as a post-launch update based on high fan demand.
In a recent blog post, Xbox doubled down on Pocketpair’s commitment, stating the team is “working quickly to address” adding crossplay support between console and PC in Palworld. They also mentioned partnering with the developers to optimize and improve other aspects of the game post-release.
Future updates could also potentially bring brand new content to Palworld in the form of extra areas to explore, new creatures to capture, and additional gameplay features as part of the promised year one roadmap.
Cross-Progression a Partial Solution
For the time being, there is at least some cross-platform progression available in Palworld for those playing on both Xbox consoles and PC Game Pass. Your save data and overall progress is able to carry over between those two environments seamlessly through cloud saving.
However, cross-progression does not apply if you own Palworld on Steam for PC. Those players will have to wait for the future crossplay update to unite the communities.
The Future of Palworld
Despite the disappointing lack of full crossplay at launch, the future looks bright for Palworld’s dedicated player base. With its unique spin on the monster catching/survival genre and promises of substantial post-launch support from Pocketpair, the game seems poised to enjoy an incredibly successful run.
The ability to freely adventure and trade creatures across all platforms will be a huge boon once crossplay is patched in. Palworld’s gameplay was designed from the ground up with multiplayer and community features in mind, after all.
Impatient gamers may want to ask their friends which version they’ll be playing beforehand to ensure squad cohesion. But for those willing to hold out just a bit longer, a united cross-platform Palworld experience is on the horizon to bring everyone together.
Only time will tell if this ambitious indie darling can maintain its momentum and captivate audiences for months or even years to come. But one thing is certain – More Pal-capturing adventures await! Stay tuned for future updates.
