PUBG: Are Players Getting Absolute Cross-Platform Gameplay Soon?

PUBG or PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is a game that changed all-action shooting games ever since it came out. Developed by PUBG Corporation and KRAFTON, this game merged combat, shooting, and competitive fast-paced action all in one. It’s no wonder why gamers have been hooked since its release in 2017! 

Inspired by the Japanese film, “Battle Royale,” PUBG starts with 100 players parachuting to an island with nothing but their clothes on. Upon landing, players have to scavenge for weapons and items that can be used to kill every other human alive. The main objective is to be the last player standing at the end of the game.

After three years of its release, the game is still a massive hit among players. Nothing can compare to its fantastic gameplay. Due to its popularity, a PUBG Mobile version has been recently released to reach players who prefer mobile devices. This catapulted PUBG to higher grounds and became more popular than ever.

PUBG’s Cross-Platform Status

Games that are available on different platforms are efficient in so many ways. If you are an avid player of PUBG, you can get it on mobile (Android and iOS), PC, Xbox, and PlayStation. 

There’s no question about the availability of PUBG across multiple gaming devices. The real concern would be, is it capable of cross-platform gameplay? For gamers who are asking this, the short answer is NO. 

PUBG Mobile, PUBG for Xbox, PlayStation, and PC have different developers. So if you play PUBG Mobile, you cannot carry your progress to your PUBG account on Xbox. 

Tencent’s Lightspeed and Quantum Studio developed PUBG Mobile while PUBG Corp created PUBG for PC and Xbox. The difference in their developers is the main reason why PUBG is not capable of cross-platform gameplay.

However, players are not left helpless. In fact, cross-platform gameplay is possible with PUBG consoles and mobile versions. But there’s a catch—cross-platform gaming is only possible for PUBG versions that share the same developer. And if you notice, it is only between the same type of gaming device (i.e. Mobile vs Mobile, and Console vs Console).

So if you have PUBG on PlayStation 4, you can play with your friends who use an Xbox. The publishers of PUBG already announced that you couldn’t cross-play on all platforms, but because the console version has the same developer, then it is possible with them. It’s the same thing with the mobile version where Android and iOS users can also play against each other.

PUBG Cross-Platform Between PC and Mobile/Consoles

Now here comes the problem. Players who play PUBG on PC are left with no choice but to play with PC players only. This is because the PC version of PUBG is not capable of cross-platform play across consoles and mobile. 

Even though it shares the same developer with its console versions, PC players are still blocked from playing with or against mobile and console players of PUBG. Console players cannot cross-play against mobile players either. But this is for a good reason.

PC players have an advantage against console players due to more flexible keyboard and mouse controls. Mobile players would also have a hard time facing off against console and PC players because of the different dynamics in the controls. So if anything, the inability of PC players to cross-play against console and mobile players is for the best.

Is There Any Chance for Total Cross-Platform Gameplay?

While several PUBG players would want to experience total cross-play or pure cross-platform gameplay, there is still some hesitation within the community and the game developers themselves. 

Some would argue that if Fortnite has made it possible for total cross-platform gameplay, then there’s no reason for PUBG to be not to. However, players also acknowledge that there’s a huge imbalance if cross-playing is made possible—especially between a different device such as Console vs PC or Mobile vs Console. 

For example, looting is much easier on PC compared to the console (because it’s faster with a keyboard). So until the developers can tweak some parts of the gameplay and their controls, only then would absolute cross-platform gameplay be a good idea for PUBG.