Summary
Remember when cross-platform multiplayer gaming was something we all wanted?
Now that we’ve got it, I don’t think it’s panned out exactly how I expected.
Here’s why I’m so far unimpressed by cross-platform gaming.
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It’s a technological innovation to tie games from different systems together in the same space.
One of the best things about cross-platform gaming is the lack of wait times in matchmaking lobbies.
Pooling all players together means it’s a lot easier to find a game.
Jason Montoya / Hannah Stryker / Andrew Heinzman / How-To Geek
Despite these benefits, however, there are a few things that are less than stellar.
However, there’s something amiss here.
This is only an issue when you’re playing competitive PVP titles, however.
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Co-op titles don’t need any adjusting for this metric.
The Mouse-and-Keyboard vs.
Controller War
Thecontroller vs mouse-and-keyboard debatewill probably never be settled in our lifetimes.
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The final debate comes down towhether one wants to sacrifice precision or comfort.
Unfortunately, this isn’t something some gamers consider.
This might be due to several factors, but there’s no reason for the hate.
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Controllers and mouse-and-keyboard players can co-exist peacefully.
However, this divide wouldn’t exist if cross-play wasn’t a thing.
PVP play in titles likeWar ThunderandOverwatch 2requires players to have more-or-less the same footing.
Unfortunately, that’s not always the case.
In competitive play,PC players usually dominate first-person lobbieswhere console gamers are present.
While cross-play is great for non-competitive titles, it could ruin competition for one subset of gamers.
Meanwhile, my console friends are just getting started with their comfy controllers for the next four hours.
This downside is something a lot of friend groups have to deal with when cross-platform gaming is considered.
The accuracy boost just isn’t worth it when it comes to long gaming sessions.
Console players will always be more comfortable for long sessions than PC gamers locked into a keyboard and mouse.
The easy solution to this is to get a controller to play alongside your console friends.
Gameplay in cross-platform titles requires a bit more work on the developer’s part.
It’s very likely updates may cause a game to become unplayable on one platform or another.
Another issue is communication in team games.
In many cases, voice chat is the go-to for communication and coordination in some team-based titles.
While PC gamers typically hop in with their headsets connected, many console gamers don’t use headsets.
This makes it hard to communicate and coordinate effectively, leading to a severe disadvantage for one team.
I like playing co-op with my friends.
More games should offer controller-matching as an option to level the playing field.
