ARK: Survival Ascended — Crossplay Setup
Crossplay in ASA is split between official servers (limited) and unofficial / private servers (more flexible). The status changes with anti-cheat updates, so always check Studio Wildcard's announcements before assuming a configuration is supported.
Crossplay Status — Official Servers
| Combination | Status |
|---|---|
| PS5 ↔ Xbox X/S | ✅ Supported on official servers |
| PC ↔ Console | ❌ Disabled on official PvP since January 2024 — anti-cheat work in progress with Microsoft + BattleEye |
| PC ↔ PC | ✅ All PC players, no restriction |
Anti-cheat history: Studio Wildcard pulled PC↔Console crossplay on official PvP in January 2024 after a wave of cheating reports. As of 2026 the restriction remains in place while anti-cheat improvements ship.
Crossplay on Unofficial / Self-Hosted Servers
Unofficial servers can enable any platform combination they want. The server admin sets which platforms are allowed; clients on those platforms can then join.
Method: -ServerPlatform Launch Argument
Add the -ServerPlatform flag to your dedicated-server launch command:
| Flag value | Allows |
|---|---|
-ServerPlatform=All | All platforms (PC, Xbox, PS5) |
-ServerPlatform=PC+PS5 | PC and PS5 only |
-ServerPlatform=PC+XSX | PC and Xbox only |
-ServerPlatform=PS5+XSX | Console-only (default behavior on Nitrado console plans) |
Example Full Launch Command
ArkAscendedServer.exe TheIsland_WP?listen?Port=7777?QueryPort=27015?MaxPlayers=20 -ServerPlatform=All -EnableIdlePlayerKickHow Players Join a Crossplay Server
- The server admin announces the connection IP and port (e.g.
123.45.67.89:7777). - PC players: in-game, open the server browser > Unofficial PC tab > filter by name OR add by direct IP.
- Console players: in-game, Unofficial tab > filter by name. Direct-IP join is not exposed on console UI — the server name search is the only path.
- If your console can't see the server, double-check the server has the right platform flag for your platform.
Common Issues
| Symptom | Fix |
|---|---|
| "Console friend can't see my PC server" | You ran the server with default settings (PC-only). Add -ServerPlatform=All and restart. |
| "PC friend can't see my Xbox-hosted server" | Xbox-hosted Nitrado plans default to console-only. Open the Nitrado config and switch ServerPlatform. |
| "Crossplay session shows no Steam mods" | Mods don't transfer to console. Mods only work on PC↔PC sessions. For mixed sessions, use stock content. |
| "BattleEye kicks console players" | Some PvP servers disable console crossplay specifically. Check the server description; switch to a server that supports your combination. |
Mods and Crossplay
This is the biggest gotcha: mods are PC-only. Even on a -ServerPlatform=All server, you cannot run Workshop mods if you want console players to connect. Console clients will fail to load missing mod content. If your group includes console players, your server must run vanilla.
Non-Dedicated Sessions
Non-dedicated sessions (host-and-play) do not support crossplay. To play with friends across platforms you need a real dedicated server — either self-hosted on PC via SteamCMD, or via a hosting provider.
Drop the platform barriers. Host an ASA server with Supercraft and run a crossplay-enabled cluster from one panel.