14 Cross-Play Games For PlayStation And Xbox That Are Easy To Jump Right Into (2024)

Sadly, some of the best multiplayer games out there are not playable cross-platform, particularly between Xbox and PlayStation. There are exclusives on either side, and sometimes cross-play capability is only available with PC gamers. However, there are still plenty of fun titles available between the two biggest, rival consoles. This is good news for friends with opposing consoles who are nonetheless console-committed.

Finding a new game with friends can be daunting, however. Getting stuck into a whole new thing, intermittently when each player is available, makes learning new games and staying with them a little more complicated. With games that are easier to play, PlayStation and Xbox lovers alike can breeze through many titles together any time opportunity knocks.

Updated on April 7, 2024, by Jason Wojnar: It can be difficult to find a gaming experience for everyone to jump into right away. Even hardcore gamers who get together might not have a single game to dedicate their time to in order to enjoy it with their friends. Thankfully, there are plenty of cross-play options available for both Xbox and PlayStation players alike, and the variety of genres on offer is sure to impress. To expand the pool of readily available cross-play titles that are easy for everyone to jump into casually, this list has been updated to feature more of the best cross-play options that gamers can easily dive into.

14 Diablo 4

Offers An Engaging Co-Op Dungeon Crawling Experience

This legendary dungeon-crawler series has gone through many mutations with each entry. Diablo 2 is fun until players reach a certain point, and then it becomes brutal without the right build. The third and fourth games, fortunately, feel a lot more adaptable no matter the character one chooses.

The numerous difficulty modes in Diablo 4 also make it fun for everyone. Even people on different levels can game together seamlessly. It's important to note, however, that Diablo 4 is rather graphic, and the storylines can be quite dark, so it may not be for everyone.

13 Fortnite

So Much More Than Just A Battle Royale

This ever-evolving live service game is constantly adding more for players to enjoy. That said, Fortnite always remains simple to play. In addition to the classic battle-royale mode, players can now engage in the Fortnite Festival, which is the Harmonix-developed mode heavily inspired by Rock Band.

Then there is LEGO Fortnite, a survival game that makes use of the LEGO aesthetic. Finally, there is even a racing game made by the developers of Rocket League. With Fortnite, there is something for everyone to enjoy.

12 Minecraft

Immersive Worlds That Encourage Creativity & Teamwork

For gamers who like to stretch their creative muscles in easy-to-understand ways, Minecraft is the game to play. Here, players can spend countless hours mining resources with friends and shape a unique world to their very own liking.

There is also an element of danger thrown into the mix, which is sure to keep players on their toes. Minecraft is one of the most popular games ever made, and that success is owed to how simple it is to understand, making it an ideal choice for those looking for a cross-play game to share with their friends.

11 Minecraft Dungeons

A More Accessible Dungeon Crawler

If Diablo 4 is a little violent, Minecraft Dungeons is a great alternative. That being said, adults can also get in on the fun if they wish. Those less familiar with the dungeon crawler genre will feel right at home with Minecraft Dungeons.

For those who are already fans of Minecraft, this charming title will immediately be more appealing. The main game is also really short, so it is an especially good choice for those who cannot commit to long-term cooperative experiences with friends.

10 Borderlands 3

Diablo But With An FPS Approach And More Humor

Borderlands 3 might seem complicated at first glance, but the game does a great job of automating the most complicated aspects of looter shooters. The UI makes it easy to know which guns are more powerful and when one should switch. The world and humor are also universally charming.

What makes Borderlands 3 a perfect choice for cross-play is that everything appropriately scales, allowing players of different levels to pursue the story and various side quests together without having to worry about power levels.

9 Quake

Features Fun Co-Op And Competitive Play

Leave it to a classic to help bring gamers together. Quake is one of the most innovative first-person shooters of all time. After Doom, id Software's Quake took the genre in a new direction with fully 3D character models and free aiming controls with the mouse, and playing co-op or versus with friends is a blast.

Because of the limitations of the past, one should not expect large hordes of enemies like they would with Doom. Still, Quake makes up for this with a great atmosphere and original enemy designs.

8 Super Bomberman R

Puzzles & Explosions That Friends Can Enjoy

Bomberman is not quite as popular as it once was, but it is still a great party game. With Super Bomberman R, gamers can play with friends regardless of whether they are on PlayStation or Xbox. All they need to do is plant bombs around the stage and try and blow up the other competitors.

The puzzle mechanics mixed with the competitive nature make it the thinking person's game, and the powerups add an element of randomness that will help even the playing field for newcomers. Even if someone has never played a Bomberman game before, it is easy to learn the ropes after just a few rounds in Super Bomberman R.

7 Fall Guys

A Free-For-All Fight For Survival Through Numerous Mini-Games

Fall Guys sees a bunch of jelly bean people duke it out on a candy-colored obstacle course for some good old-fashioned, game show-esque/battle royale fun. It's a child-friendly battle royale that involves no armed combat. To win, players must compete in a series of charming mini-games and ensure that they make it to the final round, but doing so is sometimes easier said than done.

There can be up to a whopping forty players per match, with a number of losing combatants being shaved off each round. Parties of up to four can play together, allowing for a great deal of fun. Fall Guys is easy enough to play even without a tutorial; all players need to do is run, jump, or grab in a series of gloriously poppy and ludicrously fun obstacle courses to progress.

6 Dead By Daylight

A Tense Multiplayer Experience That Allows Players To Control Killers & Survivors

Though Dead By Daylight might not be the easiest to jump right into, this 1 vs. 4 horror survival showdown is simple and quick enough to get to grips with. Players can take quick tutorials on how to play as either one of the survivors or the killer. As the latter, various iconic characters are available to play, from the Scream franchise’s Ghostface to the Stranger Things Demogorgon, alongside the game’s own sinister creations.

The premise and object of the game are simple enough. Four survivors want to repair several generators to power the exit from a terrible arena of death. They’re encouraged to work together to do so, sneaking around and avoiding the killer, healing and rescuing each other as necessary. The killer aims to stop the survivors by living up to their job description damaging the generators when the opportunity arises. Up to seven befriended players can enjoy this adrenaline-fuelled experience together - four as survivors, two as spectators, and one as the killer.

5 Overcooked! All You Can Eat

Work Together To Make The Kitchen Run Smoothly

In this mad-dashing chef simulator, players work together to run a successful kitchen. A great deal of the fun in Overcooked! All You Can Eat comes from coordinating with each other to get a range of orders out within a certain amount of time. This, of course, can lead to players running around like headless chickens trying to remember what to put with what.

Overcooked! All You Can Eat is a combination of the well-received first and second games, enhanced and remastered in one title. Many gamers laud them as some of the best co-op games available. Ludicrously tense and incredibly fun, Overcooked! All You Can Eat is also available for Xbox and PlayStation users to play together and is one of the best examples of seamless cross-play.

4 Mortal Kombat 1

Perform Fatalities Across Consoles

Though Mortal Kombat 1 is by no means easy to master or even to get the hang of, like all fighting games, it nevertheless remains wholly enjoyable when reduced to button-mashing against friends. Whether painstakingly learning character moves, slowly getting an idea of how to play, or simply furiously tapping everything at once, players will be treated to an unnecessarily bloody brawl with their pals regardless.

The Mortal Kombat series has been running since 1992 and has been a long-time favorite to many among the numerous fighting franchises. However, this series has continued to excel over time and Mortal Kombat 1 does not deviate from this trend. With stunning graphics and improved gameplay, this sumptuous bloodbath is enjoyable for new and returning players alike

3 Rocket League

A Unique Soccer Game That Allows Players To Work Against Or With Each Other

For those who like football and the mania of a destruction derby, Rocket League is bound to be a fast favorite. Even for those who don’t like either, Rocket League is undeniably ridiculously fun (emphasis on the ridiculous). It’s a game that sees rocket-propelled cars attempt to score goals against each other on a giant soccer pitch. What’s not to love?

Rocket League is fast, fun, easy to get into, and difficult to stop. Matches are relatively quick, but players will likely keep coming back for more, attempting to pull off backflip goals, dribbling the ball in the air, and basking in a shower of glory and fireworks with each match.

2 Among Us

A Game Of Deduction Where No One Can Be Trusted

Free and easy to play, Among Us is an amusing, fast-paced impostor discovery game set aboard a space or aircraft with waddling blob astronauts. These little armless crewmates win the game by completing a range of tasks all over the ship or by correctly accusing the impostors and blowing them out of the airlock. The impostors work to avoid suspicion and pretend to complete tasks while sabotaging the ship’s systems and picking off the crewmates.

Among Us is a simple game in many ways and takes up mere megabytes of disk space. Nevertheless, it’s an endlessly fun game of social deduction and finger-pointing based on crewmate information and impostor misinformation. It will have players on both sides sweating right until the final outcome.

1 Apex Legends

A Charming Battle Royale Set In The Titanfall Universe

Anyone familiar with first-person shooter games shouldn’t have too much difficulty getting to grips with Apex Legends’ fairly standard controls. Like other battle royale games (or other shooters in general), it is easy to throw oneself right into the action over and over again. That’s not to say that Apex Legends is easy, however. Battle royales rarely are, especially for newcomers.

However, Apex Legends eases players into the fast-paced action well. Players will need to complete a quick and well-executed tutorial before throwing themselves into some "orientation matches." These matches include a few other beginners and a fair amount of bots, who won’t blow newcomers' heads off within the first thirty seconds (usually). In this way, newcomers are able to jump right into the action without being put off by ungraspable controls or over-skilled adversaries. Apex Legends is free to play, quick to get into, boasts great graphics, and enables up to three friends to team up and enjoy the action whether they’re on PlayStation or Xbox.