Is Sea of Thieves Cross-Platform with Console & PC in 2024?
- Sea of Thieves supports cross-platform play across PS5, Xbox, and PC, allowing players to team up regardless of their device.
- Cross-save functionality ensures progress and characters are consistent across all platforms, making transitions between devices seamless.
- Players can easily add friends across platforms using in-game menus or the Xbox App, enhancing the multiplayer experience.
Wondering if Sea of Thieves supports cross-platform play? Many gamers are, especially when they have friends on different devices. In this article, we’ll explore if players on various platforms can join forces and enjoy the game together.
Whether you’re a seasoned sailor or new to the game, keep reading to see how Sea of Thieves connects gamers, no matter their setup. But before diving into the cross-play details, let’s learn a bit more about the game itself.
Table of Contents
What is Sea of Thieves?
Sea of Thieves is an action-adventure game that was developed by Rare and published by Xbox Game Studios. Released in 2018, it allows players to live out their pirate fantasies in a shared open world. As a pirate, you complete voyages for different trading companies, with the freedom to approach the world and other players in your own unique way.
The game is known for its multiplayer experience, where you can sail the seas on a pirate ship and interact with other players, either by forming alliances or engaging in combat. The game’s design focuses on a first-person perspective, enhancing the feeling of being part of the pirate world.
Since its release, Sea of Thieves has received several content updates, improving upon the initial reception which was mixed due to concerns about gameplay progression and content depth. These updates have addressed many of the early criticisms and have helped the game to become a favorite among players, with over 40 million players by April 2024.
The game’s success led to its release on additional platforms, including a native Xbox Series X|S version in March 2024 and a PlayStation 5 version in April 2024, marking Rare’s first game on a PlayStation console.
Sea of Thieves offers a rich pirate experience with a focus on multiplayer interaction and continuous development, making it a standout title in the action-adventure genre.
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What Platforms Is Sea of Thieves Available On?
Sea of Thieves is available on a variety of platforms, ensuring that a wide range of players can enjoy the pirate adventure. Here’s where you can find the game:
- Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One: The game is optimized for the Xbox Series X|S, offering features like 4K Ultra HD, High Dynamic Range, and Smart Delivery.
- PC: Gamers on PC can access Sea of Thieves through the Windows 10/11 store or Steam.
- Cloud Gaming: The game is also available through cloud gaming services, allowing you to play on devices that support this feature.
- PlayStation 5: As of April 2024, Sea of Thieves has been released on the PlayStation 5, marking its availability on a Sony console.
Does Sea of Thieves Support Cross-Play?
Sea of Thieves indeed supports cross-platform play, which is a significant feature for gamers who want to play together regardless of the device they own. This compatibility spans across PS5, Xbox, and PC, including both Windows 10/11 and Steam versions. The game’s cross-platform functionality allows players to team up and take on the challenges of the sea, no matter the platform.
↪ Cross-Platform Play
The game is designed to be a shared-world experience, and cross-platform play is a core part of this. Players on different platforms can join the same server and interact with each other, participating in voyages, battles, and exploration. This feature is enabled by default, making it easy for friends to connect and play together.
↪ Cross-Save Feature
Alongside cross-platform play, Sea of Thieves also offers a cross-save feature. This means that your progress and character are consistent across platforms. Whether you’re playing on Steam, PlayStation, or Xbox, your progress follows you, thanks to the requirement of a Microsoft account to sign in.
↪ Adding Friends Across Platforms
Adding friends from different platforms is straightforward. You can add friends through the in-game menus or via the Xbox App, which is required regardless of the platform you’re playing on. This integration simplifies the process of forming a crew with players from various platforms.
↪ Disabling Cross-Play
For those who prefer not to engage in cross-platform play, particularly console players concerned about the advantages PC players might have, there is an option to disable it. This can be done through the platform’s settings menu, where you can choose to allow or disallow cross-platform matchmaking.
↪ Cheating Concerns
Some console players choose to disable cross-play due to concerns about cheating on the PC version of the game. While the anti-cheat system is in place, it may not detect all cheats, leading some players to opt for platform-exclusive matchmaking.
Sea of Thieves provides a seamless cross-platform experience that brings together players from different gaming systems. The game’s design and features are focused on ensuring that everyone, regardless of their device, can enjoy the full pirate experience together. With the cross-save feature and easy friend-adding options, Sea of Thieves stands out as a title that truly supports gaming inclusivity and community.
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How to Enable Cross-Play in Sea of Thieves?
Turning on cross-play in Sea of Thieves allows you to play with friends across different platforms, such as Xbox, PlayStation, and PC. Here’s how you can do it:
Step 1: Update the Game
Ensure that Sea of Thieves is up to date on all platforms. Check for updates in the Microsoft Store for Xbox and Windows 10/11, or Steam for PC users.
Step 2: Link Your Microsoft Account
To play Sea of Thieves, a Microsoft account is essential. Cross-play is supported across Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Steam, and mobile via xCloud Game Streaming, and it’s enabled by default on all platforms.
Simply link your Microsoft account to each platform you intend to use. If you don’t have a Microsoft account, you’ll need to create one. This single account will be your gateway to cross-play functionality, allowing you to sign into Sea of Thieves on any platform and join friends for gameplay.
Step 3: Add Friends
Sea of Thieves is all about cooperative adventures. Forming a crew with friends enhances the experience. When you add friends, you can invite them to your crew, sail together, and tackle challenges as a team.
Adding friends allows you to play with them regardless of their platform. Suppose your friend plays on Xbox while you’re on PC. By adding them, you can join their game or invite them to yours, creating a seamless cross-platform experience. Here’s how you can add friends on different platforms:
↪ On Xbox:
- Press the Xbox button on your controller to open the guide.
Press the Xbox Button on Your Controller - Use the bumper buttons (LB/RB) or the directional pad to navigate to the People tab, which is represented by two silhouettes.
Navigate to the People tab - Scroll down and select Find someone to search for a new friend.
Select Find Someone - Enter the gamertag of the person you want to add. Be sure to enter it correctly, paying attention to spelling and spacing.
Enter your Friend’s Gamertag in the search box - Once you’ve found the correct profile, select Add friend.
Select Add Friend - Choose what kind of info you want to share with them. You can select Friend or Favorite.
Optionally, you can select Share my real name to help them recognize you.
Select your desired options - After selecting the desired options, select Submit to send a friend request.
Select Submit - The person will now appear in your friends list, and you will appear as a follower until they add you back.
↪ On PlayStation:
- Press the PS button on your controller to open the control center.
Press the PS button on your controller - Select Game Base.
Select ‘Game Base’ from the menu at the bottom - Scroll down, select ‘View All Parties,’ and then go to ‘Game Base.’
Select View All Parties > Go to Game Base - Go to Search for players.
- Enter the player’s online ID or real name.
Go to Search and Search for your Friend’s ID - Select the player to open their profile.
Select the player profile - Choose Add Friend on their profile.
Select Add Friend - Select Send to send the friend request.
Select Send
↪ On PC:
- Open the Xbox app on your Windows PC.
Launch the Xbox App on your system - Click on the Social tab.
Click the Social tab in the bottom right corner - In the search bar, type your friend’s Xbox Gamertag.
Enter your friend’s Gamertag in the search box - Select their profile from the search results.
Select their profile - Click Add friend to send a friend request.
Click Add Friend
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Step 4: Enable Cross-Play
- Launch Sea of Thieves and navigate to the settings menu.
Go to the Game Settings Menu - Look for the ‘Matchmaking’ tab and set ‘Prefer Console Players with Controllers’ to ‘Yes’.
In the Matchmaking tab, toggle the ‘Prefer Console Players with Controllers’ preference to ‘Yes’
Step 5: Joining Friends
Use the in-game menus to join a lobby with your friends. You should now be able to see and join your friends’ games across platforms.
Optional: Disabling Cross-Play
If you prefer to play only with others on the same platform:
- Open the Settings menu in the game.
Go to the Game Settings Menu - Navigate to the ‘Matchmaking’ tab.
- Set ‘Prefer Console Players with Controllers’ to ‘No’.
In the Matchmaking tab, toggle the ‘Prefer Console Players with Controllers’ preference to ‘No’
By following these steps, you should be able to enjoy Sea of Thieves with friends across different platforms. Remember, a smooth cross-play experience depends on having an updated game version, a stable internet connection, and properly linked accounts. Enjoy your adventures on the high seas!
READ MORE: How to Fix Ships not loading in Sea of Thieves ➜
Conclusion
In wrapping up, we’ve sailed through the details and can confirm that Sea of Thieves does indeed support cross-platform play. This feature allows friends to join forces and enjoy the game together, whether they’re on PC, Xbox, or PlayStation. It’s a game that brings people together, breaking down the barriers between different gaming platforms.
The seas are open for everyone, and Sea of Thieves makes sure that no one has to sail alone. So, gather your crew from all corners of the gaming world and set sail for treasure and adventure. Happy sailing!
FAQs
Yes, Sea of Thieves has Xbox Play Anywhere support which allows you to play on both your Windows PC and Xbox with a single digital purchase.
With Xbox Play Anywhere, your game progress is saved on your Xbox Live account, allowing you to pick up where you left off on any supported platform.
Cross-play does not negatively affect the gameplay experience; it allows a larger pool of players to interact and embark on adventures together.
PlayStation users can access all features when playing cross-platform, just like PC and Xbox users.
Yes, voice chat is supported across all platforms, enabling seamless communication between players.
