Despite its lack of innovation, EA FC 24 has embraced a long-awaited feature by the community: crossplay. We had the chance to test it through a few games, and while it’s not perfect, it generally lives up to its promises.
What is crossplay? It’s simply the ability to play the same game on different platforms. Crossplay has been a feature in other games for a while, and it made its debut in FIFA 23, allowing players to compete despite having different versions of the game. Xbox Series users could play against PS5 or PC players, while PS4 players could finally take on Xbox One players. However, Nintendo Switch users remained in their own separate world. At the time, all game modes were affected (FUT, online seasons, online friendlies, etc.), except for the beloved My Club mode. In My Club, each player embodies a single unique avatar throughout the match, as if they were on a real field. This mode can theoretically accommodate up to 22 participants, which highlights the challenge of bringing all these players together, especially when they are on different gaming platforms.
A Crossplay-Enabled Club Mode
A year after this apparently successful trial run, Electronic Arts reintroduced the feature with EA FC 24. Crossplay is still a part of it, with a few advancements. This time, the Clubs mode (formerly My Club) is included. However, the generational barrier has not yet been broken, and it’s still impossible to have PS4 or Xbox One players compete with those on PS5, Xbox Series, or PC, leaving the Nintendo Switch players sidelined.
Since the release of EA FC 24 on September 29, 2023, we have been able to try crossplay on game modes that were already crossplay-enabled in FIFA 23. Most matches proceeded without issues, with occasional ping problems that couldn’t be attributed to crossplay. Please note that “ping” refers to the time it takes for data to travel from our console to the server and back, allowing in-game actions to be registered. It should be as brief as possible for a comfortable gaming experience.
However, we were particularly interested in Electronic Arts’ handling of the Clubs mode. Given the large number of players (up to 22) and the involvement of different platforms (up to 3 at times, including PC, PS5, and Xbox Series), this seemed more challenging. Fortunately, our small amateur club consists of players from these three platforms, enabling us to compete for the title.
Pay Attention to Versions and Voice Chat
The initial connections were not without difficulties, but it seemed to be the case for all game modes, whether crossplay was involved or not. However, after a few days, things stabilized, and we were able to enjoy our daily losses with a few bugs here and there, but nothing critical. Unfortunately, just when everything seemed to be running smoothly, updates disrupted our championship. It appeared that these updates were not rolled out simultaneously on all platforms, making it impossible to connect everyone for some matches—annoying! However, once all versions were updated (with a slight delay), we could confidently continue our journey toward victory.
Another small challenge to overcome is the in-game player communication system. Without crossplay, you could rely on PlayStation Party, Xbox group chats, or other PC communication software. With mixed platforms, team members need to choose an audio chat system, and Discord seems to be the most suitable since it is available on all gaming systems. However, you will need to link your Discord account to your Xbox Series or PS5. Since the application may not be used natively, you need to be connected to Discord on a third-party device (smartphone, PC, etc.) and then link the Discord voice channel to your console to chat and enjoy in-game sounds. If you connect directly through your phone without linking your gaming system, you won’t hear in-game sounds, which can be a disadvantage.
A Significant Delay Between Transmission and Reception
What complicates matters is that using Discord on a console involves multiple connections, resulting in a significant delay between transmission and reception. In a fast-paced game, such as a cross to the far post, this delay can make the action less effective.
Therefore, we hope that Electronic Arts will promptly address these minor issues through a patch. Crossplay is an incredibly useful feature that not only extends the pool of potential opponents but also allows friends to join a club without needing the same gaming platform, whether it’s a PC or a console.
Our editor’s best pick for you:
ARKHAM KNIGHT ADDS AND THEN REMOVES ROBERT PATTINSON’S BATMAN SUIT
SEE THE SCHEDULE FOR BLIZZCON 2023 BROADCAST; EVENT TAKES PLACE ON NOVEMBER 3RD AND 4TH
