Will FIFA 21 be cross platform? Everything we know for Xbox and PlayStation

With fans looking forward to the release of FIFA 21 in just under a month’s time, questions have been raised about whether the game will support cross platform play.

Cross platform play features on a number of current gaming titles, including the mega popular battle-royale game Call of Duty: Warzone, with players on Xbox able to play with players on PlayStation, and vice versa, as well as playing with players on their chosen console.

With FIFA 21 confirmed on Xbox One, PS4 and PC, EA have also confirmed that FIFA 21 will be playable on the next-generation edition of gaming consoles, the Playstation 5 and the Xbox One Series X and Xbox One Series S, but no release date has been confirmed for these consoles yet.

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But it has also been confirmed that when you purchase FIFA 21 on Xbox, PS4 or PC, you’ll have access to something called Dual Entitlement, which will enable you to upgrade your copy of FIFA 21 on PlayStation 4 to PlayStation 5, or from Xbox One to Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S, at no extra cost.

The Dual Entitlement offer will let you upgrade your copy of the game at no extra cost up until the release of FIFA 22.

All progress you make or content you acquire within FIFA 21 Ultimate Team (including players, items, coins, FIFA Points, match record, and leaderboard placement), as well as all progression in VOLTA FOOTBALL will transfer from PlayStation 4 to PlayStation 5 and back, or Xbox One to Xbox Series X and back.

Considering all of the difficult technical challenges that have presumably been solved in order to launch Dual Entitlement for next-gen consoles, you would also presume that the same challenges that come with enabling cross platform support could also be solved ahead of launch.

However, EA confirmed in a Q&A on Twitter back in August that cross platform will NOT be supported on FIFA 21, and you WON’T be able to play across console generations.

EA said: “You won’t be able to play across console generations or cross-play in #FIFA21,”

“However, you will be able to carry over your FUT progression from PS4 to PS5 and Xbox 1 to Xbox Series X.”

What this means is that when it comes to the new FUT Co-Op mode, you will have to make sure that the person you play with is using the same console platform, as well as the same version of console!

For example, if you want to play FUT Co-Op with a friend, and you have the Xbox One X and your friend has an Xbox Series X, you won’t be able to play with each other on the game mode.

In addition, you will not be able to match against each other in any online mode including Online Friendlies, Division Rivals or Weekend League.

EA have confirmed that there will be three editions of FIFA 21, with fans have the option to purchase the FIFA 21 Standard Edition, FIFA 21 Champions Edition and the FIFA 21 Ultimate Edition, with all three editions being priced differently due to certain perks included, including early access to the full game with certain editions.

FIFA 21 has a UK and worldwide release date of October 9, 2020, but you can start playing the game earlier depending on which edition you decide to purchase.

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