Battlefield 2042 finds itself in a unique position. While it will be a cross-gen game available for both current- and next-generation platforms, the next-gen version of Battlefield 2042 will have advanced features not possible on the older consoles. The result is that, unlike most other cross-gen games, Battlefield 2042's crossplay will not allow players from different generations to play together.
This was confirmed in a recent blog post, where DICE explained that Battlefield 2042 crossplay will support PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X in one group, with PS4 and Xbox One players in the other group. There's also the option for PC and console gamers to opt out of playing together. This means it won't be possible for Battlefield 2042 players on PS4 to play with those playing the PS5 version of the game, or for Xbox One players to play with those on Xbox Series X. Battlefield 2042 will have cross-progression across all platforms, however.
While some may be disappointed by this news, it makes sense. There will be a huge discrepancy between Battlefield 2042 on next-gen consoles and the version of the game on older platforms, mainly in regards to player count. Battlefield 2042 will have 128 player matches on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X, whereas the PS4 and Xbox One versions of the game will only support 64 players.
A significantly smaller player count means that Battlefield 2042's maps will be smaller on PS4 and Xbox One as well. Since Battlefield 2042 maps are going to be completely different sizes depending on platform, crossplay would be impossible. But while those on PS4 and Xbox One will have smaller maps and a smaller player count to work with, they will still be able to enjoy many of Battlefield 2042's other new features.
Regardless of platform, Battlefield 2042's weather system, weapons, and every other feature will be present and accounted for. That may not necessarily be a good thing if reports about Battlefield 2042's tornados being repetitive are true, but it's still nice that fans can expect roughly the same gameplay experience, even if PS4 and Xbox One gamers will be experiencing it all on smaller maps than their next-gen counterparts.
In the meantime, there's still a lot left to learn about Battlefield 2042. The game will be present at the EA Play event on July 22, where the plan is to fully unveil the new mode being developed by Ripple Effect Studios. This mode will reportedly feature classic Battlefield maps, but further details are unavailable at the time of this writing. Luckily, Battlefield fans can expect all to be revealed later this month.
Battlefield 2042 launches October 22 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.