A Guide to Cross-Platform Support in Dying Light: The Truth You Must Know

Yesterday morning, I received a message from my friend Mike, "Playing Dying Light tonight? I'm on Xbox." My heart skipped a beat—I only have a PlayStation. It was then that I realized the cross-platform issue might be more complicated than I'd imagined. So, I decided to do some digging to see if it was actually possible to play zombies together across platforms.

### Firsthand Research

I first pulled out my laptop and headed straight to the official website for the official information. The official page was filled with marketing jargon, with no concrete explanation of whether Xbox and PlayStation could play together. Desperate, I turned to the player community and Reddit subreddits, hoping for helpful information. The results were even more confusing: some claimed cross-platform support was possible, while others claimed early support had been removed by a patch. The conflicting information was confusing.

### Actual Test: Personal Experience is the Ultimate Truth

Since there were conflicting reports online, I decided to try it myself. I powered on my PS5, loaded a save file from near the Tower settlement, and entered the multiplayer menu. Only to find PlayStation players—no Xbox logo at all. Trying to join Mike's game via the invite link only to receive a "Platform Mismatch" message.

Mike also tried on his Xbox, and the same problem occurred. We even foolishly restarted our router, hoping it would magically fix the issue, but it still didn't work. The harsh reality is: PlayStation and Xbox players can't connect directly.

### The Cold Truth: The Limitations of Cross-Platform Play

After actual testing, I've summarized the actual cross-platform situation:

PC players can connect: Whether purchasing the PC version from Steam or the Epic Games Store, players can freely team up.

Console to PC? Forget it: PlayStation or Xbox players can't connect with PC players.

Smooth upgrades on the same platform: PS4 players can team up with PS5 players, and Xbox One players can connect smoothly with Series X players.

PlayStation and Xbox players can't connect: Cross-vendor play is completely unworkable, like oil and water.

So, Mike and I reluctantly gave up our plans to fight zombies together and watched Netflix separately, like a pair of parting ways as a gaming couple. Techland did make some mistakes with its cross-platform design, limiting the player experience.

### Choosing the Right Gaming Platform

After understanding these limitations, I've summarized a few suggestions:

1. If you want cross-platform play, the PC version is the safest choice. Both Steam and Epic support cross-platform play for PC players.
2. Players on the same console can team up, for example, PS4 to PS5, or Xbox One to Series X.
3. Cross-brand play isn't feasible. If you and your friends have different consoles, you'll need to coordinate ahead of time.
4. Don't blindly trust forum posts; official information and actual testing are the only reliable sources.

### Sharing My Personal Experience

Personal testing is much more reliable than online information. While it's unfortunate not being able to fight zombies with friends, at least it saved me time and frustrated expectations. For the average player, understanding cross-platform rules is key to saving time and planning your game strategy.

### Final Thoughts

In summary, Dying Light's cross-platform support is very limited: PC players can team up with each other, and consoles of the same brand can connect to each other, but cross-platform communication is completely incompatible. This means that if you want to play with friends, you must discuss your platform choice in advance.

Techland's handling of this issue is indeed disappointing, but now that we understand the rules, we can at least plan our playtime and avoid unnecessary complaints. Next time, Mike and I will decide to team up directly on PC to avoid the cross-platform hassle.

https://kralmod.com/dying-ligh....t-cross-platform-sup