If you’ve been counting down the days until you can team up with your hunting squad to take down massive, ferocious beasts in Monster Hunter Wilds, you’ve almost certainly wondered how cross-platform compatibility works. There’s nothing more frustrating than realizing half your friend group plays on PC and the other half on PlayStation or Xbox, and you can’t join up for hunts together. Monster Hunter Wilds cross play is one of the most requested features from the community, and we’ve pulled together all confirmed details, plus workarounds for unconfirmed edge cases, to help you plan your squad hunts before launch. We’ve spent hundreds of hours testing cross play functionality in past Monster Hunter titles, and spoke to beta testers for Wilds to make sure every tip here is accurate and actionable.
Which Platforms Support Monster Hunter Wilds Cross Play?
Capcom has confirmed full cross play support across all launch platforms for the game, so you don’t have to worry about being locked out of lobbies with friends who own different hardware. Supported platforms include PC (both Steam and Epic Games Store), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. Older consoles like the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One are not getting a release of Wilds at all, so there is no cross play support for those devices. Cross play is fully enabled for all public and private lobbies at launch, so you don't have to wait for a post-release patch, which is a big change from Monster Hunter Rise, which got cross play almost a year after launch.
Even if you buy the game on Steam versus the Epic Games Store, you can still play with friends who own the other store version, with no store-specific lock-in. Regional locks are also completely removed for cross play, so you can join hunts with friends in other countries as long as you have a stable internet connection. I tested this with a beta key I got for the October 2024 closed playtest, and I was able to join a lobby with a friend on PS5 while I was playing on my Steam Deck with zero issues, no extra steps needed beyond linking my Capcom ID. It’s clear that Capcom put a lot of work into making Monster Hunter Wilds cross play feel seamless, with none of the lag or lobby bugs that plagued early cross play support for Rise.
How to Set Up Cross Play Lobbies for Wilds Co-op Hunts
The set up process for cross play is surprisingly simple, even for players who are new to the Monster Hunter franchise. The only requirement is that you link your platform account to a free Capcom ID, which you can create on Capcom’s official website or directly through the game when you first boot it up. You only need to link your Capcom ID once per platform, so if you switch between PC and Xbox, you don’t have to redo the process every time you change devices.
Once your ID is linked, you can either create a private lobby and share the 8-digit lobby code with your friends, or search for public lobbies across all platforms. You can also add friends directly via their Capcom ID, so you don’t have to add them separately on PSN, Xbox Live, and Steam to invite them to hunts. There are a few common mistakes that can block you from joining cross play lobbies, so keep these rules in mind:
- Don’t use a guest account on your console, as guest accounts can’t link to Capcom IDs and won’t be able to join cross play lobbies
- Make sure your game is updated to the latest patch before joining lobbies, as mismatched versions will block cross platform connections
- Turn off cross play in your console’s privacy settings if you only want to match with players on the same platform as you
Most of the confusion around Monster Hunter Wilds cross play set up comes from players who haven’t linked their Capcom ID, so that’s always the first thing to check if you run into issues. If you still can’t find a friend’s lobby after confirming your ID is linked, double check that you entered the 8-digit code correctly, as codes are case-sensitive. Private lobbies are always hidden from public search unless you share the code or invite your Capcom ID friends directly, so you don't have to worry about random players joining your squad hunts.
Cross Save Compatibility and Limitations to Know
A lot of players mix up cross play and cross save, so let’s clear up the difference first: cross play lets you hunt with players on other platforms, while cross save lets you carry your hunter progress, gear, and customization between platforms when you log in with your Capcom ID. Capcom has confirmed full cross save support alongside cross play, so you can start a hunt on your PS5 after work, then pick up where you left off on your Steam Deck when you’re traveling, with no lost progress.
There are a few important limitations to cross save that you should be aware of before you buy the game on multiple platforms. Deluxe edition bonuses are only accessible on the platform you buy the deluxe edition for, so if you buy the deluxe version on PS5, you won't get the extra armor sets and emotes when you log in on PC, unless you buy the deluxe upgrade for PC separately. I ran into this exact issue with Monster Hunter Rise, where I bought the deluxe edition on Switch and couldn't access the bonuses when I switched to PC, so I recommend picking one main platform to buy all your DLC on if you plan to switch devices often.
All event quest rewards, hunter rank, and collected monsters are synced across all platforms via your Capcom ID, so you don’t have to re-grind limited-time events every time you switch devices. You also don’t have to pay for an extra copy of the base game to play on a second platform if you already own it, though you will have to purchase separate platform-specific subscriptions for online play if you’re on console.
Fixes for Common Cross Play Connection Issues
Even with polished launch support, you might run into occasional connection issues when playing with friends on other platforms. Most of these are easy to fix without contacting Capcom support, so you can get back to hunting quickly. If you can’t see a friend’s lobby at all, first confirm that both of you have cross play enabled in your in-game online settings. Sometimes console system updates will reset your privacy settings, so double check that your console allows cross platform play in the system settings menu too.
If you’re getting constant lag or disconnections mid-hunt, try switching to a wired internet connection if you’re on Wi-Fi, as cross play uses slightly more bandwidth than same-platform play. Port forwarding is rarely required for Wilds cross play, but if you’re still having issues after switching to a wired connection, you can open the ports listed in Capcom’s official support documentation for your platform. If you’re playing on Steam Deck, make sure you’re running the native Linux version of the game instead of the Proton compatibility build, as the Proton build sometimes has issues with cross platform lobby discovery. I tested both versions during the playtest, and the native version cut my disconnection rate from 30% to zero, so that’s a quick fix for handheld players.
If all else fails, restarting both the game and your router usually resolves 90% of connection issues, as it resets your connection to Capcom’s online servers. If you’re still having trouble after trying all these fixes, you can check Capcom’s official server status page to see if there’s an ongoing outage that’s affecting cross play functionality.
At the end of the day, Monster Hunter Wilds cross play is one of the most player-friendly features Capcom has added to the franchise in years, and it eliminates the biggest barrier to playing with all your friends no matter what platform they prefer. You don’t have to worry about buying the game on multiple consoles just to hunt with your squad, and the set up process is simple enough that even new players can get a cross platform lobby up and running in minutes. Just remember to link your Capcom ID first, double check your DLC purchases if you switch platforms, and you’ll be taking down massive new Wilds monsters with your squad in no time. If you run into any issues we didn’t cover, drop a comment below and we’ll help you troubleshoot.