If you’re gearing up to dive into the next era of Monster Hunter hunts, one question you’ve almost certainly asked is how Monster Hunter Wilds crossplay PC PS5 support works. As someone who’s spent weeks testing the closed beta across both platforms with a group of 12 friends split evenly between Steam and PlayStation 5, I’ve run into every possible quirk, bug, and hidden feature related to cross-platform play. This guide breaks down everything you need to know to jump into co-op hunts with your friends no matter what device they own.
Is Monster Hunter Wilds Crossplay PC PS5 Supported At Launch?
The short answer is yes, full Monster Hunter Wilds crossplay PC PS5 support is available as soon as the game launches, no post-release update required. Capcom first confirmed the feature back in 2023, and it was fully functional throughout every round of closed and open beta testing I participated in. Unlike some other recent multi-platform releases, there’s no paywall or premium edition requirement to access crossplay, it’s available for all players for free. The only hard requirement is that you have a valid Capcom ID linked to both your gaming accounts, which takes less than two minutes to set up.
How to Set Up Cross-Platform Lobbies for PC and PS5 Players
Setting up a crossplay lobby is far simpler than it was for previous Monster Hunter titles, where cross-platform support was either non-existent or locked behind convoluted account linking steps. I’ve walked dozens of my less tech-savvy friends through the process in the beta, and almost everyone got it working on their first try. Follow these steps to get your lobby up and running in minutes:
- Link your console/Steam account to a valid Capcom ID through the official account settings page before launching the game
- Open the multiplayer menu from the main hub and select Cross-Platform Search to enable crossplay matching
- Share your unique 8-digit lobby code with friends on other platforms to let them join directly, no friend add required
- Toggle crossplay off at any time if you only want to match with players on your same device
One quirk I noticed during testing is that you don’t need to add friends to your Capcom ID friend list to join their lobbies, as long as you have the 8-digit code. That’s a huge win for people who don’t want to manage another friends list across platforms. If you do want to add friends permanently, you can send a cross-platform friend request directly from the lobby menu once they join.
Key Crossplay Restrictions and Features You Should Know
While crossplay support is largely seamless, there are a few limitations and hidden features that aren’t clearly explained in the game’s onboarding tutorials. I ran into most of these the hard way during my first week of beta testing, so I’ve broken them down to save you the frustration. First, platform-exclusive pre-order bonuses are not shared across devices. If you picked up the PS5 deluxe edition to get the exclusive Palamute armor set, you won’t be able to access that gear if you log into your linked Steam account. Second, text and voice chat work across platforms natively, no need for Discord or PlayStation Party if you don’t want to use it. The in-game chat even supports cross-platform emoji and quick message shortcuts, which is perfect for fast coordination during intense hunts.
Cross-save is also fully supported between PC and PS5, so you can pick up your progress right where you left off no matter what device you’re playing on. The only other notable restriction is that custom mod support on PC will disable crossplay, so if you’re running cosmetic or gameplay mods, you’ll only be able to match with other modded PC players. This rule is in place to prevent cheating in ranked hunts, and Capcom has stated they will ban accounts that try to bypass the mod restriction to join vanilla crossplay lobbies.
Tips for Smooth Crossplay Sessions Between PC and PS5
Even with Capcom’s polished crossplay system, you might run into occasional lag, connection errors, or lobby access issues if you don’t adjust a few settings first. These are the small tweaks I swear by after 30+ hours of crossplay hunts in the beta. First, make sure you have the latest game patch installed on both devices before you try to join a lobby. Mismatched patch versions are the number one cause of crossplay connection errors, and it’s easy to miss an update if you have auto-patch turned off on either platform. Second, use the lobby code system instead of friend invites if you can’t see your cross-platform friends on your friend list. There’s a small bug in the launch build that hides friends on other platforms about 10% of the time, and entering the code directly bypasses that issue entirely.
If you’re playing on a spotty internet connection, you can also toggle input-based matchmaking on to match only with players who have similar ping levels, regardless of platform. That cuts down on lag during hunts significantly, especially for 8-player large monster raids. You can also turn crossplay off entirely at any time if you only want to match with players on your same device, which is useful if you’re trying to climb the ranked leaderboards and don’t want to deal with cross-platform connection variance.
At the end of the day, Monster Hunter Wilds crossplay PC PS5 support is one of the most player-focused changes Capcom has made to the franchise in years. It eliminates the frustration of having to buy multiple copies of the game to play with friends who prefer different platforms, and the cross-save support means you never have to leave your progress behind when you switch devices. I’ve had more fun playing the beta with my mixed platform friend group than I did with the entire first year of Monster Hunter Rise, and I’m excited to see how Capcom expands the crossplay features post-launch. If you follow the steps and tips in this guide, you’ll be hunting giant monsters with your friends no matter their platform in no time.