Baldur’s Gate 3 now supports full cross-play between Windows PC, Mac, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S through the Larian Network. Every player should be on the current game version, connect the platform account to a Larian account, enable Allow Cross-Play under Gameplay, then use the Cross-Play tab in Multiplayer. Existing campaigns need cross-play enabled for the save before the host loads it. Cross-play does not remove mod compatibility rules: a modded lobby still needs matching supported mods and versions.
Quick answer: Patch 8 made PC, Mac, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S one cross-play pool
The clean mental model is: Larian Network handles cross-platform identity and invitations; the host campaign/save still owns the multiplayer world state for that session; cross-save/cross-platform progression is a separate account-linked convenience for moving your own saves between supported platforms.
Enable Allow Cross-Play under Gameplay before trying to diagnose friend-list or lobby problems.
Supported platform matrix
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| Platform | Cross-play | What the player needs | Mod caveat |
|---|---|---|---|
Windows PC (Steam/GOG) | Yes | Current BG3 version + Larian account + Allow Cross-Play | Can use supported official mods; third-party PC mods cannot be assumed compatible with console/Mac. |
Mac | Yes | Current Mac build + Larian account + Allow Cross-Play | Use mods explicitly available for Mac when joining a modded group. |
PlayStation 5 | Yes | Platform online permissions + Larian account | Official curated supported mods only; no Nexus/manual PC mods. |
Xbox Series X|S | Yes | Platform online permissions + Larian account | Official curated supported mods only; no third-party PC mods. |
Step 1 — link accounts and use the Larian friend list
1. Update BG3 on every platform first. A version mismatch can look exactly like a broken cross-play lobby.
2. Connect the Steam/GOG/PlayStation/Xbox account to the Larian account used for cross-play/cross-save services.
3. Open Main Menu > Options > Gameplay and turn on Allow Cross-Play.
4. Open Account Management / Friend List and add the other player by Larian username. Platform friend lists are useful, but the Larian identity is the cross-platform layer.
Cross-platform services rely on connected accounts; cross-save and cross-play both sit on top of the Larian account layer.
1. Open Multiplayer from the main menu.
Step 2 — create a new cross-play lobby
2. Switch to the Cross-Play tab.
3. Choose Create.
4. Set privacy/lobby options and launch the lobby.
5. Invite Larian friends from the active lobby and assign characters once they join.
A Cross-Play lobby is still a normal four-player BG3 multiplayer lobby; cross-play changes platform reach, not the campaign player cap.
Use the Cross-Play lobby browser rather than assuming the platform-native multiplayer browser will expose every cross-platform room. If a known friend lobby is absent, verify the host and joiner are on the same BG3 version, both have Allow Cross-Play enabled, and the Larian friendship is visible before restarting the game/network stack.
Patch 8 has a dedicated Cross-Play tab; use this path for cross-platform sessions rather than the legacy LAN browser.
Join an existing public/friend lobby / Step 3 — host an existing campaign save
1. From the main menu, choose Load Game.
2. Highlight the campaign save you want to host.
3. Enable the save’s Cross-Play checkbox/toggle if it is an older save that was not already configured.
4. Load the campaign.
5. Open Multiplayer and invite the Larian friend(s).
This is the step many older guides omit: global Allow Cross-Play is not the only switch that can matter. If a legacy campaign is not appearing correctly for cross-platform friends, check the save-level setting before reinstalling anything.
Enable Cross-Play on the selected save in Load Game first; after loading, Multiplayer / Session Manager is where the host invites friends and reassigns characters.
Cross-play with mods: the host list is the contract
For a supported modded session, the joining players need the required supported mods and compatible versions. Patch 8 improved the Mod Verification flow so mismatches can be reported as missing, disabled or wrong-version mods and can ask the player to install, enable, disable, upgrade or downgrade. Treat the host’s enabled list as authoritative for that campaign.
If any player is on console or Mac, filter for mods marked Available on Console & Mac / the relevant supported platforms. Consoles cannot load manual/Nexus-only PC mods. Console sessions also have a 100-mod limit for stability, so a PC host with a huge supported-mod list can still exceed what the console side is allowed to run.
Mod Verification is the first screen to read when a modded cross-play session refuses to join; do not start deleting the save.
Feature | What it does | What it does not do
Cross-play | Lets supported platforms play in the same multiplayer session. | Does not make incompatible mods/platform tools magically compatible.
Cross-save / cross-platform progression | Moves the player’s recent linked saves between supported platforms through account services. | Does not merge two independently progressed copies of one campaign.
Host campaign | The host loads the campaign state used for the multiplayer session. | Does not hand every joiner an independently authoritative fork of the world state.
Cross-play, cross-save and campaign ownership are three different concepts / Error-to-fix checklist / Common mistakes
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| Symptom | Check first / Then try |
|---|---|
Friend lobby not visible | Same BG3 version? Allow Cross-Play enabled? Larian friendship visible? / Restart both clients; recreate lobby; verify platform online permission/network status. |
Existing save will not host cross-platform | Save-level cross-play toggle / Enable it from Load Game, then reload campaign and invite. |
Mod Verification blocks join | Missing/disabled/version-mismatched mods / Match host list; do not substitute a similar mod name or newer incompatible major version. |
Console cannot join PC modded lobby | Any third-party/Nexus-only mod? Console/Mac availability? >100 console mods? / Remove unsupported mods; rebuild to the supported shared set. |
Cross-save missing | Connected Larian account and sync state / Confirm cloud/link status before manually overwriting local save folders. |
FAQ
Using only Steam/PS/Xbox friend systems and never adding the Larian friend.; Matching mod names but not the exact supported versions the save expects.
Turning on Allow Cross-Play globally but never checking the older save’s own cross-play state.; Confusing cross-save with collaborative ownership of a campaign.
Hosting console players with a PC-only mod because “the mod works on my machine.”; Can PC play with PS5 and Xbox now? Yes, Patch 8 added cross-play across PC, Mac, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
Do I need a Larian account? The current cross-play flow uses the Larian Network/account layer for cross-platform friends and services.; Can I cross-play with mods? Yes with supported compatible mods, but every participant must satisfy the host list and platform availability.
Can a console player use Nexus mods? No. Consoles use curated supported mods only.; Does cross-play move my save automatically? Cross-save is a separate linked-account service; multiplayer still uses the host’s loaded campaign state.