Battlefield 2042 launches with crossplay, but those on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S will have to deal with a disadvantage for the time being. There is no support for mouse and keyboard on consoles at launch.
Where does the information come from? In a blog post on the official Steam page for Battlefield 2042, which also discusses the anti-cheat measures, developer DICE confirms: There will be no support for mouse and keyboard on consoles at launch.
Why is the feature missing? DICE does not provide a specific reason. However, the statement suggests that it may be related to the crossplay feature that Battlefield 2042 will offer at launch.
Developer DICE writes:
We have heard your questions about mouse and keyboard support for consoles. We can confirm that we will not support this at the launch of Battlefield 2042 on consoles, but we are still exploring various options on how to make this available and how it might affect crossplay. If that ever changes, you’ll hear it from us first.
via store.steampowered.com
Disadvantage for consoles in crossplay?
This is how crossplay works in Battlefield 2042: The feature is currently available only in a limited form:
- Players on PC can only play with other players on Xbox Series X|S and PS5
- Xbox One and PS4 can only play with each other
The reason lies in the significant differences between the versions of the old consoles and the new ones, as well as the PC. For example, due to technical limitations, significantly fewer players will meet in each match, and the maps will also be smaller.
For PS5 and Xbox Series players, the lack of support for mouse and keyboard in terms of crossplay may also be a thorn in their side. At least that is reflected in the reactions to the news.
This is how players are reacting: As usual, there is the classic “Controller vs. Mouse/Keyboard” debate. Many console players are disappointed by the lack of functionality, as they see themselves at a disadvantage compared to PC players.
They are hoping for separate lobbies so that controller users do not end up in the same match as mouse/keyboard users. On reddit, jdp111 writes: “How is crossplay supposed to work then? Will it just throw keyboard and mouse and controller together? CoD has a much better solution with a preferred input method for matchmaking.” (via reddit.com)
However, there is still no concrete information from EA or DICE on this. It remains to be seen how it will look in the final game. Perhaps we will learn more about it during the open beta, which will start soon. According to an insider, crossplay should already be activated there.
When does the open beta start? The preload begins on October 5. The early access phase will take place on October 6 and 7. Following that, the open beta phase will start on October 8 and run until October 10 at 9:00 AM.
On which platforms can you play? The beta will be available on all platforms on which Battlefield 2042 is released. Accordingly, on PC (Origin, Steam, Epic Games Store), PS4 and PS5 as well as Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One.
For more information about the beta, you can find our overview at Battlefield 2042: Everything about the open beta – start, registration, download
