I lost count of how many times my friends and I spent 20 minutes bickering about which console to play eFootball on before we finally looked up crossplay support. Half of us play on PlayStation, a couple use Xbox, and one friend only plays on Steam, so we’d often default to a completely different game just to avoid the hassle. If you’ve ever found yourself in the same position, you’re probably asking is eFootball 2023 cross platform and whether you can team up with buddies no matter what device they own. This guide breaks down everything you need to know, from supported platforms to hidden restrictions that might ruin your multiplayer plans.
Is eFootball 2023 Cross Platform? Official Support Breakdown
Konami first rolled out full crossplay support for eFootball 2023 three months after the game’s initial launch, following months of player feedback begging for the feature. Unlike the previous 2022 version that had limited cross-generation support only, 2023’s build lets players match across most major device families for nearly all online game modes. Crossplay is enabled by default for all supported console and PC versions, so you don’t have to dig through settings to turn it on unless you previously disabled it for some reason.
It’s important to note that support doesn’t extend to every version of the game, though. The mobile build of eFootball 2023 is kept completely separate from console and PC versions, for both balancing and technical reasons. Mobile players have access to simplified controls and adjusted gameplay mechanics that wouldn’t translate fairly to controller or keyboard and mouse setups, so Konami chose to keep those player pools isolated. There are no region locks for crossplay in eFootball 2023, so you can play with friends in other countries as long as you all have stable internet connections.
Most game modes support crossplay, including Quick Match, Co-op Team Play, and Ranked Divisions. The only exception is custom private leagues, which had crossplay disabled in a mid-season patch after reports of exploits that let players manipulate league standings. Konami hasn’t announced if that feature will be re-enabled for cross-platform groups in the future, but as of the latest patch, private leagues are limited to same-platform players only.
Which Platforms Can Play eFootball 2023 Together?
Not all cross-platform pairings are allowed, even for supported devices. Konami has clear rules for which player pools are merged, and it’s important to know these before you try to invite friends to a match. The full supported crossplay pairings are:
You might notice that the Microsoft Store PC version of eFootball 2023 isn’t listed here. That’s because Konami discontinued support for the Microsoft Store build six months after launch, so those players can’t even access online modes at all, let alone crossplay. If you own the Microsoft Store version, you’ll need to switch to the Steam build if you want to play with friends across other platforms. You don’t need a paid subscription to any premium service to use crossplay, outside of standard console online memberships like PlayStation Plus or Xbox Live Gold. PC players don’t need any extra subscriptions beyond a free Steam account.
I made the mistake of buying the Microsoft Store version when the game first launched, and I lost access to all my progress when Konami dropped support, so I highly recommend sticking to the Steam build if you play on PC. It’s the only PC version that gets regular patches and full online support now.
Common Crossplay Issues in eFootball 2023 and How to Fix Them
Even with official support, crossplay in eFootball 2023 isn’t always perfect. I’ve run into my fair share of issues trying to set up matches with friends, and most of them have simple fixes if you know where to look. The first and most common issue is not being able to see your friend’s invite or find them in your friends list. Make sure all players have the latest game patch installed before you try to match, because even a small version difference will prevent cross-platform play entirely. Konami releases small patches every two weeks, so it’s easy to fall behind if you don’t launch the game regularly.
If everyone is on the same patch and you still can’t find each other, you’re probably trying to add friends via your platform’s native friends list instead of the in-game Konami ID system. Platform friends lists don’t sync across devices, so your Xbox friends won’t show up on your PlayStation friends list and vice versa. You’ll need to add friends via their unique Konami ID to send cross-platform invites. You can find your Konami ID in the in-game profile menu, and you can send friend requests directly through the Online tab of the main menu.
Another common issue is long wait times for matches even with crossplay enabled. This almost always comes down to your NAT type being set to strict or moderate. You can check your NAT type in the online settings menu of your console or PC network settings. If it’s set to strict, you’ll only be able to match with players who have an open NAT type, which drastically shrinks your available player pool. To fix this, you can enable UPnP on your router settings, or set up port forwarding for eFootball 2023’s designated ports. I did this last year and cut my ranked match wait times from 10 minutes to under two minutes almost immediately.
If you’re still having connection issues mid-match, try turning off crossplay temporarily to see if that fixes the problem. Sometimes cross-platform connections have higher latency if the match host is on a different device family, especially if one player is on a Wi-Fi connection instead of ethernet.
Is Crossplay Worth Enabling for eFootball 2023?
Now that you know how crossplay works, you might be wondering if you should leave it enabled or turn it off for a better experience. The answer depends on what you’re using the online modes for. Crossplay gives you access to 3x larger player pools for ranked matches, cutting wait times by up to 70% in less popular regions. If you live in a smaller country where same-platform player counts are low, leaving crossplay on is basically mandatory if you want to find ranked matches at all, especially in higher divisions where player counts are even smaller.
There are some downsides to crossplay, though. PC players have a higher risk of running into cheaters using aim assist macros or other hacks, since anti-cheat support for the Steam version is less strict than console anti-cheat systems. If you’re grinding to reach the top division and want to avoid unfair matches, you might want to turn crossplay off to limit matches to same-platform players only. You also might notice a skill gap between PC and console players, since keyboard and mouse setups give players more precise control over passes and shots, even with the game’s built-in input balancing.
If you’re new to the game, leaving crossplay enabled will help you match against players of similar skill level faster, since the larger player pool lets the matchmaking system find closer skill matches more easily. If you mostly play co-op with friends, crossplay is non-negotiable unless all your friends own the same console family. I leave crossplay on 100% of the time, since most of my friends are on different platforms, and I’ve only run into a handful of obvious cheaters in hundreds of matches. The convenience of being able to play with anyone far outweighs the rare bad match for me.
So, to wrap up: if you’ve been wondering is eFootball 2023 cross platform, the answer is yes for all console and Steam PC versions, with a few small caveats for mobile players and private league modes. As long as you double check your game version, add friends via Konami ID, and keep crossplay enabled in settings, you’ll be jumping into matches with friends across any supported device in no time. Don’t forget to test your connection before jumping into ranked play to avoid unnecessary lag or disconnects that could cost you a win.