There’s nothing worse than planning a Minecraft gaming night with friends only to hit a wall because you’re on different consoles. If you’ve ever asked can Xbox and PS4 play Minecraft together, you’re not alone. Crossplay rules across different platforms have always been a bit messy, especially for older console generations, and Minecraft’s split between Java and Bedrock editions only adds to the confusion. We’ve tested every possible setup to cut through the noise and give you clear, actionable answers.
Can Xbox and PS4 Play Minecraft Together? The Short Answer
The short answer is yes, but there’s one very important rule you have to follow first. Only Minecraft Bedrock Edition supports crossplay between Xbox and PS4. If either you or your friend is playing the legacy console edition of Minecraft, or the Java Edition (which is only available for PC), you won’t be able to connect to each other’s worlds.
Most modern installs of Minecraft on both Xbox One, Series X/S, and PS4 automatically use the Bedrock Edition, so you probably don’t have to worry about buying a new version of the game. If you’ve had Minecraft installed on your PS4 or Xbox since before 2018, you might still have the legacy console edition saved, but you can upgrade to Bedrock for free through your console’s store.
You also don’t have to pay any extra fees specifically for crossplay, outside of the standard online subscriptions required for each console. That means you don’t need to buy a separate Minecraft Realms subscription to play with friends across Xbox and PS4, though Realms does make hosting persistent worlds easier if you play together regularly.
Step-by-Step Setup to Play Crossplay Between Xbox and PS4
Once you confirm both players are on the latest version of Minecraft Bedrock Edition, setup only takes a few minutes. We’ve walked dozens of friends through this process, and most people get connected in under 10 minutes the first time they try.
- Make sure both players have updated their Minecraft Bedrock Edition to the latest available version. Outdated builds will prevent crossplay connections entirely, even if you’re both on Bedrock.
- Link both players’ Minecraft accounts to a free Microsoft account. You don’t need an Xbox subscription to create this account, even if you’re playing on PS4.
- One player creates a new world, or opens an existing saved world, and toggles Multiplayer Game on in the world settings menu before loading the world.
- Add each other as friends via your Microsoft account friends list, not just your console’s native PSN or Xbox friends list. Minecraft uses Microsoft’s account system for all crossplay features, so console-specific friend lists won’t show up in the game.
- The joining player selects the Friends tab from the Minecraft main menu, finds the host’s active world in the list of available games, and clicks join to enter the world.
If the host’s world doesn’t show up in the friends list right away, wait 1 to 2 minutes for the game to refresh the server list. If you can’t see your friend’s world after 5 minutes, double check that both of your Microsoft accounts are added as friends, not just your PSN or Xbox Gamertag friends. This is the most common mistake people make when setting up crossplay for the first time.
Common Crossplay Issues (And How to Fix Them Fast)
Even if you follow all the setup steps perfectly, you might run into small issues from time to time. We’ve compiled the most common problems people face when testing crossplay between Xbox and PS4, plus simple fixes that work 90% of the time.
First, NAT type errors are incredibly common for console players. If one player has a strict or moderate NAT type, you might get a “failed to connect” error even if all your account settings are correct. You can fix this by enabling UPnP in your home router’s settings, or setting your console to a static IP address to open up your connection.
Version mismatches are another frequent problem. If one player hasn’t updated their Minecraft game in a few months, they might be on an older build of Bedrock that’s not compatible with the latest version. Most consoles have auto-update turned on by default, but if you turned it off to save data, you’ll need to manually update Minecraft through your console’s store.
If you get a persistent “failed to connect” error even after checking all settings, sign out of your Microsoft account in Minecraft’s settings menu, then sign back in to refresh the connection. This fixes almost all account-related crossplay issues, and only takes 30 seconds to do.
Don’t forget that both players need an active online subscription for their console to play online multiplayer. PS4 players need an active PS Plus subscription, and Xbox players need an active Xbox Game Pass Core or Ultimate subscription. If either subscription is expired, you won’t be able to connect to any online multiplayer worlds, crossplay or not.
Limitations of Xbox and PS4 Crossplay You Should Know
While crossplay between Xbox and PS4 works really well for most use cases, there are a few small limitations you should be aware of before you start playing. None of these are dealbreakers for most people, but they can save you a lot of frustration if you know about them ahead of time.
First, custom mods and resource packs only work if every player on the server has the exact same mods installed. If the host is using a mod that adds new mobs or items, any joining player who doesn’t have that mod installed will get an error when they try to connect. You can avoid this by sticking to vanilla Minecraft for crossplay sessions, or making sure everyone downloads the same mod pack before you start playing.
World saves don’t transfer between Xbox and PS4 automatically, either. If you host a world on your Xbox, you can’t just send the save file to your friend on PS4 to continue playing when you’re offline. The only way to get persistent cross-save across both consoles is to upload the world to a Minecraft Realms subscription, which lets anyone access the world even when the original host is offline.
Crossplay will only work for worlds hosted on Bedrock Edition, so any legacy console edition worlds you own will need to be converted first. Converting a legacy world is simple: just open the world in Bedrock Edition, and the game will automatically prompt you to convert it to the new format. Always back up your original legacy save before converting, just in case something goes wrong during the process.
Finally, platform-exclusive skins, texture packs, and DLC won’t carry over between consoles. If you bought a PS4-exclusive skin pack a few years ago, you won’t have access to those skins when you play on Xbox, and vice versa. All universal Minecraft DLC that you buy through the Minecraft marketplace will carry over across all platforms linked to your Microsoft account, though.
At the end of the day, figuring out can Xbox and PS4 play Minecraft together doesn’t have to be a confusing, time-consuming process. As long as both players are on the latest version of Bedrock Edition, have their accounts linked to Microsoft, and have active online subscriptions, you can jump into a shared world in minutes. I’ve used this exact setup dozens of times to play survival worlds with my little cousin who has a PS4 while I’m on my Xbox Series S, and the only time we ever ran into issues was when he forgot to link his Microsoft account before we started. If you run into any unusual errors that aren’t covered here, the official Minecraft support site has step-by-step troubleshooting guides for almost every crossplay problem you might face.