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Ark: Survival Evolved has been a hit since its release in 2017. Something about taming and hatching dinosaurs in surreal environments spoke to players. The fact that it’s maintained a healthy player base and regularly sees 50,000+ gamers every day on Steam alone definitely attests to this. Ark is available on multiple platforms, and if your friends are on one, but you’re on another, you’ve undoubtedly wondered, “Is Ark cross-platform?”
That’s why we’ve put together a quick, informative guide to help you figure out if you can play Ark with your friends, whether you’re on Android, iOS, PS4, PS5, Xbox, PC, or Switch. It is possible to play with your friends, but there are a few caveats that you should be aware of before buying Ark if you plan on playing together on different platforms. Here are all the answers to the question of whether or not Ark is cross-platform.
Is Ark Cross-Platform?
To cut to the chase, Ark is cross-platform, but there are a few things you should know about beforehand. Certain platforms are compatible, but some aren’t. You’re going to want to find your platform or console and see which other platforms you can play with.
If you’re confused in general about what a game being cross-platform means, it just means that you can connect and play with people on platforms that are different than yours. For example, a cross-platform game might allow players on PC to play with players on Xbox. This is important for multiplayer games, especially games like Ark, where cooperation between you and your friends is necessary for survival.
Is Ark cross-platform between Android and iOS?
Ark was released on mobile devices back in 2018 and is cross-platform between the two different operating systems. Players on Android devices, like Samsung or Google, will be able to play with players on iOS. Due to the nature of porting a game to mobile, Ark players on Android or iOS will only be able to play with each other and cannot play with players on other platforms.
Is Ark cross-platform between Xbox and PS4/PS5?
No, unfortunately, Ark is not cross-platform between the two competing consoles. Players on Xbox will not be able to play with their friends on PS4 or PS5. Cross-play is not enabled between these two systems, so you and your friends will have to coordinate and figure out which console you’d like to play together on.
PS4 and PS5 players, however, will be able to play together, so at least there’s some solace there.
Is Ark cross-platform between PS4/PS5 and PC?
There is no cross-platform availability between the PlayStation consoles and PC. You will not be able to play together if you and your friends are on separate systems. It’s unlikely that cross-platform support will be released in the future for these two, so don’t depend on the developers releasing an update. You’re better off buying Ark on the same platform as your friends from the get-go.
Is Ark cross-platform between Xbox and PC?
Yes, Ark: Survival Evolved is cross-platform between Windows and Xbox. This is basically the only cross-platform capability between PC and console for Ark. Xbox games are often cross-platform with Windows, thanks to the fact that they’re both owned by Microsoft.
We should note that this is only possible for players using the Microsoft Store or those that use the Xbox Game Pass on PC. Players that purchased the game on Steam will not be able to play with players on Xbox.
Is Ark cross-platform between the Switch and PC or other consoles?
No, Ark is not cross-platform between the Switch and any other platform. You won’t be able to play Ark with gamers on mobile devices, PlayStation, Xbox, or PC. This isn’t exactly a surprise since Ark doesn’t support cross-play between most platforms.
Does Ark support cross-gen play?
Yes! Ark may lack a lot of cross-platform support, but it does offer cross-gen play. Cross-gen play means that different versions of the same platform can play together. This means that different Xbox versions, such as the Xbox One and Xbox Series X or Series S, will be able to play together. You will also be able to play across the PS4 and PS5.
Wrap Up
To sum it up, Ark does support some cross-platform play, but it’s very minimal. You’ll have to double-check what platform you are playing on and what platform your friends are playing on beforehand. Ark is constantly being updated and patched, so it’s possible that more cross-platform play is added in the future, but so far, we haven’t heard anything. On the off-chance that they do add more cross-platform play to Ark, we will update this guide to give you the most up-to-date information.