Highlights
- Epic Games is expanding its Epic Online Services crossplay overlay to include all major console platforms, allowing developers to connect players on PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch with each other and Epic Games Store users on PC.
- The crossplay overlay simplifies the process for developers by providing a consistent overlay, a single friends list, integrated game invites, and social features with trust and safety controls.
- This expansion is an effort by Epic to encourage more developers to use its technology and more players to join its platform, and it will likely be seen in future games rather than in Epic's current offerings.
Epic Games is taking the next step with its Epic Online Services crossplay overlay, expanding the feature to work not only with different PC storefronts but also all major console platforms. The expanded crossplay overlay should allow developers using Epic Online Services to connect players on PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch to each other and Epic Games Store users on PC. The new crossplay functionality is being made to Epic Online Services users at no cost.
The first phase of the crossplay overlay's implementation through Epic Online Services was launched around one year ago. It's a tool allowing developers to implement crossplay into their games with relative ease, using the social network used for the Epic Games Store. Rather than developers having to create their own networking platform connecting multiple platforms, Epic Online Services provides a system that merged both Steam and Epic Games friends into a single list. Users could message or invite friends to games with relative ease.
That Epic Online Services crossplay functionality is now being expanded substantially. Developers can use the free service to bring together players not just on Steam and the Epic Games Store, but also on PlayStation, Xbox, and the Nintendo Switch. The services include support for authentication, social networking, and game functionality. It's the same technology used in hundreds of games, including Epic's own, but now supporting all major consoles.
Here are some of the features Epic is advertising to developers, in terms of potential features that can be implemented with the new service. It starts with a consistent overlay, providing a similar experience between PC and console. Then it includes a single friends list, merging friends lists across platforms, plus simple cross-platform Epic Games account creation. Integrated game invites allow players to invite others to games across platforms, which includes social features and messaging with Epic's trust and safety controls.
Epic's SDK also allows developers to plug and play services that they want to implement and avoid those that they don't. The crossplay tools are included in that system. Epic's goal is to make implementation as easy and helpful as possible. It wants more games to use its technology, and more players to be on its platform.
Just to be clear, this is an expansion of the Epic Online Services toolset. Crossplay between PC and console has already been implemented in all of Epic's biggest games, like Fortnite and Fall Guys. The Epic Games Store has supported games with crossplay since launch, too. This is a feature Epic is now making available to developers who want to use Epic's own modular games and account services rather than create their own. Any changes would likely be seen in future games, rather than in Epic's current offerings.