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Everything we know about Minecraft Dungeons cross-platform support

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Minecraft Dungeons has received frequent quality-of-life updates to add sought-after features and improve performance for the isometric ARPG-style Minecraft adventure. One of the long-awaited updates is cross-platform support for a variety of devices, allow friends to more easily play together or switch to a new device. Here’s everything we know.

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Does Minecraft Dungeons support cross-platform play?

Yes! The feature was missing for some time but finally arrived on November 17, 2020, fulfilling a long-term promise from Mojang that they were working on uniting Dungeons players across multiple systems. Cross-platform multiplayer works with the party system in Dungeons, allowing up to four players to journey together no matter what system they are using.

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Along with the announcement about cross-platform support, Mojang also revealed its second DLC pack, Creeping Winter, which was released in December 2020. In other words, if it’s been a while since you’ve played, there are some good reasons to pick up Dungeons again for another round!

Image used with permission by copyright holder

What platforms can you play Minecraft Dungeons on today?

Cross-platform support is enabled for Windows 10, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo switch. Since this is primarily a server-side and software update that’s not dependent on hardware, it also works with new consoles like PS5 and Xbox Series X.

How do I party up with players on other platforms?

Log on to your device of choice and check that all Minecraft Dungeons updates have been applied. Then your steps for enabling cross-platforming can vary a little depending on your platform:

Xbox and Windows: Microsoft owns Mojang and Minecraft, so it’s not surprising that cross-platforming is designed to work via Microsft accounts. Players on these platforms won’t have to do anything different — cross-platforming is automatically enabled and should work as soon as you log in for party play.

Switch and PlayStation: On these platforms, you need to take the additional step of logging in with your Microsoft account. If you don’t have one already, you can easily create one for free for this purpose. Then choose to Sign in for online co-op on the Dungeons home screen, and sign in with your Microsoft account. Dungeons will give you a verification code to submit and then link you with cross-platforming. You should only have to do this once.

Both options do require access to online gaming via a subscription, from Nintendo Online to Xbox Live or Game Pass. The only exception to this is playing on PC, where no subscription is needed. Oh, and if you’re on PlayStation, you may want to go into Game Settings and Configure Online Play to make sure that cross-platform multiplayer is enabled. This isn’t usually a problem unless it was turned off in the past.

When logged in and ready to go, anyone can send invites to their friends and check which friends are online on their platforms. However, Switch and PlayStation players may only be able to send invites, and not receive them. This may require some prep work and setup to get all your friends in the same game. Make sure everyone knows your gamertag on your platform of choice so they can find you more easily using the Friends menu.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Can I save and then switch between platforms on Minecraft Dungeons but keep progress?

You most likely won’t be able to do this in the way you have in mind. You can simply pick up the same characters and proceed when updating to a different console on an identical platform. In other words, if you’re switching from an Xbox One to an Xbox Series X, you’ll want to ensure that you’re logged in to the corresponding Microsoft account, and your game information should be the same. However, you won’t be able to change between platforms and save your progress — if you have been using your PlayStation, but you want to take your Dungeons on-the-go with a Switch, you’ll have to restart the process entirely. 

The best part is that Mojang has assured this feature, which it terms “cloud saves,” is coming soon and will enable you to switch between platforms while preserving all of your precious progress. However, we are not aware of any current date for when this feature may be published.

Is cross-platform coming to any more devices for Dungeons?

No other plans available for cross-platform play have been advertised except for cloud saves. Minecraft Dungeons is only offered on the four primary platforms — Windows, Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch — and has not been cleared for any other platforms. If this ever happens, we hope that cross-platforming will accompany it. So far, we haven’t heard about any existing plans for a mobile version of the game other than the Switch.

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Jacob Roach
Jacob Roach
Lead Reporter, PC Hardware
Jacob Roach is the lead reporter for PC hardware at Digital Trends. In addition to covering the latest PC components, from…
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