Is Rust cross-platform?

By Sam Hill May 2, 2024

A player firing an assault rifle in Rust — Facepunch

Rust is one of the unique gaming experiences out there — you wake up naked on a beach, scavenge for tools, build a home for yourself and your friends, and then watch that base be pummeled by rockets as another group of players destroys everything you’ve worked so hard for. One of the most popular survival games on the market, Rust is a brutal game, and playing it with friends makes the ups and downs of a server lifecycle bearable.

If you’re looking to jump onto a Rust server with a buddy, you’ll want to come prepared. Here’s what you need to know about crossplay and Rust.

Is Rust cross-platform?

Rust is available on most major gaming platforms, but it isn’t entirely cross-platform. Players on consoles — PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One — are able to play with each other, but PC players are in a completely separate world.

PC and console player pools are separated in a lot of games (usually because PC players have a massive advantage using a keyboard and mouse for many competitive shooters) but it’s a little more complex for Rust. The PC and console versions of the game, while the same at the core, are very different content- and performance-wise. The PC version of Rust gets monthly content updates with new guns, monuments, hundreds of new skins, and other additions while the console version is slow to adopt new items. For example, the console version of the game doesn’t have mechanics like horses or helicopters — both modes of transportation that have been in the PC version for years. The PC version also allows for modded servers for a true custom Rust experience.

There are still Rust die-hards who play and enjoy the game on console, but the PC version is undoubtedly better and is where you should jump in if you have the choice to pick a platform.

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Gaming Guides Editor

Sam Hill is a journalist and the gaming guides editor at Digital Trends. He's also written tech guides for Input and has…

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Unfortunately, there aren't any rules when it comes to crossplay, so each game handles the feature a little differently. To make matters more confusing, certain backward-compatible games on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X still support crossplay on the most recent hardware, even if there isn't an official release for that hardware.

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Thankfully, Elden Ring makes use of a (cryptic) multiplayer system, allowing you to explore the Lands Between with a buddy by your side. You can also read and leave messages for other players, giving them tips and tricks to guide their journey. But is Elden Ring cross-platform, or are you stuck playing with folks on the same platform as you?

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Building and managing your own medieval utopia is a lonely job. Sure, you have a population of citizens to grow and order around, but they can't compare with another actual human player. At least at launch, Manor Lords is a PC exclusive, and it's also going to be coming to Xbox consoles as well so even more people can get in on the city-building fun. We can expect basically any modern game to allow for cross-platform play, but what if Manor Lords is stuck in the Middle Ages? Here's everything you need to know about cross-platform support for the latest and greatest management simulator.
Is Manor Lords cross-platform?
Without beating around the bush, no, Manor Lords has no cross-platform support. Even when the game is available on Steam, PC Game Pass, and Xbox consoles, there will be no way to play with others on different platforms. In fact, you can't play with people on the same platform, either. Manor Lords has no multiplayer component whatsoever -- either co-op or competitive -- so there's no reason for this feature to be included.

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