Does Ark: Survival Evolved have crossplay and cross-progression? Answered

Ark: Survival Evolved is a dinosaur-based survival game that challenges players to fight the world around them and, in some cases, their fellow players. Ark is founded on its harsh survival conditions, pushing players to adapt to heat, cold, radiation, and the ever-present threat of a Rex romping down the beach to bite your head off.

A great thing about Ark is that it can be played across various devices, which means that you’ll be able to play on whatever device makes sense to you. Of course, that’s not always to say that your device is the same one your friends are playing on. Usually, games are limited in connection to the same device type as the game is installed on, PC to PC and PS4 to PS4. However, with the rise in cross-platform popularity and pushes, games like Ark have considered their players’ needs — to a limited degree.

Does Ark: Survival Evolved has crossplay support?

Certain servers have crossplay enabled. This means that if you’re able to find a server with this functionality enabled, you’ll be able to play in a cross-platform environment. That, however, is limited again by the type of device.

PC and Xbox crossplay

For example, only Xbox One and Windows 10 players can crossplay with each other if both versions are from the Microsoft Store. Players using the Epic Games or Steam Store version will be able to play together.

PS4 and PS5 crossplay

Unfortunately, PS4 and PS5 players cannot join the crossplay with other platforms, and it doesn’t seem as if Studio Wildcard will be paying Sony to enable this function any time soon. On the plus side, the PS4 and PS5 are cross-generational, meaning you can play with players on either of the two devices.

Mobile crossplay

Android and iOS are enabled for crossplay; this means that anyone playing the mobile version of Ark will be able to join their friends. You’ll also be able to join with your iPad if you’re playing Ark.

Nintendo Switch crossplay

The Switch offers no crossplay with any of the other platforms. So if you want to join your friends for some dinosaur taming, you’ll have to make sure they’re playing on the Switch.

Ark: Survival Evolved has cross-progression support?

As Ark profiles are limited to the device that you’ve bought the game on, Ark isn’t going to be able to enable Cross Progression any time soon. Unfortunately, this means that your Survivor on your Epic account will not be the same as the Survivor on your Xbox account.