Highguard Crossplay, Platforms, and Multiplayer Explained

Highguard is a fast-paced, class-based FPS that leans heavily into team play, coordinated abilities, and small objective-focused maps. Because of that, how crossplay and matchmaking work has a big impact on your experience: who you can squad with, how quickly you find matches, and whether your progression follows you between platforms. This guide breaks down everything you need to know about Highguard crossplay and multiplayer so you can jump into lobbies with a clear plan.

Where You Can Play Highguard

Before getting into crossplay specifics, it helps to know exactly which systems Highguard is playable on. The game is built around current-generation hardware and PC, and its online infrastructure is similar to other modern multiplayer shooters.

• PlayStation 5 – Full-featured version with online multiplayer and the same balance updates as other platforms.
• Xbox Series X|S – Parity with PS5 in terms of modes, maps, and updates, with online services powered by Xbox network.
• PC (via a major PC storefront) – Mouse-and-keyboard or controller support, with online matchmaking and social features.

Highguard aligns with how many modern online shooters are distributed: focused on current consoles, skipping older hardware in favor of a unified baseline for performance and features. This simplifies crossplay because developers only need to coordinate a few ecosystems instead of a long tail of legacy platforms.

Does Highguard Support Crossplay?

Yes, Highguard supports crossplay across its supported platforms, but with important limits and toggles you should understand. Rather than a free-for-all that throws every player into the same pool, Highguard’s system distinguishes between:

• Console players (PlayStation and Xbox)
• PC players

Within those broad categories, Highguard allows you to enable or disable cross-platform matchmaking and, in some cases, match consoles together while keeping PC separate. This approach mirrors how many competitive shooters treat platform mixing because controller and mouse/keyboard often perform differently in fast-paced FPS games. For example, Activision’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III offers crossplay but allows users to adjust crossplay settings on console to balance matchmaking speed with input parity.

Highguard Crossplay at a Glance

In practice, enabling crossplay generally leads to faster matchmaking and more consistent connection quality. This is echoed in other online games like Fortnite, where Epic Games recommends keeping crossplay on to avoid fragmenting the player base.

How to Enable or Disable Crossplay in Highguard

Highguard’s crossplay setting is found inside its in-game options, and works similarly across platforms with small interface differences. The exact naming may vary slightly depending on updates, but the process follows this pattern:

Step-by-Step: Crossplay Settings

1. Open the main menu from the Highguard home screen.
2. Enter the settings menu – usually mapped to the Options/Menu button on controller or the Escape key on PC.
3. Navigate to the online or gameplay network tab at the top of the settings screen.
4. Look for a setting named something like “Enable Cross-Platform Play” or “Crossplay”.
5. Switch the value:
   • On – You can match with players on other platforms according to Highguard’s rules.
   • Off – You restrict yourself to your own platform, assuming the game allows this on your system.
6. Apply or save the setting if the game doesn’t auto-apply changes.

Highguard generally applies crossplay changes immediately, so you can back out of the menu and queue up for a match without restarting the game.

What Happens If You Turn Crossplay Off?

Disabling crossplay can be tempting if you want to stick to your own platform’s ecosystem. However, there are tradeoffs:

• Longer matchmaking times – You are limiting the search pool to your own system, which may mean waiting longer for lobbies to fill, especially off-peak hours.
• Potentially higher ping – With fewer available players, the matchmaking system may need to stretch further geographically to create full matches.
• Smaller skill distribution – A narrow pool can mean more volatile skill-based matchmaking results, since the system has fewer players to draw on.

For most people, keeping crossplay enabled is the better choice, unless you have a specific reason to stay within one platform—such as a group of friends who all prefer same-platform lobbies. Major cross-platform shooters like Rocket League and Overwatch 2 have reported more consistent queue times after embracing crossplay pools across platforms.

PC vs Console: How Highguard Handles Mixed Lobbies

One of the biggest tension points in crossplay shooters is input difference: mouse-and-keyboard typically enables faster aiming than a standard thumbstick, while controllers often benefit from aim assist. Highguard’s approach is to recognize those differences and group players accordingly where possible.

Common Rules Highguard Adheres To

While every game implements crossplay differently, Highguard’s behavior aligns with these common principles seen in other competitive shooters:

• Controller vs mouse/keyboard distinction – Input type can matter more than platform. Some games prioritize pairing controller players together even across platforms, then merge with mixed pools only when needed.
• Optional console-only queues – Consoles often get the option to limit themselves to a controller-heavy population, even if PC exists, as seen in titles like Call of Duty.
• PC usually requires crossplay – PC populations can be more fragmented across regions and time zones, so it’s common to keep crossplay enabled to maintain healthy matchmaking.

In practice, this means you should expect to see:

• Console lobbies that are mostly controller users.
• Mixed lobbies in modes that need larger player counts.
• Stricter regional and ping-based filters when crossplay is enabled.

Cross-Progression and Accounts in Highguard

Crossplay answers the question “Who can I play with?” Cross-progression answers “Does my progress carry across systems?” Many modern live-service games are increasingly unifying progression through account-based systems. For example, Blizzard’s Battle.net account supports cross-progression in Overwatch 2, letting cosmetic unlocks and competitive rank carry between PC and console.

Highguard follows a similar general pattern: your in-game identity and progression are typically attached to a central account (often linked via email), rather than being strictly locked to a single platform profile. While the exact details can change as the game is updated, you can expect:

• Shared profile name across platforms once linked.
• Unified friends list that pulls from your Highguard account rather than your console or PC friends exclusively.
• Cross-progression for core stats such as level, unlocks, and perhaps cosmetic items, once accounts are merged.

Typical Cross-Progression Setup Steps

On launch or soon after, Highguard may prompt you to create or link an external account. The flow usually looks like this:

1. Launch Highguard on your chosen platform.
2. Create or sign into a publisher account when prompted (email-based login, or through a QR code/web link).
3. Link your console or PC profile to that account.
4. Repeat the process on other platforms you own the game on using the same login credentials.

Once linked, you’ll typically be able to pick up your progress where you left off, though some platform-specific items may remain locked to their original ecosystem.

How to Add and Play With Cross-Platform Friends

Crossplay only matters if you can reliably find and invite your friends. Highguard provides a built-in social system designed to work across PC and console.

Finding Friends by Highguard Name

To invite friends on other platforms, you usually need their unique in-game name rather than their console ID. The process is broadly as follows:

1. Open the social menu from the home screen (using Options/Menu on controller or Escape on keyboard).
2. Navigate to the “Friends” section if the menu has multiple tabs.
3. Switch to the “Search” or “Add Friend” tab near the top of the social screen.
4. Type your friend’s Highguard name exactly as it appears on their profile.
5. Select their profile from the search results.
6. Send a friend request and ask them to accept it in their own social menu.

Once you’ve both accepted the friend request, you’ll appear in each other’s lists and can easily invite one another to parties and lobbies.

Creating Lobbies and Inviting Cross-Platform Friends

Inviting friends into your party usually follows a similar pattern across platforms:

• Start a party from the social or lobby screen.
• Highlight a friend’s name from your friends list.
• Select “Invite to Party” or similar from the context menu.
• Wait for them to accept the invite notification on their system.
• Queue up for your preferred mode as soon as your squad is ready.

Highguard’s matchmaking then searches for matches that support the full mix of platforms present in your party while respecting your crossplay settings. If someone has crossplay disabled, they may be unable to join a group that includes players from other ecosystems, so it’s worth ensuring everyone’s settings align.

Matchmaking, Latency, and Region Considerations

In any online shooter, matchmaking tries to balance three key factors: ping, skill, and queue times. Highguard is no different. When crossplay is enabled, the game has more freedom to hit all three targets: it can choose from a larger pool, making it easier to find players of similar skill within your region.

How Crossplay Affects Your Connection

Crossplay does not inherently worsen latency; in many cases, it can improve it by increasing the chance of finding a full lobby close to you. Networked games typically route you to servers based on geographical region first, then try to fill them with compatible players. Riot Games has described a similar philosophy for Valorant, using regional server hubs and latency targets to preserve fairness across players.

That said, if you:

• Disable crossplay, or
• Play in an off-peak time zone, or
• Have very strict matchmaking filters (like tight skill brackets),

then the game may need to stretch to more distant servers, increasing latency and match wait times.

Solo, Party, and Custom Match Options

Highguard’s multiplayer modes are built around squads, but you can approach them in a few ways based on how you like to play.

Solo Queue

Solo queuing is the simplest way to play: you queue alone and let the game match you with others of similar skill and region. Crossplay affects how quickly those lobbies form and how broad your competition is.

Party Play

Party queues let you stack with friends. Highguard will generally attempt to put your group against similarly sized parties to keep matches fair. Mixed-platform squads are supported through crossplay—as long as your settings allow it—and are often the best way to learn the game, since you can coordinate over voice chat.

Custom Lobbies

Depending on the game’s current feature set, Highguard may offer custom lobbies where you can:

• Lock matches to invite-only.
• Specify maps or modes.
• Run private scrims or community events.

These are particularly valuable for organized groups or communities that want to avoid random matchmaking altogether.

Best Practices for a Smooth Crossplay Experience

To get the most out of Highguard’s cross-platform multiplayer, it’s worth taking a few minutes to optimize your setup and settings.

Check Your Network Setup

• Use wired connections where possible – Ethernet is more stable than Wi-Fi, reducing packet loss and spikes.
• Enable Quality of Service (QoS) on your router if supported, prioritizing game traffic.
• Avoid heavy downloads or streaming on the same network while playing.

Align Settings Across Your Squad

• Ensure everyone has crossplay enabled if you’re in a mixed-platform party.
• Confirm that platform-level network permissions (like console cross-network settings) allow crossplay.
• Agree on a primary region or server if the game offers manual selection, favoring the majority of your group.

Use In-Game Tools and Reporting

If you run into connection issues, latency spikes, or suspected cheating, use Highguard’s in-game reporting and feedback tools. Developers rely on aggregate reports to refine matchmaking pools, region routing, and anti-cheat systems over time.

Highguard Crossplay FAQ

Can I turn Highguard crossplay off entirely?

On console, Highguard lets you disable crossplay inside the game’s settings and sometimes through system-level options. Doing so restricts you to same-platform lobbies but can cause longer queues and potentially higher ping.

Will I always match against PC players if crossplay is on?

No. Highguard typically prioritizes console-vs-console matchmaking where feasible, especially in modes with smaller player counts. Mixed PC and console lobbies become more common in broader modes or during off-peak hours when the game needs to widen the pool.

Do my unlocks carry between PlayStation, Xbox, and PC?

If you link them to a central Highguard or publisher account, your core progression is likely to follow you across systems. However, some platform-specific items or bonuses may remain locked to their original ecosystem.

How do I add friends who play on a different platform?

Use the in-game social menu to search by Highguard name, send a friend request, and then invite them to your party. Console network IDs alone are usually not enough—you need their unique in-game identifier.

Why are my queues slower after turning crossplay off?

Disabling crossplay shrinks the matchmaking pool to only your platform. In less populated regions or modes, that can make it significantly harder for the game to find enough players at your skill level nearby, lengthening queue times.