Crossplay can be one of the best parts of gaming. It allows you to join your friends, regardless of their platform. However, sometimes, you may not want the feature. So, we’re teaching you how to turn off Crossplay on Xbox.?
You can toggle Crossplay on and off from the Privacy menu. Then, you can access the privacy menu from the webpage or the console itself.
If you do it from the webpage, the changes will affect all of the Xbox consoles under the same account and the Xbox app you might use on a PC.
There’re a few pointers to consider, though:
- Turning off Crossplay via the Xbox’s privacy menu will still allow players from the Xbox app to play with you.
- If you’re using the Xbox app and turn off Crossplay, Xbox One and Xbox Series users can still join your sessions.
- If you want to allow players from PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and PC (non-Xbox app users) to play with you again, you need to enable the option again.
- Some games allow you to turn off Crossplay between Xbox and PC altogether.
Toggle Crossplay Off on Xbox’s Privacy Settings
We’ll change the privacy settings and start by checking how to do it from the webpage.
- On your PC, open your web browser.
- Navigate to the Xbox login page. The link before will take you to the Privacy Settings.
- Log in with your Xbox account. It should be the one you’re using on the console or the Xbox app if you play on PC.
- On the privacy settings, you’ll see three tabs. Go to “Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows 10 devices Online Safety.”
- You can “Block” the first setting on the list: “You can play with people outside of Xbox Live.”
- Click Submit at the bottom to confirm the changes.
Let’s review these settings on Xbox One or Xbox Series. Because these consoles share interface and services, the steps are the same:
- Press your controller’s Xbox Button.
- Go to the right towards the Profile & system menu.
- Select Settings.
- Select Account on the left panel.
- Select Privacy & Online Safety on the right panel.
- Select Xbox Privacy.
- Select View Details & Customize.
- Select Communication & Multiplayer.
- Scroll to the right to check your privacy settings.
As before, there’s a key configuration you need to block: “You can play with people outside of Xbox Live.” It should look like this:
The “Block” option will prevent Xbox multiplayer games from connecting to PC, mobile, Nintendo, and PlayStation players. It can make you wait longer to play online, though.
However, mouse and keyboard Xbox players can still have an advantage over you if you’re using a controller to play. Also, it won’t disable Crossplay with users on PC playing through the Xbox app.
Alternatively, suppose you’re using the Xbox app for Windows. In that case, you’d only be able to play with other users on the Xbox app or Xbox consoles.
Can You Disable Crossplay Between Xbox Consoles and the Xbox App for Windows?
First, you need to understand Microsoft “forces” Crossplay between Xbox consoles and the Xbox app for Windows.
These services are part of the same ecosystem, bringing many benefits. It also has a drawback: making you play online with people on a keyboard and mouse. More often than not, that is an advantage in competitive games, as the larger setup offers greater precision and customization.
It has been like this for years, and you may not be noticing. After all, the competition in multiplayer games is thick and dynamic. Other users with controllers and keyboards can defeat you or lose against you.
However, if you’re more on the competitive side of gaming, you’re surely noticing. You want to have fair matches, controllers against controllers. Alternatively, perhaps playing with PC players is damaging your already unstable connection.
Sadly, the Xbox doesn’t offer a built-in method to suspend Crossplay with Xbox app players. As I said, the method above won’t allow PC players on other stores, such as Steam or Epic Games, but Xbox app users can still be part of your multiplayer lobbies.
However, you may find different ways to ban these players from particular games. Some games feature Crossplay options, like CoD: Warzone, while others don’t.
