Can PS5 and Nintendo Switch Play Together? Crossplay Reality Check

The short answer

Some games support PS5-to-Switch crossplay. Not many. It's the least common crossplay combination because Sony and Nintendo have historically been slow to open up their networks to each other. Things have improved, but the list is still shorter than PC-to-console crossplay.

Why it's limited

Three reasons:

Technical gap. The Switch is significantly less powerful than the PS5. Games that run at 60fps on PS5 might run at 30fps on Switch, or not run at all. Many multiplayer games simply aren't on Switch because the hardware can't keep up. If the game isn't on both platforms, crossplay is irrelevant. Business reasons. Sony and Nintendo are direct competitors in the console market. Cross-platform play between them means neither gets the "all my friends are on this platform" advantage that sells consoles. They've slowly opened up, but it's game-by-game approval, not a blanket policy. Developer effort. Supporting crossplay between any two platforms requires extra work. Supporting PS5-to-Switch specifically means dealing with different performance profiles, different online infrastructure, and different certification processes. Some studios decide it's not worth it.

What actually works

We track PS5-Switch crossplay for every game in our database. The current list: pickthe.games/games/crossplay/ps5-nintendo-switch

The games that support it tend to be:

• Big free-to-play titles with massive audiences (they need every player they can get)
• Games that run on both platforms without major compromises
• Games where the publisher specifically pushed for universal crossplay

If your group spans PS5 and Switch

You have a few options:

Check the list. The crossplay page shows what's confirmed to work between the two platforms. Widen the search. If crossplay doesn't exist for a game you both want, check if there's a version on a third platform you both have access to. Some people have a PC or a phone that can run mobile versions. Let the app filter. Create a board and mark PS5 and Switch as your group's platforms. The matching algorithm will only show games available on both, and flag crossplay status so you know what works before anyone buys anything.

Other platform combos

If your group has more than just PS5 and Switch, check the other crossplay combinations:

• PC + PS5 (most common, best supported)
• PC + Switch
• PC + Xbox
• PS5 + Xbox
• Xbox + Switch

Or just set up a board with all your platforms and let it sort everything out at once.