Gang Beats is a popular game that’s available for a wide variety of different platforms. It’s also heavily dependent on online play. However, this raises an important question.
If you’re playing Gang Beasts on one platform will you be able to play with friends on another?
The answer isn’t totally straightforward. We need to look at each individual platform to get a complete picture of the game’s cross-platform and cross-generation compatibility.
Is Gang Beasts Cross Platform Between PC and XBOX?
Yes, Gang Beasts game is cross-platform between PC and XBOX only if you have bought the game from Microsoft Store.
PC gaming tends to be one of the more difficult areas for cross-platform support. And Gang Beasts is no exception to that rule.
You might assume that games would have automatic cross-platform support between Windows and Xbox since Microsoft created both platforms.
And it’s true that games developed for Windows and Xbox often use enough of the same underlying code to make cross-platform support possible. But that’s not always the case.
In this particular situation, we have an example of licensing being the most significant issue.
Because the code for full compatibility between PC and Xbox has already been implemented but not universally deployed.
The ability to actually access that cross-platform cross-play isn’t available to everyone who owns Gang Beasts on PC.
And, just as you might expect, this comes down to a licensing issue. Steam and the Microsoft Store have different licensing considerations.
And Microsoft, with control of the Microsoft Store, can simply enable cross-platform support once the code is ready.
Whereas Steam and other online stores need to actually work on the licensing terms and approval before cross-platform play is enabled.
As you can see, it’s a somewhat complex situation. But one which boils down to a simple answer.
Someone playing Gang Beasts on PC can play with friends on Xbox. However, that’s only possible if the person on PC bought Gang Beasts from the Microsoft Store.
Gang Beasts on Windows, if bought from the Microsoft Store, is cross-platform with Xbox. But Gang Beasts running on Windows, if bought from Steam or any other store, isn’t cross-platform with Xbox.
This might change in the future. But at the moment, if you want to play on PC then you’ll probably want to buy the game from the Microsoft Store. At least if you want to be able to play with people on Xbox.
Is Gang Beasts Cross-Platform Between PC and PS4?
Cross-platform support between the PC and PlayStation consoles tends to come with its own complications.
When cross-platform support between two Microsoft platforms isn’t fully implemented then you might assume the worst for cross-platform support between Microsoft and Sony’s platforms.
In fact, aside from the occasional exception, Sony didn’t even allow cross-platform play on PSN until fairly recently.
And it’s little surprise to find that they tend to be rather hesitant about compatibility with Microsoft. After all, Sony and Microsoft are direct competitors.
At the moment Gang Beasts doesn’t have any cross-platform support between the PC and PS4.
There’s always a chance that this might change in the future. But there’s been no official announcement to suggest cross-platform support between PS4 and PC might be coming any time soon.
Is Gang Beasts Cross-Platform Between Xbox One and Xbox X/S?
Gang Beasts has fairly strong cross-generation support. As such, you can usually assume that people with two generations of the same console will be able to enjoy cross-platform play with each other. And this holds true with the Xbox One and Xbox X/S.
Gang Beasts has full compatibility with the previous and current versions of the Xbox platforms. Consider a situation where you have an Xbox One, your brother has an Xbox X, and your friend has an Xbox S. You’d all still be able to play Gang Beasts together on your respective consoles.
Is Gang Beasts Cross-Platform Between PS4 and PS5
Cross-platform support between the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 is extremely common. And Gang Beasts fans will be happy to know that this is the case here as well.
Gang Beasts is fully cross-platform between the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. If you have a PlayStation 5 you’ll always be able to play Gang Beasts with friends who are on the PlayStation 4.
And of course, the same holds true for people with a PlayStation 4 who want to play with their friends who own a PlayStation 5.
On Which Platforms Can You Play the Game?
Gang Beasts is available on an impressive range of different platforms. Gang Beasts is of course supported on PCs that run Windows. In fact, this was where Gang Beasts got its start.
The game’s release schedule began in 2014 as an early access release for Windows. This would finalize as a full release on Windows in 2017.
But this is only a portion of Gang Beasts support on computer-based platforms. The full release on Windows coincided with ports for computers running Apple’s OSX and Linux.
This also marked the first console release, as PlayStation users got their first taste of the game as well.
Gang Beasts would next appear on the Xbox in 2019. And, finally, 2021 marked the game’s most recent port when it showed up on the Nintendo Switch.
What is Gang Beasts?
If you’re researching Gang Beasts before buying, you might wonder why cross-platform support is so important. And the answer comes down to the nature of the game’s play style.
Gang Beasts is a frantic Battle Royale where players control characters filled with style and energy.
The game’s mechanics aren’t particularly complex and its physics engine is intentionally odd. Gang Beasts isn’t a traditional tournament fighter where every millisecond of contemplation matters.
Nor is it a fighter where twich reflexes can make or break a match. But that’s also part of what makes it so fun. Gang Beasts is, at its heart, a party game where the fun comes from playing with friends.
Gameplay, physics, and controls don’t really factor into what makes Gang Beasts so great. The game is instead focused on just getting people to grab a controller and have fun battling it out amongst themselves.
However, that also means that the game’s fun is largely dependent on whether or not you can actually connect with your friends.
Because of that fact, it’s always a good idea to consider what platforms your friends are on before buying a copy of Gang Beasts for yourself. In short, make sure to check this list for cross-platform compatibility before buying.