Survival games are fun, and you must have tried a few if you are a gamer. Ark: Survival Evolved is a gameplay of a post-apocalyptic dinosaur era. Have you tried it? If you have, then you must have recognised that Ark is more entertaining when played with friends.
However, not every gamer has a gaming console, so you might be thinking: Is Ark crossplay?
Only crossplay games support running them on different platforms and enjoying them altogether. Since Ark: Survival Evolved is an interesting game with dinosaurs and lots of adventures to be revealed, you might want to know whether it’s a cross-platform game.
Let’s reveal the answers along with a brief discussion about Ark.
A Brief Intro to Ark: Survival Evolved
Before you leap to the answer of ‘Is Ark crossplay?’, let’s unfold the gameplay. Studio Wildcard released Ark: Survival Evolved in 2017. First, this game was available only for Windows, Linux, macOS, PlayStation4, and Xbox One. However, now iOS, Android, and Nintendo Switch users can participate in the game.
At first, players start with their characters naked on an island which is covered by dinosaurs and other constraints. Since this is a survival game, players have to tame dinosaurs for a living.
In addition, tasks include breeding dinosaurs to pass on good genes to make dinosaurs better. Well, there are more than 100 creatures that players can tame.
To be specific, players can find 176 kinds of dinosaurs. Additionally, they can access 100 types of weapons to defend against constraints and explore maps. Every player can explore an area which is 50 km x 50 km while defeating other players, surviving against animals, weather effects, hunger, thirst, etc.
Additionally, the gameplay holds resources, such as metal ore and stones. Players can make weapons from them. Apart from dinosaurs, players have to be careful about tackling aggressive creatures. The caverns are infested with giant spiders which are capable of shooting webs or Araneo.
However…
This isn’t the best part of Ark: Survival Evolved. Ark has become popular due to its multiplayer feature. Players are allowed to build their territories or lose to others’ dominance. Players have to compete with each other to raise their creatures and build up territories.
As Ark has to allow multiplayer mode, the game should offer crossplay with gaming buddies. And, that’s true; there’s crossplay available for Ark: Survival Evolved.
Let’s unveil how the crossplay works:
Is Ark Crossplay?
In short, the answer is yes. Ark: Survival Evolved is a cross-platform supported gaming title. However, there are a few limitations. The game is not crossplay for all the platforms or consoles it supports.
For example, PC and Xbox players can enjoy the Ark with the crossplay feature together. Yet, a PC gamer can’t play Ark with an Android user.
Whereas Android and iOS players can play Ark together. Therefore, Ark doesn’t support cross-platform features regardless of platform types. Every platform has a specific rule, and Ark can’t overlook them. The main reason behind this is an incompatible server while connecting different players or their consoles.
So, mobile players are just fine with crossplay on Ark: Survival Evolved. However, the same is not true for a Nintendo Switch or a macOS player. In case you are a PC player, then playing Ark between Epic Games and Steam is possible.
On the other hand, Ark supports cross-gen, which means that players with PS4 and PS5 can play together. Now, the same applies to Xbox players. However, Xbox players can utilise the crossplay feature for Ark while playing together with PC gamers.
What are the Advantages of a Fully Cross-Platform Game?
Ark: Survival evolved is a crossplay game, but there are restrictions due to server incompatibilities. Console servers might not be compatible with PCs or mobile.
Still, there are lots of perks of any game being crossplay. Here are the prime benefits of a crossplay game:
- Crossplay features help developers to save resources. They don’t have to create separate builds for different consoles or platforms.
- Thus, adding the crossplay feature to any game can be cost-effective.
- Moreover, the overall development time is efficiently reduced. Meanwhile, developers can work on updates and release them frequently. Therefore, fans will stay entertained with the new updates.
- The game can get more reach as more and more players can join and play the title altogether. Additionally, crossplay helps in retaining the existing players.
- On the other hand, the overall player count increases on every server. Hence, there’s a chance to get an improved gameplay experience for players.
- Multiple platforms or console owners will find the crossplay-supporting game interactive and useful. Hence, developers can gain more players.
Existing players of demand Ark: Survival Evolved to be crossplay-supported. Thus, they can play the game with owners of different platforms or consoles. However, restricted crossplay is still a disadvantage for Ark.
Is Ark Crossplay between iOS and Android?
Ark: Survival Evolved supports cross-platform features among mobile servers. That’s why players across both the iOS and Android platforms can enjoy Ark together. For example, you can invite your Android user friend even if you are an iOS user. The vice-versa is also possible.
However, mobile players can’t crossplay Ark with Xbox or PlayStation players. Till now, there is no plan stated regarding cross-playing between mobile and gaming consoles.
It requires an important base code restructuring, and it doesn’t seem possible right now. On the other hand, Android devices use a separate version of PHP than the PlayStation Network.
Can Players on PS4 and Xbox Enjoy Ark Together?
No, cross-playing Ark is not possible between PlayStation4 and Xbox consoles. Ark hasn’t expanded its server compatibility for both PS4 and Xbox consoles. However, PS4 players can cross-play Ark with other PS4 owners only. Similarly, players who use Xbox consoles can enjoy Ark with other users owning Xbox consoles.
Is Ark crossplay possible between Nintendo Switch and PS4? No, Ark is not cross-platform between these two platforms. Both platforms have different infrastructures as manufacturers are different.
What about Cross-Playing Ark between PC and Xbox One?
Another interesting crossplay feature of Ark: Survival Evolved is its sync between PC and Xbox One. Xbox One players can play Ark with Windows 10 players since they share the same game server.
However, PC players can’t think the same for PS4 or PS5. In case you and your friends intend to play Ark, then all should have either PCs or PlayStation consoles.
Will Ark: Survival Evolved Expand its Crossplay Support for Different Platforms?
We are sure that Ark developers are aware of the benefits of crossplay and fan sentiments. However, there’s no solid evidence or statement from the developer that Ark 2 will get fully cross-platform support.
Ark 2 is destined to release in 2023. We think that we can get to know about its features gradually as the release date comes closer. Hopefully, this guide answers your query: Is Ark crossplay? Let’s wait for Ark 2 and see if it becomes fully cross-play till then.
