Fortnite crossplay is on by default everywhere, and on three of the five platforms there is no way to switch it off. That is the detail that changes the answer for most of the players who go looking for the setting.
What follows is Epic’s own position on where the control exists, what happens to your queue times when you use it, and which game modes stop working properly once crossplay is disabled.
Where the Fortnite Crossplay Setting Lives
Epic is explicit about this and the answer differs by platform in a way that surprises people.
| Platform | Can you disable it? | Where the setting is |
|---|---|---|
| PlayStation | Yes, in Fortnite settings | Account And Privacy, then Gameplay Privacy |
| Xbox | Yes, in Xbox settings | Set at the console level, not in Fortnite |
| Nintendo Switch | No | Epic states it cannot currently be disabled |
| PC | No | Epic states it cannot currently be disabled |
| Mobile | No | Epic states it cannot currently be disabled |
PlayStation is the only platform where the control sits inside Fortnite itself. Xbox players change it through the console’s own cross-network play setting, which governs every game rather than just this one. On Switch, PC and mobile, Epic states that it is currently not possible to disable the crossplay function at all.
Turning It Off on PlayStation
- Open the Fortnite lobby and press Start to bring up the menu.
- Scroll down to the gear icon and select Settings.
- Go to the Account And Privacy tab.
- Scroll to Gameplay Privacy and find Allow Cross Platform Play.
- Set it to Yes to enable crossplay, or No to turn it off.
Do it from the lobby rather than mid-match, and expect the change to apply to your next queue rather than the one you are already in. There is no confirmation prompt, so the toggle position on that screen is the only indicator of what your account is currently set to.
The setting sits under Gameplay Privacy rather than anywhere obviously matchmaking-related, which is why it takes some hunting. It applies to Fortnite only, so it will not affect other games on the same console, and it can be switched back at any time from the same screen.
On Xbox It Is a Console Setting
Xbox handles cross-network play at the system level. Epic points players to Microsoft’s own documentation rather than providing an in-game toggle, because the console privacy setting overrides what happens inside individual games.
- It applies to every game, not just Fortnite.
- It sits in the Xbox privacy and online safety settings, under cross-network play.
- Child accounts may have it locked by the family organiser.
- Changing it affects who you can party with, across your whole library.
That breadth is the reason to think twice. Turning cross-network play off to avoid PC opponents in Fortnite also cuts you off from friends on other platforms in every other game you own, which is usually a worse trade than the one you intended to make.
What You Give Up by Disabling It
Epic names two consequences directly, and both are significant enough to reconsider the whole idea.
- Queue times go up. Epic says crossplay functionality significantly lowers them, so removing it shrinks the pool you match from.
- Some modes may only work in Solo. With crossplay disabled, certain game modes stop supporting squads properly.
- Cross-platform friends become unplayable with, which is the point of the setting but still catches people out.
- Limited-time modes are hit hardest, since they have the smallest player pools to begin with.
- Ranked queues suffer too, because a narrower pool makes skill-based matching less precise as well as slower.
The queue-time effect scales with how unusual your situation is. At peak hours in a large region, a console-only pool is still big enough to fill lobbies quickly. Late at night, in a smaller region, or in a mode that was never popular, the difference between a pooled queue and a split one can be the difference between thirty seconds and several minutes per match.
The solo-only consequence is the one that ends most experiments. A player disables crossplay to avoid a particular input type, loads a favourite mode, finds it will not queue as a duo, and turns the setting straight back on. It is worth knowing that will happen before you go looking.
Playing With Friends Across Platforms
Crossplay is what lets a Switch player party with a PC player in the first place, and leaving it on is the default state for good reason.
- Add friends through the Epic account, not the console friends list, so the connection survives across platforms.
- The party leader’s platform does not restrict who can join.
- Everyone needs crossplay enabled for a mixed party to queue.
- Voice chat runs through Fortnite, rather than the console party system, when the group is mixed.
If you are setting an account up for someone else, enabling two-factor authentication at the same time is worth the extra minute, since gifting between those friends will not work without it.
Why Epic Makes It Hard to Turn Off
A battle royale needs a hundred players per match, and matchmaking quality is a function of pool size. Splitting that pool by platform makes queues longer and matches worse for everyone left in the smaller pools.
That is the trade Epic has made, and it explains why the toggle exists on PlayStation for historical reasons while never having arrived on PC or Switch. Console makers required the control at a time when cross-network play was contentious. Epic itself has no incentive to add it anywhere else, and the help article’s wording, that it is currently not possible, is as close to a policy statement as that gets.
It also means the common request, to face controller players only, is not something the setting delivers. Disabling crossplay removes platforms rather than input devices, and a PC player using a controller and a console player using a mouse both exist in numbers.
Checking What Your Account Is Set To
There is no single screen that reports your effective crossplay state, which makes it worth knowing where to look on each platform before assuming something is broken.
- On PlayStation, open Fortnite settings and read Allow Cross Platform Play under Gameplay Privacy.
- On Xbox, check the console privacy settings rather than the game.
- On Switch, PC or mobile, assume it is on, because it cannot be turned off.
- In a party, the restriction applies to every member, so one person with it disabled affects the whole group.
A party that will not queue is the usual symptom of a mismatch. If one member has crossplay off and the others do not, the group cannot find a lobby that satisfies everyone, and the error message rarely explains that clearly. Checking the PlayStation member first solves it most of the time.
Crossplay and Account Security Are Separate Things
One common confusion is worth clearing up: crossplay controls who you play against, not who can reach your account. They live in different places and do different jobs.
- Crossplay is a matchmaking setting, covering platforms.
- Privacy settings control party invites and messages, which is a different menu.
- Two-factor authentication protects the login itself, and is set on the Epic website.
- Parental controls sit above all three and can lock them in place.
Players who want fewer strangers in their games are usually after the privacy settings rather than crossplay. Turning crossplay off removes entire platforms from your matchmaking without touching who can invite or message you, which is rarely what anyone actually wanted. Our guide to Fortnite parental controls covers the settings that do control contact and spending.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can PlayStation turn it off when PC cannot?
The toggle exists on PlayStation for historical platform reasons rather than because Epic wanted it there. Cross-network play was contentious when Fortnite launched and console makers required a control. Nothing equivalent was ever required on PC, Switch or mobile, and Epic has not added one.
Can you turn off crossplay in Fortnite on PC?
No. Epic states that on Nintendo Switch, PC and mobile it is currently not possible to disable the crossplay function. Only PlayStation offers an in-game toggle, and Xbox handles it as a console-wide privacy setting.
Does disabling crossplay make queues longer?
Yes. Epic says crossplay significantly lowers queue times, so switching it off means matching from a smaller pool. Some modes may also only work in Solo once it is disabled.
Where is the crossplay setting on PlayStation?
In the Fortnite lobby, press Start, scroll to the gear icon and open Settings, then go to the Account And Privacy tab and scroll down to Gameplay Privacy to find Allow Cross Platform Play.
Does turning off crossplay stop me playing with friends?
On other platforms, yes. Crossplay is the mechanism that lets a console player party with a PC or mobile player, so disabling it removes those friends from your available matchmaking entirely.
