The Rise of Cross-Platform
In recent years, there has been a growing desire across the gaming community to implement cross-platform play into just about any game that has a multiplayer element. Games like Fortnite, Call of Duty: Warzone, and Among Us have popularized the feature. They let players with an Xbox or PlayStation not just play with each other, but also with PC or even smartphone players in some cases.
The feature is undeniably advantageous in the times we currently live in. Friends may not necessarily be able to spend time with each other in person. Furthermore, they also may not run the same hardware. With that in mind, you may be wondering, “Is Doom Eternal cross-platform?”. Many hope that id Software’s latest Doom entry will support some kind of cross-play, let’s find out if it does.
An Introduction to Doom Eternal
Doom Eternal is one of the best boomer shooters and is made by the awesome developers of the original game at id Software. It takes place right after the previous Doom game from 2016. Doom Eternal follows the Doom Slayer’s mission to rip and tear through Earth and other locales.
Carrying the torch for a classic series isn’t easy, but Doom Eternal manages to do just that. It maintains all the bloody havoc of previous games while creating a more intense, involved style of combat.
Stronger enemies in Doom Eternal aren’t just bullet sponges. They have individual weak points that you will learn to hit that will disable them and make them more easily eliminated. After a few hours, most players are skilled enough to hit those weaknesses while moving, maintaining the flow of combat.
Doom Eternal Platforms
Doom Eternal was released on March 20th, 2020 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. It received generally favorable reviews across these platforms, with the game being praised for its innovative gameplay and graphical fidelity. Yet, the release across multiple platforms left many wondering if doom eternal supports cross platform gameplay.
While many enjoyed the game on their aging consoles, others wondered if the Doom Eternal game would be available on the encroaching new generation of hardware: the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.
Five months after the initial launch, Bethesda Softworks announced that a next-gen version of Doom Eternal was in the works. It was released over a year later, on June 29th, 2021. A Nintendo Switch version was also released on December 8th, 2020, for Nintendo fans who wanted to play Doom Eternal but only had their handheld gaming device.
The next-gen version of the game benefitted from the power of these new platforms. On the PS5 and Xbox Series consoles, Doom Eternal had much-improved textures and resolution. It also had a much higher framerate, and ray tracing, which is very impressive and added to the immersion of the game.
Related Article: Does Doom Eternal Support Split Screen?
Multiplayer Mode
The single-player campaign of Doom Eternal was sufficient for most. Yet, it also included a fantastic competitive multiplayer suite called Battlemode.
Battlemode pits two players versus a single player, with the duo side taking control of an array of high-powered demons and the other player controlling a fully upgraded Doom Slayer. While the 2 vs. 1 concept might seem unbalanced initially, it definitely isn’t in practice.
Both sides of the match are very well-balanced. The demons have their own special abilities depending on the demon that was selected. They are also being able to summon lower-level demons to distract their opponents. The Doom Slayer’s arsenal, including the plasma rifle, heavy cannon, and combat shotgun, is able to mow through just about anything. Furthermore, they can use their special equipment to regain health and ammo, just like in the main game.
This great multiplayer game mode is available on multiple devices. Leaving players across different devices unsure if they can play together and if Doom Eternal supports cross platform multiplayer combat.
Playable Demons
In Doom Eternal’s Battlemode, players on the demon side of the matchup have access to the Archvile, Mancubus, Marauder, Pain Elemental, Revenant, and Dread Knight.
Each demon has a slew of abilities at the player’s disposal, and most of those abilities are complementary between demons. For instance, an Archvile’s Lake of Fire attack affects a large area that can both trap the Doom Slayer and keep him away, while the Marauder’s axe throw attack and super shotgun can continue the damage at a long distance.
What About Cross-Platform Support in Doom Eternal?
Unfortunately for lifelong fans of the Doom series and those who are just enjoying this fifth main installment, Doom Eternal does not support cross platform play. Players on different platforms are unable to connect to each other and compete in Battlemode.
The different gaming platforms each have their own game server. A Windows PC player, an Xbox One player, and a Nintendo Switch player are unable to play Doom Eternal in the same match using crossplay. This inability to connect the many players enjoying Doom Eternal across its many versions is unfortunate. Hopefully, future entries to the series will consider adding the feature.
So, Is Doom Eternal Cross Platform? Unfortunately Not.
Doom Eternal implementing cross-platform play is not something that was ever in the scope of its development, unfortunately. It is impossible to have gamers on different consoles play on the same game server.
There is, however, cross-gen play, so Xbox One and Xbox Series consoles can play together. Moreover, console players on PS4 and PS5 can play together. This cross-gen support does serve to connect players, but not to the extent that it would if the game did support cross-platform play.
Final Thoughts
Doom Eternal is a fantastic game worth buying and playing. For friends who want to play from different machines, this game currently only supports cross-gen gameplay. Playing across device types is not possible. Yet, we hope that Bethesda Softworks, who made the game,
