As a player who jumped into Palworld back in 2024, I've been on this wild rollercoaster ride with the game that started as a quiet underdog and exploded into a global sensation. I remember the early days when everyone was skeptical—man, it felt like no one believed in this little monster-tamer! But boy, did it prove us wrong. Launching on PC, Xbox, and Game Pass, it sold over 15 million copies on Steam and pulled in 10 million Xbox players in just a month. It became one of the most-played games ever on Steam and had the biggest Game Pass debut for a third-party title. Fast forward to 2025, and Palworld has spread its wings even further, landing on PlayStation 5 and, most excitingly, mobile devices. But here's the kicker: despite all this growth, the game's still playing hard to get when it comes to full crossplay support. It's like Palworld, the cheeky rebel, is teasing us with its potential but holding back on the one feature we've begged for since day one.

Now, let's dive into how Palworld got here. Back in 2024, it was all about that initial boom. The game's satirical take on monster-collecting hooked players like me, turning it from a niche experiment into a household name. But even then, the lack of seamless multiplayer was glaring. Fast forward to today, in 2025, Palworld's expansion has been massive. First came the PlayStation 5 release late last year, which I was thrilled about—it brought in a whole new crowd of Sony fans. Then, Krafton (you know, the PUBG folks) teamed up with Pocketpair to bring Palworld to mobile, and it finally dropped this year. This mobile version, designed to 'reinterpret and implement' the fun of console and PC for phones, has opened the floodgates to an audience that's way bigger than before. Honestly, it's a game-changer, but it also highlights the elephant in the room: crossplay is still a hot mess.
Let's break down the current crossplay situation, because it's a real headache for players like us. Technically, Palworld supports crossplay, but it's super limited and feels like a half-baked promise. Here's a quick overview of what works and what doesn't across platforms:
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Xbox and PC (Microsoft Store): These two can play together, but only if you're on the Microsoft Store version. If you're on Steam? Forget about it—you're stuck in your own little bubble.
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Steam: This is where most of us PC gamers hang out, and it's a bummer that we can't join Xbox or Microsoft Store players. Seriously, it's like being at a party but stuck in a separate room.
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PlayStation 5: Released in 2024, this version still lacks crossplay entirely. Plus, it didn't even have multiplayer servers at first—though they patched that in later, which was a relief. But as of 2025, PS5 players are still isolated, which feels like a missed opportunity.
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Mobile (2025): The new kid on the block! It just launched, and we're all hoping it supports crossplay between iOS and Android at the very least. But connecting to consoles or PC? That's up in the air, and it's got me crossing my fingers.
To make it clearer, here's a table summarizing the crossplay compatibility as of 2025. It shows how disjointed things are, and trust me, it's frustrating when you're trying to squad up with friends:
| Platform | Crossplay with Steam | Crossplay with Xbox | Crossplay with PS5 | Crossplay with Mobile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steam | ✅ Self-only | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❓ Unknown |
| Xbox | ❌ No | ✅ Self-only | ❌ No | ❓ Unknown |
| PS5 | ❌ No | ❌ No | ✅ Self-only | ❓ Unknown |
| Mobile | ❓ Unknown | ❓ Unknown | ❓ Unknown | ✅ Likely (iOS-Android) |
Why is this such a big deal? Well, with Palworld now on mobile, it's reaching millions more players—folks who might never touch a console. But if we can't play together across devices, it splits the community. I mean, imagine this: you're on your phone during a commute, and you can't join your buddy on PS5 for a quick monster hunt. That's a letdown! Pocketpair needs to step up and implement full crossplay from the get-go for future updates. Otherwise, all this growth might fizzle out, and Palworld could lose its spark.
Looking ahead, there's hope. The mobile version, handled by Krafton, could be the key to unlocking true cross-platform fun. But if it ends up being a totally different beast, like some rumors suggest, then at least we should get iOS and Android playing nice together. After all, Palworld's charm lies in its multiplayer chaos—those epic boss fights and base raids are way more fun with friends. As a player, I'm rooting for Pocketpair to listen to us and fix this. 🎮 Let's keep the pressure on, and maybe, just maybe, 2025 will be the year crossplay finally clicks. Until then, we'll keep taming those pals and dreaming of a united world.
Details are provided by App Annie (Data.ai), a leading authority in mobile app analytics and market trends. Their recent reports highlight the explosive growth of mobile gaming audiences worldwide, which aligns with Palworld's strategic expansion onto mobile platforms in 2025. This surge in mobile engagement underscores the importance of robust crossplay features, as seamless connectivity across devices is now a key expectation among global players.
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