Today, DICE and EA revealed new details about Battlefield 2042 in a new blog post that delves deeper into the game’s various features. The post also offers new information about the highly anticipated technical playtest that is now scheduled to take place later this summer.
The technical playtest for Battlefield 2042 will test the game’s cross-play capabilities across PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5. Participation in the playtest is by invite only and participants will be under a strict NDA. “We are still building cross-play functionality, and the first opportunity for us to test it with a wider, invite-only group will be within the Technical Playtest,” explains Daniel Berlin, Senior Design Director for Battlefield 2042.
According to the details of the post, cross-play between PC and consoles in Battlefield 2042 will be generation specific. While players on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S will be able to cross-play with eachother, they won’t be able to cross-play with players on PS4 or Xbox One. There will be an option to opt-out of cross-play altogether, however.
The lack of cross-play support for previous-generation consoles makes sense, especially considering the PS4 and Xbox One versions of Battlefield 2042 will have only 64-player matches, rather than the 128-player battles on PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC. The developers have also reduced the size of the playable area on the maps for players on PS4 and Xbox One “to ensure a fluid play experience.”
Battlefield 2042 will also have cross-progression and cross-commerce support, according to today’s post. These features will be shared across all platforms, meaning your unlocked progress and purchases will carry over between PC and consoles.
Check out today’s blog post on the EA website to learn more about cross-play or to sign up to participate in the upcoming technical playtest. More Battlefield 2042 will be revealed during EA Play Live on July 22, 2021, so stay tuned for details.