Does NBA 2K23 have crossplay?

One of the biggest misses in NBA 2K23 is the lack of crossplay, despite the game being available on multiple platforms (PC and consoles). While players have been able to enjoy the realistic basketball simulator since September 9, 2022, there have been some major complaints from the community.

These issues revolve around a few basic elements that should have been present in the latest release. Unfortunately, 2K Sports is yet to implement the feature that lets players on different platforms play against each other.

It's usually accepted that there were technical difficulties associated with implementing crossplay. Interestingly, despite sports games like FIFA 23 and F1 22 opting for full-scale crossplay, NBA 2K23 players never got to enjoy the feature. While the basketball game enters the ending period of its annual shelf life, there hasn't been any progression in this regard.

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Why doesn't NBA 2K23 have crossplay?

It soon became clear that NBA 2K23 will release without any crossplay on any of the available platforms. This is clearly stated on the game's website under the FAQ section. Interestingly, a clear answer was never obtained; many believe the implementation could have been messy. The game is available on Nintendo Switch, making it even harder for 2K Sports to implement the ability to cross-play.

The ability for cross-gen support is also very limited. Players can enjoy continued progress if they switch between the old and current-gen consoles of the same family.

Simply put, players playing on the PS4 can retain their progression in PS5, while those using the Xbox One can continue their journeys on the Xbox Series XlS. Considering the recent strides sports games have made, it's a far from ideal solution.

However, things haven't changed in nearly a year since the game's launch. As of writing, players on different platforms can't play with each other, and it's unlikely that things will change in NBA 2K23.

Additionally, current-gen users can use the old-gen version on their consoles (Xbox Series XlS or PS5), but those on the PS4 or Xbox One can't do the same. There's a noticeable difference between the old-gen and current-gen versions of NBA 2K23, and the latter is widely considered the better product.

That said, the lack of crossplay is universal across all versions. It remains to be seen if 2K Sports listens to the community and introduces the much-requested feature in NBA 2K24. Information surrounding the upcoming game is very limited, but more news is expected in the coming weeks as the expected release date comes closer.