Is Black Ops 3 a cross-platform title?

Modified Feb 06, 2025 11:19 GMT

Everything you need to know about cross-play in Black Ops 3(Image via Activision) — Everything you need to know about crossplay in Black Ops 3 (Image via Activision)

Crossplay was an uncommon feature in multiplayer games, particularly first-person shooters, when Black Ops 3 was released in 2015. Platform-specific matchmaking was the main purpose of Call of Duty games, and console makers kept their online systems distinct. Black Ops 3 does not have cross-platform compatibility, and this was never considered in its design because crossplay wasn't a typical element of the Call of Duty series until 2019.

Will Black Ops 3 ever get crossplay?

Black Ops 3 was developed for multiple console generations, including PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. This made things even trickier because each version of the game had different performance capabilities, making crossplay integration nearly impossible.

A snap from Call of Duty Black Ops 3(Image via Activision)

Activision would have to invest a lot of resources to make an older game cross-play, and it would not be worth it at this time. Prior to cross-play, multiplayer lobbies were entirely divided allowing Xbox players to only play with other Xbox players. This also applied to PlayStation and PC players. Therefore, Black Ops 3 was never able to participate in this crossplay era.

Given that Black Ops 3 is nearly 10 years old, the likelihood of cross-play being implemented is slim. In recent years, cross-platform gaming has been fully welcomed by the Call of Duty franchise.

Naturally, not everyone enjoys crossplay. Because PC players enjoy the advantage of greater frame rates and mouse-and-keyboard accuracy, some console players would rather disable it. To address this, Call of Duty allows console users to choose whether to play against other players on the same platform or to disable crossplay.

Crossplay should now be included by default when a new Call of Duty game launches. But, as always, you will have to have other players on the same platform to play Black Ops 3.

Also read: Cheaters can now reportedly disconnect other players in Black Ops 6 and Warzone

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Edited by Angad Sharma