Will making GTA Online cross-platform bring in a new wave of players to the game?

Although it is available on all major platforms, GTA Online does not allow cross-platform functionality. However, if this feature were to be introduced, the game would receive a large influx of new players.

Each GTA Online player can only play the game with others from their respective platform. What this means is that a PS4 owner cannot play the game with their friend who plays GTA Online on their Xbox One.

Fans are quite divided on the idea of crossplay in the game. While some love the idea of cross-platform play among all players, others deem it unnecessary.

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GTA Online: How will crossplay increase the game's popularity?

GTA Online has one of the largest player bases of any modern multiplayer game. However, its player base is divided between five platforms: PC, PS3, Xbox 360, PS4, and Xbox One. With the upcoming Expanded and Enhanced Edition, the game will see a further split in the player base.

This is because the re-release will be exclusive to PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. Because of its popularity, GTA Online receives a large number of players on all platforms. However, some issues are encountered which could be overcome if crossplay was present.

The biggest problem is waiting time, as joining a session becomes difficult when the player base is divided. Even after having such a large player base, GTA Online players often find empty lobbies. Since crossplay would merge the massive player base together, this issue can be easily avoided.

Another problem is the lack of cross-saving. If a GTA Online player moves to a new console, they have to start fresh with a new save. This is obviously a big issue since many players have spent years on the game to create their in-game empire.

Cross-saving is a supplementary feature of crossplay that allows players to access their saves across multiple platforms. When players shift to a different console, they can simply resume their game from their previous system.

GTA Online is not a console-exclusive game. PC players make up the largest chunk of its player base. When crossplay is considered, it presents a reason for console players to be worried. This is because the PC version of the game is riddled with hackers.

Since it is quite difficult to hack on consoles, they are more or less non-existent on consoles. Enabling crossplay would mean that console players will also have to deal with hackers who play the game on PC.

Note: This article is subjective and solely reflects the opinion of the writer.