NHL 24 has launched with many welcome changes from previous games, and the results have been good. A new puck pressure system in NHL 24 rewards actual zone pressure and possession rather than just trying the same tired glitch plays. Additions to the passing and hitting mechanics have also proved to be mostly positive. EA Sports, however, has lagged a bit behind when it comes to implementing crossplay in its games. If you’re wondering if NHL 24 has crossplay, it does, but there are some caveats.
Crossplay in sports games is important because of the life it breathes into multiplayer modes later in the game cycle. Especially in titles like NHL 24, which routinely has far lower sales figures than the more popular Madden or EA Sports FC franchises. Since those two franchises have added the feature, multiplayer lobbies have stayed full much deeper into their game cycles than they had in the past.
Does NHL 24 Have Crossplay?
For fans wanting NHL 24 to finally have cross play, there’s good news and bad news. In the newest game, players can play across consoles, but not across generations. Current-gen players can play with and against players using same generation hardware. In short, if you have a PS5, you can play NHL 24 with and against someone using an Xbox Series X/S.
However, if you haven’t upgraded to the newest console yet, you won’t be able to crossplay in NHL 24 against your friends that have. PS4 players cannot play with and against players using PS5 or Xbox Series X/S, and vice versa. Likewise, current-gen players cannot play against those still using last-gen hardware, even if it’s from the same brand.
To break it down clearly:
- PS5 players can play NHL 24 with Xbox Series X/S players, but not PS4 or Xbox One players.
- Xbox Series X/S players can play NHL 24 with PS5 players, but not PS4 or Xbox One players.
- PS4 players can play NHL 24 with Xbox One players, but not PS5 or Xbox Series X/S players.
- Xbox One players can play NHL 24 with PS4 players, but not PS5 or Xbox Series X/S players.
While it’s a minor step in the right direction, seeing so much of the player base still split in a game that relies so heavily on a healthy and vibrant community is disappointing. The NHL franchise usually lags a bit behind the Madden and EA Sports FC franchises in these types of innovations, so I’m optimistic full crossplay will arrive in time for NHL 25.
Players should also be careful when purchasing NHL 24 from the digital storefront. As there is not full crossplay yet, there are still two entirely different versions of the game in the PlayStation and Xbox stores. If you play on PlayStation, know whether you are getting the PS4 or PS5 version of the game. On Xbox, the same goes for the Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S versions. If you get the wrong edition, you might not even be able to play.
