If you are a fan of the classic Call of Duty: Black Ops 3, you might be wondering if you can squad up with your buddies on different gaming platforms.
We mean, wouldn’t it be awesome to team up with your PlayStation pals while you are on your Xbox or PC?
The short answer is that Black Ops 3 does not support cross-platform play between different systems like PlayStation, Xbox, and PC.
Well, let’s find out is Black Ops 3 cross platform or leaves us hanging.
What is Black Ops 3? Quick Overview
Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 is a first-person shooter game that came out in 2015. The game has three main modes: campaign, multiplayer, and zombies.
The campaign mode supports 4-player co-op, which is pretty sweet. You play as a Black Ops soldier, and the story is full of sci-fi craziness, like swarms of nano-bees and mind-control.
[Video Credits @PlayStation]
Multiplayer is where Black Ops 3 really shines. It has the classic COD multiplayer feel but adds unique soldier abilities and powers to spice things up. Finally, there’s Zombies mode, which is a blast to play with friends.
Is Black Ops 3 Cross Platform?
No. Unfortunately, Black Ops 3 does not have cross-platform multiplayer. This means that players on different systems, like PlayStation, Xbox, and PC, cannot play together online.
Cross-play has become a big deal in recent years, with many newer games supporting it. But back when Black Ops 3 was released in 2015, it wasn’t really a thing yet.
There were some technical and business reasons why cross-play wasn’t feasible for BO3 at the time. Syncing up the different platforms is tricky, and there were probably deals in place between Activision and Sony/Microsoft that made it tough.
The good news is that Black Ops 3 does support cross-generational play within the same console family. So PS4 players can match up with PS5 players, and Xbox One can play with Xbox Series X/S. But you’re still limited to that specific platform.
There are some workarounds people have tried, like using third-party software to trick the game.
But that risks getting your account banned and isn’t really worth it. For now, if you want to slay zombies or dominate multiplayer with far-away friends, you’ll need to be on the same platform.
It’s a bummer, but that’s just the way it is for Black Ops 3. Hopefully, any potential re-releases or remasters in the future could add cross-play. But for now, we’ll have to make do with the players we have on our preferred platform of choice.
How can you join your friend on Black Ops 3 for PC?
First off, let’s talk about joining a friend’s lobby. Sometimes, you might run into an issue where it says the lobby is not joinable.
This can be super frustrating, but there are a few things you can try:
- Restart the game and keep attempting to join through invites or manually until it works.
- Check your NAT type in the game settings. If it’s strict (NAT type 3), you’ll need to change it to moderate (NAT type 2) by configuring your router.
- Make sure the lobby party size is set to 4 in the social menu settings.
- As a last resort, you can try using a VPN like Radmin VPN to create a network between you and your friend.
Now, what about inviting friends to your own lobby? The process is pretty straightforward:
- Go to the social menu in-game and select “Manage Party.”.
- Set the party to “Open” or “Friends Only,” depending on your preference.
- Invite your friends from your friend list, and they should be able to join.
If you’re specifically looking to play Zombies with friends, the steps are mostly the same as above. But here are a few extra tips:
- Make sure everyone has the same map packs/DLC installed to avoid compatibility issues.
- The player hosting the game should start a private match and then tell the others to join via the in-game friends list.
- If you’re using a mod or custom map, the host may need to give the others a direct IP address to join.
One important thing to keep in mind is that BO3 doesn’t have built-in crossplay. So you’ll only be able to play with friends on PC, not console players.
If you’ve tried all the troubleshooting steps and you’re still having connection problems, it could be an issue with the BO3 servers. In that case, you might just have to wait it out or try again later.
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Black Ops 3 Crossplay: What Are the Chances?
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the chances are looking pretty slim at this point.
First off, BO3 is an older game; it came out way back in 2015. That was before crossplay really started taking off in the gaming world.
The developers at Treyarch probably weren’t even thinking about cross-platform support when they were making the game.
Plus, newer Call of Duty titles like Modern Warfare and Warzone have already jumped on the crossplay bandwagon.
Activision is likely more focused on pushing those games and their cross-platform features than going back to update an older title like BO3.
There have been some rumors and wishful thinking from fans about BO3 possibly getting crossplay someday. We mean, it would be awesome to team up with friends on different systems. But so far, there’s been no official word from Activision or Treyarch about any plans to add it.
The sad reality is that BO3 is stuck in its own little platform bubble for now. If you’re on PlayStation, you can only play with other PlayStation players. The same goes for Xbox and PC. It’s a bummer, but that’s just the way it is.
Black Ops 3 Crossplay Rumors
There is no official way to enable cross-platform play in Black Ops 3 across PlayStation, Xbox, and PC.
Some players have tried using third-party workarounds, but these are not officially supported and risk bans.
Is Black Ops 3 Cross-Progression?
Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 does not support cross-platform play or cross-progression across different platforms like PC, PlayStation, and Xbox.
Your stats and unlocks are tied to the specific platform you are playing on.
Is Black Ops 3 cross-generational?
Absolutely, Black Ops 3 does support cross-gen play within the same console family! This is actually one of the few forms of “cross-play” that the game does allow.
If you’re rocking an older PlayStation 4, you can squad up online with your friends who upgraded to the fancy new PlayStation 5 version.
The same goes for the Xbox ecosystem – Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S players can party up without any issues.
Now, this cross-gen support only applies within the same platform family: the PlayStation or Xbox. You still can’t cross that divide and play between PlayStation and Xbox, or with PC players, unfortunately. Those platform barriers remain firmly in place for Black Ops 3.
Final Verdict
So, after digging into it, the verdict is in: Black Ops 3 is a no-go for cross-platform multiplayer. If you are on PlayStation, you’re stuck playing with other PlayStation peeps. Xbox players are in their own Xbox bubble.
And PC gamers are flying solo on their platform. No mixing and matching, no crossing the streams.
