You CAN Squad Up Anywhere in Arc Raiders – Here’s How Crossplay & Duos Really Work

Why Crossplay Matters in Arc Raiders (From Someone Who Learned the Hard Way)

After roughly 70 hours raiding in Arc Raiders across PC (Steam) and PS5, I finally stopped fighting the crossplay system and started using it properly. I went from staring at 5-10 minute PC-only queues to getting duos in under 30 seconds almost every night, just by understanding how crossplay, regions, and Embark IDs actually work together.

If you’re wondering “is Arc Raiders crossplay? cross-platform and matchmaking guide” level confused, the answer is: yes, Arc Raiders has full crossplay and cross-progression between PC (Steam, Epic Games Store, GeForce Now), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. The catch is that one bad setting or region choice can quietly wreck your queues and ping. This guide walks through the exact steps I use to squad up cross-platform, keep latency under control, and fix the most common duo matchmaking issues.

Step 1 – Link Your Embark ID So Crossplay Actually Works

The breakthrough for me came when I realized Embark ID is the glue that holds crossplay and cross-progression together. Until I linked my accounts properly, my PS5 friend barely appeared online, and my unlocks didn’t carry between PC and console.

Here’s the process I now follow on any new platform:

• From the main menu, open Settings → Account.
• Select Embark ID and either create one or log in.
• Use the on-screen code or QR to link your Steam/PSN/Xbox account to that Embark ID.
• Confirm you see all your operator level, weapons, and cosmetics synced on the new platform.

Once I did this on PC and PS5, I could freely bounce between them and keep my progress. It also made cross-platform invites way more reliable. If your friends list looks empty or your progress isn’t showing up across platforms, 9 times out of 10 it’s an Embark ID issue-log out, re-link, and restart the game client.

Step 2 – Turn Crossplay On (or Off) Without Tanking Your Queue Times

By default, Arc Raiders has crossplay enabled, dropping everyone into one big shared pool. With crossplay on, my duo queues usually take 15–45 seconds at peak and maybe up to 90 seconds off-peak. When I turned crossplay off on PC “just to test it,” my queue timer hit 8+ minutes more than once. That’s because PC is only about 20% of the total player base.

Here’s how to control the crossplay toggle on each platform:

• PC (Steam/Epic/GeForce Now): Settings → Gameplay → Online → Crossplay and tick/untick Enable Crossplay.
• PS5: Settings → Gameplay → Online and switch Crossplay to On or Off. If it refuses to turn on, check your PS5 Settings → Users and Accounts → Privacy → Communication & Multiplayer and allow cross-network play.
• Xbox Series X/S: Same idea-Settings → Gameplay → Online → Crossplay toggle, and make sure your Xbox privacy settings aren’t blocking cross-network multiplayer.

Unless you have a very specific reason, my honest advice is: leave crossplay on. Every time I’ve tried platform-locked matchmaking, queues got painfully long, especially late at night. Crossplay dramatically increases the pool and keeps things healthy months after launch.

Step 3 – How Duo Matchmaking Really Works (SBMM, Ping, and Inputs)

Once crossplay is sorted, the next headache is matchmaking logic. Arc Raiders uses a unified skill-based system for duos that heavily prioritizes ping and reasonable match quality. After watching dozens of lobbies fill, these are the patterns that consistently show up:

• Ping first: The game tries to keep everyone under about 80–100 ms latency.
• Operator level: It aims for squads and enemies within roughly ±5 levels of your duo’s average.
• Win rate & performance: If you’re stomping, expect tougher lobbies; if you’re struggling, they soften a bit.

There’s no input-based separation. Mouse and keyboard players match with controller players in the same pool. From my experience:

• KBM has a clear advantage for long-range tracking and flicks.
• Controllers feel great in close-quarters fights thanks to aim assist, but you need to tune it.

If you’re on controller and feel outgunned, go to Settings → Gameplay → Aim Assist and push it up to Medium or High. That one change made my PS5 duo partner way more competitive against PC squads.

One big duo bonus: revives are faster. In duos, reviving your teammate takes around 8 seconds, compared to about 12 seconds when solo. That difference absolutely saves runs once you get used to covering each other properly. Embark has also shared that crossplay squads extract roughly 15% more often, which matches what I’ve seen-mixed-platform duos tend to stick it out and communicate more.

Step 4 – Inviting Friends Cross-Platform the Reliable Way

I wasted a stupid amount of time trying to invite my Xbox buddy from PC using only platform overlays. The consistent method is to do everything through Embark ID and the in-game Social tab.

• On the main lobby screen, open the Social tab (friend icon in the corner).
• Use the search bar to look up their Embark ID (for example, PlayerName#1234).
• Send a friend request; they accept inside the same menu.
• Once they’re in your Embark friends list, select their name and choose Invite to Squad (PC: right-click, PS5: cross button, Xbox: A button).
• Have them accept the popup, then you (as host) pick Duo and start matchmaking.

If invites silently fail, I’ve almost always fixed it by doing this sequence: both players restart the game, quickly open Settings → Account → Embark ID to confirm we’re logged in, and then send the invite again. Patch v1.2.3 in particular cleaned up a lot of old desync issues once I re-linked my accounts after updating.

Step 5 – Use Regions and Ping Lock to Kill Lag Spikes

Crossplay is only fun if your shots actually land. Arc Raiders gives you decent control over where you’re connecting, but the settings are a bit buried. After one miserable night playing EU–NA mixed duos at 150 ms, I started doing this before every serious session:

• Go to Settings → Online.
• Set a Preferred Region (for example, EU Central or NA East) instead of leaving it entirely on auto.
• Enable the Ping Lock option and cap it around 80 ms if your region supports it.

Embark has said around 70% of players now run Ping Lock, and the reported lag spikes are down by about 40%. That lines up with my own duos: before Ping Lock, I’d randomly get teleported in fights; after turning it on, those moments practically vanished. The trade-off is slightly longer queues in off-hours, but for me it’s absolutely worth it.

Quick Crossplay & Matchmaking Troubleshooting Checklist

Here’s the checklist I run through whenever crossplay or duos feel broken. Go down this list in order; it usually fixes things in a couple of minutes.

• No matches found / infinite queue
  Check that Crossplay is ON in Settings → Gameplay → Online. If you’re on PC only, expect very long queues with crossplay off, especially late at night. Also confirm your preferred region isn’t something weirdly far away.
• Can’t see your friend online
  Both of you open Settings → Account → Embark ID and make sure you’re logged into the same Embark accounts you used to add each other. If not, log out, log back in, and restart the game.
• Progress isn’t syncing between platforms
  Fully close the game on both platforms, wait 30–60 seconds, relaunch, and let the game sit on the main menu for a bit. In my case, cosmetic unlocks and levels always caught up after one clean restart while properly logged into Embark.
• Constant high ping or rubber-banding
  Check Preferred Region and Ping Lock. If your duo is spread across continents, pick a middle region (for example, NA East for US–EU) and accept a small ping increase instead of huge spikes.
• Voice or invites blocked on console
  On PS5 and Xbox, make sure your privacy settings allow cross-network communication and multiplayer. I’ve had friends stuck on “friends only” or “same platform only” without realizing it.
• NAT or router issues
  If you consistently fail to join each other, run your console’s or PC’s network test and look for Moderate/Strict NAT. Rebooting the router, disabling aggressive firewall rules, or following your platform’s official port-forwarding guide usually clears it up.

Final Tips: Make Crossplay Work for Your Duo, Not Against It

Once I stopped fighting the system and leaned into crossplay, Arc Raiders completely changed for me. Quick queues, smoother pings with Ping Lock, and being able to squad up with friends on any platform made raids feel alive even during off-hours.

If you take nothing else from this guide, do this: link your Embark ID properly, keep crossplay on, set a sensible region, and enable Ping Lock. From there, tune your aim assist or sensitivity to match the mixed input pool, and treat duo revives and communication like your lifeline. If I can turn my early, laggy, lonely PC queues into reliable cross-platform extractions, you absolutely can too.