Planet Crafter Crossplay: Why PS5 and PC Can't Play Together (2026)
Planet Crafter crossplay doesn't exist: PS5, Xbox and PC can't terraform together. Since the console launch on July 21, 2026, Miju Games hasn't announced an update or a date for it. What works is co-op for up to eight players on the same platform.
One exception few people know about: Xbox Series and the PC version from PC Game Pass count as one platform. This guide shows who can really play with whom, why the split exists and what to do instead.
๐ฎ Planet Crafter crossplay: where things stand
Short and clear: there's no crossplay between PC and console. If you play on Steam and your friend plays on PS5, you can't join each other. There's no hidden menu option, no account setting and no invite code that bridges the gap. On launch day, it was the number one topic in the official Steam forum.
Just as important: there's also no cross-platform save transfer. Your PC save doesn't move to the PS5. If you switch platforms, you start from zero. A lot of players only find out after buying, especially those who already worked through the terraformation stages on PC and wanted to continue on console.
๐ Platform matrix: who can play with whom?
The dividing line doesn't run between "PC" and "console", as many assume, but between ecosystems. That's the key difference, and it's why one PC version can play with consoles after all:
| Platform | Steam | GOG | PC Game Pass | Xbox Series | PS5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steam | โ yes | โ ๏ธ IP only | โ no | โ no | โ no |
| GOG | โ ๏ธ IP only | โ yes | โ no | โ no | โ no |
| PC Game Pass | โ no | โ no | โ yes | โ yes | โ no |
| Xbox Series | โ no | โ no | โ yes | โ yes | โ no |
| PS5 | โ no | โ no | โ no | โ no | โ yes |
The one combination that actually works across platforms: Xbox Series X|S and the PC version from the Microsoft Store or PC Game Pass. The Xbox Store explicitly lists "Xbox cross-platform co-op" and "Xbox Play Anywhere" for The Planet Crafter.
In practice: inside the Microsoft ecosystem you play together and even share your save through Xbox cloud saves. If your group is mixed Xbox and PC, everyone just needs to be on the Xbox side.
The catch for Steam owners: the PC version from the Microsoft Store follows the same network rules as the consoles. A PC Game Pass session therefore can't play with a Steam session, even though both run on a Windows PC. Two PCs, two stores, no shared session.
โ ๏ธ Why PS5 and PC can't play together
Miju Games hasn't published a detailed technical explanation. Two factors come up again and again in the community and match what's known about the game's network setup:
- Mods. On PC, The Planet Crafter is open to mods; on console it isn't. As soon as a PC host runs modified recipes, machines or world data, a console client can't handle it, because the save contains objects its version doesn't know. A clean fix would have to turn off mods in mixed sessions, and that separation doesn't exist in the game yet. (Community assessment from the official Steam forum, not an official statement from Miju Games.)
- Platform rules and certification. Crossplay between PlayStation, Xbox and Steam isn't a switch you flip. It needs a cross-platform account and session system that Sony and Microsoft sign off on. For a studio the size of Miju Games, founded as a two-person project and still only a handful of people, that's a project of its own, not a side patch.
Then there's the tech under the hood: co-op runs peer-to-peer through the host, not on dedicated servers. The connection goes through each platform's own infrastructure, Steam lobbies on one side, PSN sessions on the other. Those systems don't talk to each other out of the box.
๐ Is there a date for crossplay?
No, and that's the honest answer, even if it's not satisfying. As of October 8, 2026 there's no official announcement from Miju Games: no date, no roadmap entry, no promise that crossplay is coming at all. Around the console release, the only word was that crossplay is "currently not available". That leaves the door open, but it isn't a promise.
The free Skeo update on September 1, 2026 didn't change anything either. It came to every platform at the same time, but each platform still plays on its own.
If someone gives you a quarter or a specific update, they're guessing. Plan your group as if crossplay isn't coming, and be happy if it does. In practice: agree on one platform before you buy. Switching later costs you all your progress, because saves don't move either.
๐ฅ What works instead: co-op for eight players
Within one platform, multiplayer is complete and fairly generous:
| Version | Max players |
|---|---|
| PC (Steam / GOG) | up to 10 |
| PS5 | up to 8 |
| Xbox Series X|S & PC Game Pass | up to 8 (2 to 8 per the Xbox Store) |
Terraforming isn't a competition: every heater, every Vegetube and every drill adds to the same Terraformation Index. Eight people get through the stages much faster than you alone, as long as you build in a coordinated way.
The short version of how co-op works: the host owns the world, guests only bring their personal inventory, and the invite code changes with every session.
One detail bigger groups often miss: more players means more machines in one place, and that means power or balance problems show up sooner. If your index suddenly stops rising, it's rarely bad luck. Picking a smart base spot from the start saves a lot of walking in co-op, see our best Planet Crafter base locations.
๐ง The special case: Steam vs. GOG
There is one gray zone, and it only affects PC players. The GOG version connects the classic way, through IP address and port 7777. GOG documents this in its official multiplayer guide, including port forwarding on your router and a firewall exception. Steam players normally use the Steam lobby and don't see this option.
The trick players report in the official forum: if you launch the game's EXE directly instead of through the Steam client, the IP connection shows up there too, and Steam and GOG players end up in the same session. This is a community workaround without official support from Miju Games. It only works between Steam and GOG and doesn't help with consoles or PC Game Pass.
๐ก FAQ about Planet Crafter crossplay
Can I terraform with a Steam friend on PS5?
No. There's no connection at all between PS5 and Steam, neither through an invite code nor through an IP option. You both need the same platform family.
Is there at least cross-save between PC and console?
No. Saves stay tied to the platform. Only inside the Microsoft ecosystem do Xbox Series and the PC Game Pass version share progress through Play Anywhere and cloud saves.
When is crossplay coming to The Planet Crafter?
There's no official statement from Miju Games. No date, no roadmap entry, no promise. Anything else you read online is speculation.
How many players fit in a co-op session?
Up to 10 on PC, up to 8 on PS5 and Xbox Series. The Xbox Store lists the mode as online co-op for 2 to 8 players.
Does my progress carry over if I buy the game on a second platform?
No, you start over. That's why you should decide before buying, even if you're only heading for the endgame or other Planet Crafter planets later on.
More on the topic: all the facts about the console launch in our article on The Planet Crafter on PS5, and everything about the new moon in our Planet Crafter Skeo guide.
As of October 8, 2026 (version v2.102). Sources: official store listings from Xbox, PlayStation and Steam, the multiplayer guide in the GOG Support Center, the console release announcement from June 16, 2026, and discussions in the official Steam forum for The Planet Crafter (marked as community reports in the text).
