If you’ve ever tried to queue up for a League of Legends match with a friend who plays on a different device, you’ve probably wondered is League of Legends cross platform at some point. I’ve gotten this question at least a dozen times from guild members, casual friends, and even my little cousin who just started playing Wild Rift on his phone last month. The answer isn’t as straightforward as a simple yes or no, because it depends on which version of the game you’re playing, what devices you own, and what region you’re in. We’re breaking down everything you need to know about crossplay for LoL, so you can stop troubleshooting and start playing with your crew faster.
Is League of Legends Cross Platform Across All Versions?
Riot Games releases multiple versions of League of Legends tailored to different device types, and crossplay rules vary widely between each edition. First, let’s clarify the two main versions most players use: the original core PC game, and Wild Rift, the optimized mobile and console port. Both are considered official League of Legends products, but they run on separate servers and have different gameplay balances to match their device controls.
Original League of Legends for PC only supports cross-play between Windows and Mac devices. If you play on a Windows laptop and your best friend plays on an iMac, you can queue up for matches together with no extra steps, as long as you’re on the same regional server. There’s no crossplay support for the original PC version with any console or mobile devices, and Riot has stated they have no plans to add this feature in the near future.
Wild Rift, the mobile/console version of LoL, supports full crossplay across iOS, Android, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. That means if you’re playing on your Android phone during your commute, you can hop right into a match with your friend who’s playing on their Xbox Series S at home. All Wild Rift regions support this cross-device functionality out of the box, no extra downloads or account upgrades required.
It’s also important to note the difference between crossplay and cross-progression here. There is no cross-progression between the original PC LoL and Wild Rift, even if you use the same Riot account for both games. Your skins, ranked rank, champion unlocks, and in-game currency will stay tied to the specific version you earned them on, so you won’t be able to transfer your 5 years of PC account progress to Wild Rift if you decide to switch devices.
What Crossplay Restrictions You Should Know About
Crossplay functionality works smoothly for most players, but there are a handful of common restrictions that can block you from joining your friend’s lobby even if you’re on the right version of the game. If you’ve looked up is League of Legends cross platform before and gotten conflicting answers, these restrictions are usually why.
The biggest restriction is regional server locks. No matter which version of the game you’re playing, you can only play with other people connected to the same regional server. If you’re on the North American Wild Rift server and your friend is on the European server, you won’t be able to see each other or join the same lobby, even if you’re both playing on iPhones. You can pay to transfer your account to a different region if you want to play with friends long-term, but free region switching is not supported.
Crossplay is enabled by default for Wild Rift, but you can turn it off in your settings if you only want to match with players on the same device. If your friend accidentally turned off crossplay after getting frustrated with controller vs touch input mismatches, you won’t be able to join their lobby until they turn it back on. This setting is separate for each device, so if you play Wild Rift on both your phone and PlayStation, you’ll need to check the setting on both devices.
The most common reasons you can’t play cross-platform with a friend include:
- You and your friend are playing different versions of the game (original PC LoL vs. Wild Rift)
- You are connected to different regional servers
- One of you has crossplay disabled in account settings
- The console platform you’re using has not been updated to the latest Wild Rift patch
Riot also occasionally disables crossplay temporarily for specific regions during major patch rollouts, to make sure all versions are updated to the same build before allowing cross-device matches. These outages usually only last a few hours, and Riot posts updates on their official social media channels when they happen.
How to Play League of Legends With Friends on Different Devices
Once you understand the basic crossplay rules, setting up a cross-platform match with friends only takes a few minutes. I’ve walked dozens of my own friends through this process, so these steps work for every supported device type.
First, confirm all of you are playing the same version of the game. If half your group wants to play the original PC LoL, everyone will need to play on a Windows or Mac computer. If you have a mix of mobile, console, and PC players, everyone will need to download Wild Rift (it’s available for free for Windows PC too, so PC players can still join if they’re willing to use the Wild Rift client).
Next, confirm everyone is connected to the same regional server. When you first create a Riot account for either version of the game, it automatically assigns you to the server closest to your location, but you can check your server in the account settings menu. If one person is on the wrong server, you can either have them create a new account for the right server for free, or pay a small fee to transfer their existing account.
Always add friends using their Riot ID, not their console or mobile platform username, to avoid cross-platform friend request issues. Your Riot ID is the unique username + tag combination connected to your Riot account, and it works across all Riot games and all devices. If you try to add a friend using their Xbox gamertag or Apple Game Center username, you won’t be able to find their account if you’re playing on a different platform. You can find your own Riot ID in the top right corner of your client home screen.
Once you’ve added each other as Riot friends, you can send lobby invites the same way you would if you were playing on the same device. The game will automatically adjust match making to account for different device types, so you don’t have to adjust any extra settings to start playing. I tested this last month with a group of 5 friends on 5 different devices (Android, iPhone, PlayStation, Xbox, Windows PC) and we were able to get into a match in less than 2 minutes, no glitches or extra steps needed.
Is Crossplay Good for Your League of Legends Matchmaking Experience?
Crossplay is a great feature for playing with friends, but a lot of players worry it will hurt their ranked performance or lead to unfair matches. Let’s break down the pros and cons so you can decide if you want to keep it enabled on your account.
The biggest benefit of crossplay is larger player pools, which means faster matchmaking times. If you usually play ranked at 2am on a Tuesday, you’ve probably waited 10+ minutes for a match with crossplay turned off. With crossplay enabled, you’re matching with players across all supported devices, so wait times drop drastically, even during off-peak hours. You also get to play with friends no matter what device they own, which is the main reason most people use the feature.
The main downside players mention is input balance concerns. A lot of controller players worry they’ll be at a disadvantage against touch screen players, and PC players worry they’ll be matched against people with more precise controls. Riot has addressed this by adding input-based matchmaking for random lobbies, so you’ll only be matched against players using the same control type as you unless you’re in a pre-made group with friends on different devices. If you’re queuing solo, you won’t have to worry about unfair input mismatches.
Crossplay does not affect your ranked MMR in any version of League of Legends. Wins and losses against cross-platform players count the exact same as wins against players on the same device, so you don’t have to worry about your rank being penalized for playing against people on other devices. If you do notice you’re losing more matches with crossplay enabled, you can turn it off any time in your settings menu with no penalty.
At the end of the day, the answer to is League of Legends cross platform depends entirely on which version of the game you prefer. Original PC players only get crossplay between Windows and Mac, while Wild Rift players can connect with almost any device as long as they’re on the same server. Don’t let device differences stop you from playing with your friends – as long as you double check your game version, server region, and Riot ID details, you’ll be queuing up for matches together in no time.