Ultimate Guide: Best Companies Offering Cross-Platform Multiplayer for PC, Console & Mobile

Quick summary

Cross-platform multiplayer lets players on PC, consoles, and mobile play together, but it requires coordinated backend services, platform approvals, and careful networking design. (See definition: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross-platform_play)
This guide profiles the leading providers (Epic Online Services, Microsoft PlayFab/Azure, Unity Gaming Services, Amazon Game Tech/GameLift, Photon, Heroic Labs Nakama, Valve Steamworks, plus platform-holder considerations), compares key features, and gives an implementation checklist and selection framework with sources for further reading.
Use this guide to pick a solution based on scale, latency tolerance, console integration needs, control vs. convenience, and budget.

Contents

What is cross-platform multiplayer and how it works
Top companies and platforms (detailed profiles)
Head-to-head comparison & decision checklist
Implementation checklist (step-by-step)
Platform holder and legal considerations
Performance, security and testing best practices
Example case studies
Pricing & next steps
Short FAQ
Conclusion and recommendations

1. What is cross-platform multiplayer and how it works

Cross-platform multiplayer (cross-play) enables players on different device platforms (PC, consoles, mobile) to play together in the same game session. Achieving it typically requires:

A common backend or interoperable services for identity, friends, matchmaking and lobbies. (Overview: Epic Online Services) https://dev.epicgames.com/en-US/services
Networking architecture choices: peer-to-peer (P2P) vs. client-server (dedicated or authoritative servers). Dedicated servers are preferred for competitive/ticked gameplay due to anti-cheat and latency control. (Networking concepts) https://aws.amazon.com/gametech/solutions/multiplayer/
Platform-holder agreements (Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo) for cross-play with their console networks. (Xbox Live and platform docs) https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/gaming/xbox/

Key resources:

Cross-play definition and considerations: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross-platform_play
Dedicated vs. P2P server models (practical differences): https://aws.amazon.com/gamelift/

2. Top companies and platforms (detailed profiles)

Each provider below is presented with an overview, cross-platform strengths, limitations, ideal use cases, and links to official docs.

Epic Online Services (EOS)

Overview: A free, cross-platform SDK from Epic offering identity, friends, lobbies, matchmaking, achievements and presence. Designed to enable cross-play across PC, console and mobile regardless of engine. https://dev.epicgames.com/en-US/services
Strengths: Free SDK, console-agnostic, battle-tested with Fortnite at scale, built-in presence/matchmaking and integrations for many engines. https://www.epicgames.com/site/en-US/epic-online-services
Limitations: While EOS provides many services for free, you still need hosting for authoritative game servers and console-holder agreements for platform-specific features.
Best for: Teams that want a no-cost, console-agnostic SDK to support cross-play plus their own server hosting.

Microsoft PlayFab (Azure PlayFab) + Xbox Live services

Overview: PlayFab is a backend-as-a-service (BaaS) for live games (player data, matchmaking, leaderboards) and integrates with Azure and Xbox Live services for console support. https://playfab.com/ and https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/gaming/playfab/
Strengths: Deep Azure integration, scalable managed services, strong analytics and LiveOps tooling. Good fit for games that plan heavy backend logic and telemetry. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/gaming/
Limitations: PlayFab provides many building blocks but you may need additional services for real-time server hosting or voice. Costs are usage-based (Azure). https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/
Best for: Teams building live service games with strong telemetry and leveraging Azure or targeting Xbox console-specific functionality.

Unity Gaming Services (UGS)

Overview: Unity’s managed services include Relay (relay servers), Lobby, Matchmaker, Multiplay (server hosting), and Vivox (voice). Suited to games built with Unity but also accessible from other engines. https://unity.com/products/unity-gaming-services
Strengths: Turnkey services for Unity developers, managed hosting (Multiplay), and simple SDKs for matchmaking and relays. https://docs.unity.com/
Limitations: Deepest integration with Unity engine; non-Unity usage possible but less common.
Best for: Unity-based teams that want integrated tools and server hosting under a single vendor.

Amazon Game Tech (Amazon GameLift and AWS Game Tech)

Overview: Amazon provides GameLift (managed dedicated game server hosting), combined with AWS building blocks for matchmaking, analytics, and networking. https://aws.amazon.com/gametech/ and https://aws.amazon.com/gamelift/
Strengths: Global scale, flexible instance types, autoscaling, cost control, and strong integration with other AWS services. https://aws.amazon.com/gamelift/features/
Limitations: Requires AWS expertise; console-specific integrations and cross-play agreements still needed separately.
Best for: Teams needing scalable dedicated servers and deep control over server infrastructure.

Photon Engine (Exit Games)

Overview: Photon provides real-time multiplayer SDKs (Photon Realtime, Photon Fusion, Photon Quantum) for authoritative or deterministic multiplayer across platforms, with hosted cloud or self-host options. https://www.photonengine.com/
Strengths: Low-latency real-time focused, easy SDKs for networking, strong mobile and Unity support. https://doc.photonengine.com/
Limitations: For big titles with custom server logic, you may need self-hosted or hybrid architecture.
Best for: Small-to-medium teams needing fast-to-integrate real-time networking (mobile/PC), or for games where deterministic simulation (Quantum) is important.

Heroic Labs — Nakama (open-source)

Overview: Nakama is an open-source game server for social and realtime features (matches, player storage, leaderboards), with a managed cloud offering available. https://heroiclabs.com/nakama/
Strengths: Open-source flexibility, plugins in Lua/JS/Golang, can self-host or use managed cloud. Cost predictability if self-hosted. https://heroiclabs.com/nakama/docs/
Limitations: More ops effort if self-hosting; you must implement high-level services like matchmaking logic in server code.
Best for: Teams wanting full control and customization or preferring open-source backends.

Valve Steamworks (Steam)

Overview: Steamworks SDK provides matchmaking, lobbies, cloud saves and networking helpers for games distributed on Steam. Primarily PC-focused, but can be used as part of a cross-play architecture when combined with other backends. https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/features/multi_player
Strengths: Excellent for PC distribution and Steam features such as friends and lobbies.
Limitations: Steamworks is PC-centric; cross-play to consoles requires additional backend and platform-holder approvals.
Best for: PC-first games distributed on Steam that want to add console cross-play via other services.

Platform-holder services & policies (Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo)

Consideration: Sony (PlayStation Network), Microsoft (Xbox Live), and Nintendo (Nintendo Switch Online) control console network policies and APIs. Cross-play requires platform agreements and using their SDKs for certain features (party, achievements, user tokens). Microsoft and Sony both support cross-play but policies and certification steps vary. (Xbox docs) https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/gaming/xbox/; (PlayStation blog on cross-play) https://blog.playstation.com/2019/08/21/bringing-cross-play-to-more-games/; (Nintendo developer portal) https://developer.nintendo.com/
Best for: Teams targeting console storefronts — you must coordinate with platform holders early and follow certification/policy guidelines.

3. Head-to-head comparison & decision checklist

Key dimensions to evaluate — short checklist items you should compare across vendors:

Console support & platform integration: Does the provider have SDKs or recommended patterns for PlayStation/Xbox/Nintendo? (See platform docs listed above)
Realtime networking capabilities: Dedicated servers, relay, authoritative simulation, tick-rate support.
Matchmaking & lobby services: Built-in or needs custom logic.
Identity & friends cross-platform: Does the SDK handle identity federation across platform accounts? (Epic EOS offers identity/presence across networks) https://dev.epicgames.com/en-US/services
Anti-cheat & security: Does the vendor provide anti-cheat hooks, DDoS protection? (GameLift + AWS Shield) https://aws.amazon.com/gamelift/ and https://aws.amazon.com/shield/
Pricing model: Usage-based (cloud hosts), subscription, or free tiers (EOS) — check vendor pricing pages.
Ease of integration for your engine (Unity/Unreal/custom).
Operations overhead: Managed hosting vs. self-hosting.
Scalability and geographic presence (edge regions for low latency).

Quick comparison (high-level):

Best for turnkey Unity stacks: Unity Gaming Services (Multiplay, Relay, Lobby) https://unity.com/products/unity-gaming-services
Best for free cross-platform SDK & console-agnostic approach: Epic Online Services https://dev.epicgames.com/en-US/services
Best for scalable dedicated servers and AWS integration: Amazon GameLift / AWS Game Tech https://aws.amazon.com/gamelift/
Best for BaaS and LiveOps analytics: PlayFab (Azure) https://playfab.com/
Best for real-time/mobile-first networking: Photon https://www.photonengine.com/
Best for full control / open-source: Nakama (Heroic Labs) https://heroiclabs.com/nakama/

4. Implementation checklist (step-by-step)

Use this step-by-step checklist to launch cross-platform play.

Define cross-play scope and policies
- Decide whether cross-play is global or region-limited, if cross-progression is supported, and how matchmaking pools are separated (platform-tagged or unified).
Choose backend services
- Select providers for identity, matchmaking, lobbies, and server hosting (examples above). Consider using a combination (e.g., EOS for identity/matchmaking + GameLift for dedicated servers). https://dev.epicgames.com/en-US/services
Prototype networking model
- Build a minimal prototype: authoritative server or relay approach, validate latency and tick-rate. Use provider-specific SDKs (Photon, UGS Relay, GameLift).
Plan platform approvals
- Contact PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo dev relations early; follow each platform’s certification and cross-play policy documentation. https://developer.nintendo.com/ https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/gaming/xbox/
Implement account linking & identity
- Provide account linking (platform accounts to your game account) for friends and progression. EOS and PlayFab have identity tooling. https://playfab.com/ https://dev.epicgames.com/en-US/services
Build matchmaking & lobby logic
- Decide on unified pools or platform segregation and implement filter logic. Test with mixed-platform users.
Integrate anti-cheat and security
- Implement server-authoritative logic, server-side validation, and DDoS mitigation. Consider vendor integrations (VAC, Easy Anti-Cheat, AWS Shield). https://aws.amazon.com/shield/
Run cross-platform playtests
- Test with players across devices and networks to catch platform-specific bugs (UI, input differences, audio chat). Use staged rollouts.
Certification & launch
- Complete console certification and cross-play agreements, then perform launch.

References:

PlayFab docs for matchmaking and identity: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/gaming/playfab/
Unity UGS docs for Relay/Matchmaker: https://docs.unity.com/

5. Platform holder and legal considerations

Platform approvals: Console makers require compliance with their certification programs before allowing cross-play that uses platform features; you’ll often need to implement approved sign-in flows and platform APIs. (Sony PlayStation cross-play overview) https://blog.playstation.com/2019/08/21/bringing-cross-play-to-more-games/
Account linking & privacy: Cross-progression and cross-chat require clear privacy and terms of service for players. Follow platform privacy policies and GDPR/CCPA as applicable.
Transactions and storefront rules: In-game purchases may be restricted across platforms due to platform fees; typically store purchases are handled per platform. Consult platform store policies.

Platform docs:

PlayStation developer resources: https://www.playstation.com/en-us/develop/
Nintendo developer portal: https://developer.nintendo.com/
Xbox developer hub: https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/games/

6. Performance, security and testing best practices

Performance

Use regional server fleets and autoscaling to reduce latency; providers like GameLift and Multiplay provide regional fleets. https://aws.amazon.com/gamelift/ https://unity.com/products/multiplay
Use relays for NAT traversal and to avoid P2P pitfalls when necessary (Unity Relay, Photon Cloud). https://docs.unity.com/ https://doc.photonengine.com/

Security & Anti-cheat

Prefer server-authoritative architecture for competitive modes; validate client actions server-side. Security fundamentals: https://aws.amazon.com/gamelift/features/
Integrate anti-cheat solutions (e.g., Easy Anti-Cheat, BattlEye) and network-level protections (DDoS mitigation like AWS Shield). https://aws.amazon.com/shield/

Testing

Test with real devices and networks (cellular, Wi‑Fi, home ISP) and include packet loss/latency simulation. Use staged rollouts with telemetry to monitor issues.

7. Example case studies

Fortnite (Epic Games): Uses Epic Online Services for cross-platform identity, friends and matchmaking at huge scale as a canonical cross-play example. https://dev.epicgames.com/en-US/services
Rocket League (Psyonix / Epic): Implemented cross-platform play across PC and consoles; it required coordination with platform holders and matchmaking unification. https://www.rocketleague.com/news/rocket-league-cross-platform-play/
Many indie titles use Photon or Nakama for rapid development of cross-platform multiplayer due to easy SDKs and cost-effectiveness. Photon examples: https://www.photonengine.com/en-US/Products

8. Pricing & next steps

Pricing approaches:

Free SDK + self-host: EOS is free but you pay hosting costs separately. https://dev.epicgames.com/en-US/services
Managed services: PlayFab, Unity Multiplay and Amazon GameLift are usage-based (instances, data transfer, per-message or monthly tiers). Check official pricing pages:
- PlayFab pricing & Azure: https://playfab.com/ and https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/
- Unity Gaming Services: https://unity.com/pricing
- Amazon GameLift pricing: https://aws.amazon.com/gamelift/pricing/
- Photon pricing: https://www.photonengine.com/en-US/Pricing
- Heroic Labs Nakama managed: https://heroiclabs.com/pricing/
Self-hosted open-source (Nakama): lower software cost, higher ops cost.

Next steps

Create a short evaluation prototype with 2–3 candidate stacks (e.g., EOS + GameLift, UGS full stack, Photon cloud).
Run latency & concurrency tests in target regions.
Contact console dev-rel early for cross-play approvals and certification guidance.

9. Short FAQ

Q: Can I use multiple providers (e.g., EOS for identity and GameLift for servers)? A: Yes — many studios combine services (EOS for identity/matchmaking and GameLift for hosted servers). Make sure token flows, account linking and session handoffs are secure. https://dev.epicgames.com/en-US/services

Q: Is cross-play free to implement? A: SDKs like EOS are free, but you pay for hosting, managed services, platform certification costs, and possible third-party anti-cheat or voice services. Check provider pricing pages.

Q: Do consoles allow cross-play? A: Yes, consoles support cross-play, but it requires following platform policies and certification. Contact each platform’s developer relations for specifics. https://developer.nintendo.com/ https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/gaming/xbox/

10. Conclusion and recommendations

Small teams (mobile or indie) wanting fast integration: consider Photon or Nakama for quick setup and predictable costs.
Unity-native teams: Unity Gaming Services (Relay, Lobby, Multiplay) offers the cleanest integration and managed hosting. https://unity.com/products/unity-gaming-services
Teams targeting consoles and large scale: combine a console-agnostic SDK (Epic Online Services) or PlayFab for identity/matchmaking with dedicated server hosting (GameLift or Multiplay) for authoritative servers. https://dev.epicgames.com/en-US/services https://aws.amazon.com/gamelift/
If you want maximum control and customization, self-host Nakama or custom servers on AWS/Azure with PlayFab or EOS for social/matchmaking features.

Final tip: start early with platform-holder dev relations and prototype the networking model you plan to scale — cross-play impacts architecture, policy and certification from day one.