Is Ark: Survival Ascended cross-platform/crossplay?

Ark: Survival Ascended is a next-gen upgraded Unreal Engine 5 version of the sandbox survival game, Ark: Survival Evolved. But does that next-gen upgrade come with crossplay?

Studio Wildcard made sure to preserve all of the content of the original, which means there’s still tons of dinosaurs to tame and bases to build. Ark: Survival Evolved was one of the most successful survival games during its tenure, and while the Ascended remake has gone through some growing pains (notably the extra price point), this survival dino breading game has maintained much of its multiplayer base.

Who doesn’t want to tame and breed dinosaurs to battle your sworn frenemies? Naturally, the endless possibilities and scenarios inherent in Survival Ascended‘s multiplayer require a solid cross-platform structure. In this, the original Survival Evolved eventually failed to adapt when the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S rolled around in 2020. So, with newly implemented Unreal Engine 5 capabilities and current platform optimization, Ark: Survival Ascended has solved Evolved‘s outdated problems…mostly.

Is Ark: Survival Ascended cross-platform/crossplay?

Ark: Survival Ascended does indeed have smooth cross-platform play between PS5 and Xbox Series X/S for official servers, as well as private dedicated/rented ones. If you’re on PC, you can crossplay between various launchers like Epic and Steam very easily as well.

The downside is that there is currently no “official” way to crossplay between PC and console platforms. You’re best bet is to rent a dedicated private server that can allow PC to console crossplay.

The original Ark: Survival Evolved is also still playable and capable of limited crossplay. The catch is that players can only use private rented servers to play with others and enable crossplay between the PS4, Xbox One, and Switch consoles and PC, depending on the unofficial server’s rules and restrictions. Survival Evolved‘s official servers went down at the end of August 2023, just as Survival Ascended was getting launched.

Since Ark: Survival Ascended is a modern remake using UE5, Switch, mobile, and PS4/Xbox One versions don’t exist. If you don’t have access to a buffed-up PC, PS5, or Xbox Series X/S, you’re only option is to play the old Ark: Survival Evolved.

Thankfully for the fortunate current-geners, Ark: Survival Ascended supports cross-saves between PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, meaning players can carry-over their progress across consoles.

Will Ark: Survival Ascended‘s cross-platform eventually expand?

Shortly before Survival Ascended‘s launch, Studio Wildcard confirmed total cross-platform functionality through Steam on day one of the game’s official release. They have since retracted this due to anti-cheat measures within official PvP servers at the beginning of 2024. As of 2025, we’re in the same boat, and there’s no word when Survival Ascended will allow PC to console crossplay on official servers.

It’s worth noting that Ark: Survival Ascended is still in its early access state, so Studio Wildcard’s original promise of complete cross-platform functionality is still a possibility when it officially releases out of early access. Still, with no news of an official release window or even the distant Ark 2 starring Vin Diesel, all we have is speculation and Studio Wildcard’s past history to go on.