What is The Forest cross platform situation currently? Is it freely available to play with the gaming community across all platforms?
Is it partly restricted? Or is it completely off-limits for any cross platform play?
As usual, the answer is a bit tricky but we’re going to explain the entire situation.
The Forest is a beautiful survival horror game developed by Endnight Games that immediately hooks you with its dark atmosphere and explorative gameplay.
And it’s this survival game’s nonlinear, open world nature that gives it such an enduring legacy.
Back in 2014, it was made available as an early access offering and it took four more years for the full release to take place on PC.
Without getting a Mac or Linux version, the game went straight to the PS4 and thanks to backward compatibility, it can also be played on the PS5 now.
Those on different devices from the ones mentioned above are out of luck as it has not been released for them.
Its sequel, Sons of the Forest, is currently available in early access to PC gamers.
It adds a number of new elements that take the gameplay experience to a whole new level. But there’s no word on when the full version will be made available to the public.
In the meantime, fans can enjoy playing The Forest in all its brilliance.
For those unaware, it’s a survival game that challenges you to brave a mysterious forested peninsula as you search for your son Timmy, who has vanished after a devastating plane crash.
As you continue your survival journey, gathering resources, creating shelter, weapons, and other survival tools becomes a necessity.
That’s because the peninsula is home to not just various woodland creatures but also a tribe of cannibalistic mutants.
They live in villages on the surface and even have deep networks of caves reserved for some gruesome rituals.
As you progress through the game and explore the caves underneath, some ghastly sights await you including those of deformed babies and mutants with several extra appendages.
And the best part of it all is that The Forest can be played in single player mode or cooperative multiplayer mode. You can team up with up to 7 other players on one server.
But is this multiplayer mode accessible if you and your friends are on different platforms? Let’s find out.
Is The Forest Cross Platform In 2024?
Unfortunately, The Forest is not cross platform compatible.
Those wishing to play with one another need to be on the same platform in order to do so.
But there is one single exception that allows users to experience limited cross platform compatibility.
This is between the PS4 and the PS5. Since there’s no full-fledged PS5 version of The Forest, the console plays the PS4 version using its backward compatibility feature.
Hence, despite being on different generations of the PlayStation console, PS4 and PS5 users can indulge in cross platform play.
Also Read: Does Ark: Survival Evolved Support Cross-Platform Play?
The Forest Cross Platform Between:
PC And Xbox One?
There’s no question of cross platform support for the game between these two consoles since it is not available on the Xbox One in the first place.
The PS4 is the only console that The Forest is available for in its native form.
PC And Xbox Series S/X?
Again, cross platform play is not possible between these two devices since The Forest is not available on the Xbox Series X/S.
PS4 And Xbox?
No, there’s no possibility of cross play between the PlayStation and Xbox since the game is not available for any Xbox platform.
PS4 And PC?
The Forest is available on both these platforms, but you and a friend can’t experience cross platform compatibility between them.
Xbox One And PS4?
As the game is not available on the Xbox One, there is no question of cross play support between these two.
Related: Can I Play The Raft Crossplay?
Frequently Asked Questions
Will It Support Cross Platform Play In The Future?
It’s highly unlikely that the developers will make The Forest crossplay in the future.
That’s mainly because Sons of the Forest, appears to be their main focus at the moment.
As we said, this sequel is available under Steam’s early access program right now and is only aimed at PC.
It is only after its full release that we’ll find out whether it’s coming to other platforms or not and whether or not it will get cross platform compatibility.
Does It Offer Cross Progression Support?
Cross progression refers to the facility to start the game exactly where you left off, even when you move to a different platform.
In that regard, there is no cross progression support for The Forest between its PC and PS4 versions.
However, since the PS4 and PS5 versions of the game are essentially the same native PS4 version, you can indeed experience cross generation support.
Does The Forest Cross Save Exist?
Being able to cross save means picking up your saved games across platforms. It’s essentially the same thing as cross progression, so the same rules apply here.
What Platforms Is The Forest On?
The Forest is available to play on PC, PS4 and PS5. The developers have given all other platforms a miss for some reason.
Fans are now pinning all hopes on its sequel, which is looking incredibly promising in its early access form.
While it’s only meant for PC at the moment, there is a possibility that it will be released on multiple platforms when it’s fully ready.
Is The Forest VR Cross Platform?
Just like the non-VR version of The Forest, its VR version too does not support crossplay.
Only PC owners can experience this game in its VR avatar and let us tell you it makes for a very terrifying experience.
The eerie atmosphere of this survival horror game is perfect for VR.
Is The Forest Split Screen?
No, this game does not feature split screen gameplay, unlike some co-op games like It Takes Two.
Players who wish to play with each other must have the game on their own machines.
And since there’s no crossplay support, they need to be sure that they buy it for the same platform that their friends have it on.
Is The Forest Multiplayer?
Yes, The Forest is indeed a multiplayer game, even if it’s not a crossplay game.
Up to 8 players to jump in and play The Forest together.
Related: Cross-Platform Compatibility In Rust : Explained
Wrapping Up
We hope we’ve answered your question if you were wondering whether The Forest is cross platform or not.
This game which is similar to Kenshi in many ways, is among the most revered offerings of the past few years and hence, it’s a pity that there’s no crossplay support available for it.
Its horrifying visuals, its frightening jump scares, and its intriguing exploration would have been so much more enjoyable if we were allowed to invite our friends across different consoles and devices.
But while The Forest cross platform functionality is not expected to be a reality, we can always pin our hopes on its sequel.
Once its Early Access phase is over, we hope the developers release it on more devices across different generations while also enabling crossplay.
