Is MK1 Crossplay? Let’s Clear Up The Confusion (2026 Update)

Look, I’m going to start with what you actually came here to find out. Is MK1 crossplay? Yes. But it’s complicated, and if you’ve been Googling this for the past hour like I was, you’ve probably seen about fifteen different answers and want to throw your controller through the screen. I get it.

Here’s the thing. When Mortal Kombat 1 first launched back in September 2023, the answer was a pretty brutal “no.” People who pre-ordered based on Steam listings that promised cross-platform multiplayer watched those words quietly vanish. It stung. Especially for those of us who’d convinced our friends to buy it on different consoles.

But a lot has changed since then. And I want to walk you through exactly where things stand now, because the difference between “no crossplay” and “yes, but not for everyone” is the difference between you and your buddy actually getting to fight tonight.

The Actual Current State Is MK1 Crossplay?

Platform	Can Play Together?	Requirements
PlayStation 5	Yes (with each other and PC)	WB Games account, crossplay toggled ON
Xbox Series X/S	Yes (with each other and PC)	WB Games account, crossplay toggled ON
PC (Steam/Epic)	Yes (with PS5 and Xbox)	Must meet SSD/performance benchmark
Nintendo Switch	No crossplay at all	Not supported

So if you’re on current-gen consoles or a decent PC, you’re good. Is MK1 crossplay working across those platforms? Yes, it absolutely is. I’ve personally tested PS5 versus PC matches and the netcode held up better than I expected.

The “Wait, I Thought It Wasn’t Crossplay?” Problem

You’re not crazy. You definitely saw articles saying MK1 has zero crossplay. I saw them too. Some sites still haven’t updated their information. That’s because crossplay wasn’t added at launch. It came later.

And honestly? The rollout was messy. The feature was teased, then removed from the Steam page, then quietly added back post-launch with very little fanfare. If you blinked, you missed it.

I actually had a moment a few months ago where I was complaining to a friend that I couldn’t play with our PC crew, and he just said “uh, dude, you’ve had crossplay for like a year.” Felt pretty stupid. But also relieved.

How to Actually Set Up MK1 Crossplay

Okay, so you know that it works. Now let’s make sure it actually works for you. Because this is where most people stumble.

Step 1: Create or link your WB Games account

This is non-negotiable. You can do it right from the main menu. It takes two minutes and honestly, you should have done this already because it also enables cross-progression. But more on that in a second.

Step 2: Toggle crossplay ON

Go to Main Menu > Settings > Online > Enable Krossplay.

I know, I know. “Krossplay” with a K. Just roll with it.

Step 3: Add your friends

You can’t just rely on your console friends list. You need to add people through the WB Games friends list in the Online Social menu. This is the step everyone misses and then assumes crossplay is broken.

Step 4: PC players, run the benchmark

If you’re on PC and crossplay isn’t working, run the in-game online benchmark test. If your system doesn’t meet the SSD requirement or stable framerate minimum, the game will lock you out of matchmaking with console players. You can still do private matches and King of the Hill, but the pool gets smaller.

The Nintendo Switch Problem

I have to be honest with you here. If you’re on Switch, this section is going to disappoint you.

Is MK1 crossplay available on Nintendo Switch? No. And there’s no indication it ever will be.

The hardware gap is just too wide. The Switch version runs differently, loads slower, and NetherRealm has explicitly stated it’s excluded from the crossplay ecosystem. If you’re primarily a Switch player, your online matches are going to be within the Nintendo pool only.

This hurts. I know players who bought the game on Switch specifically for portability, assuming they could still fight their PS5 friends when docked. That’s just… not how it works.

Cross-Progression: The Silver Lining

While crossplay took its sweet time arriving, cross-progression has been solid for a while now. If you own MK1 on multiple supported platforms (PS5, Xbox, PC), your unlocks, koins, Kombat Kard stats, and story progress all carry over.

One extremely important warning: When you first link accounts, the game will ask you which platform’s save file you want to keep. This is not a suggestion. This is a permanent choice. Whatever you don’t pick, gets erased. Customer support cannot restore it. I watched a friend lose 80 hours of progress because he clicked too fast. Don’t be my friend.

What About PS4 and Xbox One?

Here’s another hard truth: Mortal Kombat 1 isn’t even on last-gen consoles. There is no PS4 version. There is no Xbox One version.

So when people ask “is MK1 crossplay between PS4 and PS5?” or “can Xbox One play with Series X?” the answer is that the question doesn’t really apply. The game only runs on current hardware.

This was a deliberate decision. And honestly, having seen how crossplay performs when both sides have SSDs, I understand why. But it does mean that anyone still on last-gen is completely locked out of the game entirely.

The Feature Everyone Actually Wants

Ed Boon ran a poll on Twitter a while back asking what online feature players wanted most. Crossplay won. Not just won, destroyed the competition. Seventy-five percent of the vote.

That’s not a preference. That’s a demand.

The community has been loud about this since day one. Tournaments have struggled, regional scenes have fractured, and countless friend groups have just… given up trying to play together. I’ve been there. It sucks buying a game specifically to play with someone and realizing you’re on opposite sides of an invisible wall.

Check other Crossplay Games:

• Powerwash Simulator Crossplay
• Absolum Crossplay
• Insurgency Sandstorm Crossplay
• Elden Ring Nightreign Crossplay

So, Is MK1 Crossplay Worth the Hassle?

If you’re on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, or a decent PC: yes, it works, and it works well enough.

The setup requires a few extra steps compared to games where crossplay is just magically there. You have to create an account, toggle the setting, add friends through a secondary system. It’s clunky. I wish it were smoother.

But once it’s set up? The matches are stable. The player pool is significantly larger. And that moment when you finally get into a lobby with your friend who’s been sitting on a different console for three years? That’s worth the annoyance.