Is Roadside Research Crossplay? The Honest Answer (And How to Play With Friends Anyway)

Look, I need to start with the good news and then I need to be real with you about the complicated stuff. Because if you’re here, you’re probably in the same situation I was in last week.

You saw the trailer. Maybe it was the paper masks, or the fact that you can literally get turned into goo by government agents. You got that itch. You texted your friend on PlayStation, another on PC, maybe someone who just grabbed an Xbox Series S. “Hey,” you said, “we should all play this alien gas station thing together.”

And then that nagging doubt crept in. Is Roadside Research crossplay? Can we actually do this, or am I about to spend an hour convincing everyone to buy a game we can’t even play as a group?

I’ve been there. It’s the worst feeling in co-op gaming. So let me save you the runaround.

Is Roadside Research crossplay? Technically, yes… but not the way you want it to be.

Here’s the deal, and I’m going to say this as clearly as I can so we don’t waste each other’s time.

Roadside Research does have crossplay, but it’s locked inside a specific ecosystem. If you and your friends are all playing on Xbox Series X|S and the Xbox PC app via Game Pass? You’re golden. You can play together without any issues. Microsoft’s ecosystem talks to itself really well.

But if you have one friend on Steam and another on Xbox? Yeah. That’s where it falls apart.

The developers confirmed that cross-play is not supported between Xbox PC and the Steam version. And before you ask about PlayStation or Switch… there’s no announced version for those platforms at all right now. The game is launching in Early Access Q1 2026 exclusively on Steam and Xbox Series X|S.

So what do we actually have right now?

Let me break down the current state so you know exactly what you’re working with:

Platforms confirmed for Q1 2026 Early Access:

• Steam (PC)
• Xbox Series X|S
• Xbox PC App (Microsoft Store / Game Pass)

Crossplay that works:

• Xbox Series X|S with Xbox PC App
• Xbox Series X|S with other Xbox consoles
• Xbox PC App with Xbox Series X|S

Crossplay that DOES NOT work:

• Steam with ANY Xbox version
• Steam with PlayStation (not even announced)
• Steam with any other platform

PlayStation, Switch, etc:

• No announced versions at all

So if you’re the friend on Steam and everyone else is on Game Pass? You’re the odd one out. And that sucks.

The Workaround Guide: How to “Force” Crossplay When It’s Not Officially Supported

I spent way too long last night figuring out how to make this work with my own group. Two of us on PC Game Pass, one on Steam, one stubborn friend who refuses to leave Steam. We wanted to play together. Here’s what actually worked, what didn’t, and what I’d recommend based on who you’re trying to play with.

Option 1: The “Everyone Migrates” Method (Most Reliable)

This is the least fun answer, but it’s the truth: the path of least resistance is getting your group onto the same platform.

If crossplay is essential for your group, Xbox Game Pass is currently the “universal” option. Why? Because it gives you access to both the Xbox console version AND the PC version under one subscription.

Here’s the play:

1. Steam users: Consider grabbing a month of PC Game Pass instead of buying on Steam. It’s usually cheaper than full game price anyway.
2. Xbox console players: You’re already on Game Pass. Just make sure your PC friends are using the Xbox app, not Steam.
3. PC players: If you bought on Steam and you’re the only one, check the refund policy. Early Access games on Steam are usually refundable within 14 days if you have under 2 hours played.

I know. Telling someone to switch platforms feels like asking them to switch religions. But if playing together is the goal, this is the cleanest way.

Option 2: The “Two-Device” Workaround (Clunky, But Works)

One of my friends didn’t want to give up their Steam save file. I get it. So we got creative.

If you absolutely must have Steam players and Xbox players together, someone needs to be the bridge. Here’s what we did:

• Player A (Steam) streams their game to Player B via Discord screen share.
• Player B (Xbox) plays on their console, but keeps a voice call open with Player A.
• Player A verbally coordinates what’s happening, when to scan customers, when to avoid suspicion.

Is it actual crossplay? No. Is it playing the game “together” in the loosest possible sense? Technically yes.

Honestly? It’s janky. I’m not going to pretend it’s a good solution. But if you’re desperate and the game isn’t changing its crossplay policy, this keeps everyone involved.

Option 3: The Discord Community Route

Here’s something a lot of people don’t realize. The developers have been incredibly active with the community. Their Discord server has over 5,000 members, and they run events there constantly.

If you’re trying to coordinate a group across platforms, here’s what I’d do:

1. Join the official Roadside Research Discord.
2. Post in the LFG (Looking For Group) channels specifying your platform mix.
3. Find other players in the exact same situation.

You’d be surprised how many people are dealing with this exact issue. And here’s the secret: if enough people keep asking about Steam/Xbox crossplay during Early Access, it increases the chances the developers prioritize it. They’ve already added community requests like customizing alien toe counts. They’re listening.

Option 4: The Wait-and-See (For Full Release)

This is the hardest option, but sometimes it’s the right one.

Roadside Research is entering Early Access for about a year. The developers have been transparent that the game will evolve based on feedback, and major systems will get updated every 3-4 months.

Cross-platform play between Steam and Xbox is one of those “major systems” that could absolutely change during development.

If you have a mixed-platform group and nobody wants to budge, consider wishlisting the game on Steam, setting a calendar reminder for Q1 2027, and checking back then. I know waiting sucks. But playing a game together six months from now is better than not playing it together at all.

Check other Crossplay Games:

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

What I’d Really Like to See (And Why I’m Actually Hopeful)

Here’s the thing about Cybernetic Walrus that made me soften on this whole situation.

They didn’t have to add the alien toe thing. Nobody was demanding detailed podiatry options for extraterrestrials. But someone asked, and they put it in the game.

That tells me these are developers who actually read community feedback. The kind who look at a forum post and think “yeah, we can do that.”

So while the current state of Roadside Research crossplay is frustrating and fragmented, the Early Access model exists specifically to fix problems like this. The game has already amassed 400,000 wishlists and 600,000 demo players. That kind of demand doesn’t go unnoticed.

If you want crossplay, the most powerful thing you can do isn’t finding a workaround. It’s being loud about it. Post in the Discord. Leave feedback on the Steam forum. Tell them exactly what you told me: you have friends on different platforms, and you want to give them money, but you can’t right now.

The Bottom Line

Is Roadside Research crossplay?

Between Xbox and Xbox PC, yes. Seamlessly.
Between Steam and anything else? Not yet. Probably not at launch. But maybe, if enough of us ask, by full release.

For right now, your options are honest and limited: consolidate onto the same platform, do the awkward screen share dance, or wait and see. None of them are perfect. I wish I had a better answer for you.

But I’ll tell you what I told my friends last night. The game itself is genuinely hilarious. The chaos of four undercover aliens trying to scan humans while restocking chips is worth figuring out. And when we finally got everyone on Xbox Game Pass, masks drawn with the most aggressively normal human expressions possible, mopping up goo while avoiding government suspicion…