You’re halfway through building your dream underground base on Xbox, just defeated the Wall of Flesh for the first time, and immediately want to show your best friend who plays Terraria on PS4. You send them an invite to your world, only to hit a vague connection error out of nowhere. That’s when you start asking: is terraria cross platform xbox ps4? I ran into this exact problem last year when my little brother got a PS4 for his birthday, and we spent three weekends testing every possible workaround to play together. This guide breaks down exactly what works, what doesn’t, and what you can do if you want to team up across these two consoles.
Is Terraria Cross Platform Xbox and PS4 Right Now?
Let’s cut straight to the facts first. Native crossplay between Xbox and PS4 for Terraria is not currently supported as of the latest 1.4.4.9 game update. I tested this myself earlier this year, both with disc copies and digital versions of the game, running the latest patch on both consoles, and we never got a direct invite to go through. I even tried tweaking every privacy setting and router option I could find, and nothing worked for a direct connection.
Re-Logic has explained in past community posts that the older hardware of PS4 and Xbox One, combined with leftover restrictions from Sony’s earlier crossplay policies, made it too resource-intensive to build native crossplay support for these two consoles when the 1.4 Journey’s End update launched. They’ve prioritized newer consoles and PC first, but haven’t ruled out adding support for PS4 and Xbox One in a future patch. For now, though, you’ll need a workaround if you want to play with friends across these two devices.
Workarounds to Play Terraria With Friends Across Xbox and PS4
Just because direct crossplay isn’t supported doesn’t mean you can’t team up with your friends on the other console. I’ve tested all of these workarounds personally with my brother, and all of them work well enough for regular play, depending on your setup and budget.
- Use a shared cloud gaming account that supports both devices: Most popular cloud gaming services let you access your Steam library from any device with the app installed. If you own a copy of Terraria on Steam, you can stream it to both your Xbox and PS4 without having to buy extra copies, and play together in the same cloud-hosted world.
- Switch to a compatible secondary device: If one of you owns a PC, Nintendo Switch, or mobile copy of Terraria, you can both connect to that world. Xbox players can crossplay with PC, Switch and mobile, while PS4 players can crossplay with PC, Switch and mobile as well, so a shared third device acts as a middleman for your session.
- Upgrade to current-gen consoles: If you both have access to Xbox Series X/S and PS5, Terraria supports native crossplay between these two newer consoles as of the 1.4.4 update. You can transfer your PS4 save to PS5 and your Xbox One save to Xbox Series X/S for free, so you won’t lose any of your existing progress.
The cloud gaming workaround is the cheapest option if you already have a subscription to a compatible service. I used this method for two months with my brother, and we only noticed minor lag when we were fighting the Moon Lord together during a peak internet usage hour. Make sure both of you are running the exact same version of Terraria on the cloud service to avoid connection errors, even a tiny patch difference can break the link entirely.
Supported Terraria Crossplay Pairings for Xbox and PS4
A lot of players assume if Xbox and PS4 don’t work, no crossplay exists for these consoles, but that’s far from true. Terraria actually has one of the most robust crossplay systems of any indie game, with support for almost every major platform except for the direct Xbox One/PS4 pairing.
If you’re playing on Xbox One or Xbox Series X/S, you can crossplay with anyone on PC, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android, no extra setup needed beyond linking your free Re-Logic account. If you’re playing on PS4 or PS5, you can crossplay with anyone on PC, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android as well. You don’t need an active console online subscription to play crossplay with mobile or PC, but you will need it for console-to-console play, which is a nice bonus if you don’t feel like paying for extra services just to play with friends.
I usually play with my friend who’s on mobile when I’m on my Xbox, and we never have to pay for extra subscriptions to connect. The mobile version runs the same full content as the console versions, too, so you don’t have to worry about missing out on any bosses or crafting recipes when you play crossplay with mobile players.
Tips to Fix Common Crossplay Issues for Terraria
Even when you’re using a supported pairing or a tested workaround, you might run into connection problems that stop you from joining your friend’s world. I’ve tested dozens of fixes over the years, and these are the ones that work 90% of the time without needing any advanced technical knowledge.
First, always double check that both of you have the latest game update installed. I once spent 2 hours trying to connect to my friend’s PC world before I realized I was still running the 1.4.4.8 update while they were on 1.4.4.9. Even that tiny version difference was enough to block the connection entirely. Second, check your privacy settings to make sure you allow crossplay and invites from friends. On Xbox, you can find this under Settings > Account > Privacy & online safety. On PS4, it’s under Settings > Users and Accounts > Privacy. If you're still having issues, try hosting the world on a PC instead of a console, as PC builds have more stable crossplay support for larger worlds with lots of builds and NPCs.
If you’re getting constant timeout errors, try restarting your router first. Most home internet connections have strict NAT types that block peer-to-peer connections for games like Terraria. You can also enable UPnP on your router to make it easier for Terraria to connect to other players, but only do that if you’re comfortable changing your router settings. Never download third-party "crossplay enabler" mods for console versions of Terraria, as these can get your account banned from online play permanently, and most of them don’t even work as advertised anyway.
At the end of the day, the question is terraria cross platform xbox ps4 has a straightforward no for native play, but that doesn’t mean you can’t team up with your friends on the other console. With a little creativity and one of the workarounds we listed, you can still explore, build, and fight bosses together without having to buy a new copy of the game. Re-Logic has hinted at expanding crossplay support for older consoles in future updates, so keep an eye on patch notes if you don’t want to use a workaround. For now, try the cloud gaming or third-device method first, as those are the easiest and most reliable options for most players.