By admin 
You’ve braved the eerie silence, fortified your base against the cannibalistic mutants, and perhaps even ventured into the terrifying depths of the caves. But survival is always better (and far more terrifying) with friends. This leads every seasoned survivor and newcomer alike to ask one critical question: Is The Forest cross-platform?
The short, definitive answer is no, The Forest is not cross-platform. You cannot play between PC (Steam), PlayStation, and Xbox.
But don’t close this tab just yet. That simple “no” hides a labyrinth of crucial details, workarounds, and future possibilities that every player needs to understand. This guide will not only give you the clear answer but will also delve into the why behind it, explore the potential for the future, and provide expert advice on how you can experience this survival horror masterpiece with your friends, regardless of platform.
Understanding The Forest’s Multiplayer Landscape
To truly grasp the cross-platform situation, we need to understand how the game is structured across different devices. Endnight Games’ iconic title has been released on several platforms, but they exist in separate silos.
Official Platform Support and Player Count
The Forest supports multiplayer co-op on each individual platform, but these ecosystems do not interconnect. Here’s a breakdown:
| Platform | Store/Service | Max Players | Cross-Platform with PC? | Cross-Platform with Consoles? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PC (Windows) | Steam | 8 | N/A (Native) | No |
| PlayStation 4 | PSN (PlayStation Network) | 4 | No | No |
| PlayStation 5 | Backwards Compatibility via PSN | 4 | No | No |
Key Takeaway: Your multiplayer experience is confined to others on the same storefront or family of consoles. A Steam player can only join other Steam players, and a PlayStation player can only join others on PlayStation Network.
Why Isn’t The Forest Cross-Platform? The Technical and Business Hurdles
The absence of cross-play (also known as cross-platform play) isn’t an oversight; it’s a result of several significant factors that developers must navigate.
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Development Priorities & Engine Limitations: Endnight Games, while incredibly talented, was an indie studio during The Forest’s development. Implementing robust cross-platform networking, which requires a unified friends list, account system, and netcode that communicates across Steam, PlayStation Network, and Xbox Live, is a massive technical undertaking. Their focus was on delivering a polished, terrifying experience on each platform individually.
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Platform Holder Policies: Sony, Microsoft, and Valve (Steam) each have their own policies and requirements for online play. Creating a seamless connection between these walled gardens involves complex negotiations and compliance checks that often aren’t a priority for smaller development teams.
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Post-Launch Focus on Sons of the Forest: By the time the PlayStation version was ported by another studio (Endnight collaborated with other teams for the port), Endnight’s primary focus had already shifted to its blockbuster sequel, Sons of the Forest. Adding a major feature like cross-play to an older title was unlikely to be a viable investment.
The Workaround: How to “Cross-Play” The Forest with Friends on PC
While native cross-platform compatibility doesn’t exist, there is a clever, albeit more technical, method for PC players to connect with friends on different operating systems (like Linux or Mac) or even for those who own the game on different PC storefronts (though The Forest is only on Steam).
This workaround does not work for console players.
The method involves using the Steam Remote Play Together feature. Here’s how it works:
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The Host: The friend who owns the game on Steam launches The Forest and starts a multiplayer game.
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Invite Friends: In their Steam friends list, they right-click on a friend (who does not need to own the game) and select “Invite to Remote Play Together.”
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The Guest: The invited friend accepts the invitation. Steam streams the game’s video and audio directly to their computer while sending their input (keyboard, controller) back to the host’s machine.
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Play Together: The guest effectively takes control of one of the controller ports on the host’s PC. They can now play The Forest in co-op mode as if they were sitting on the same couch, all without owning the game themselves.
Pros: Allows anyone to join a PC game without purchasing the title; works across Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Cons: Highly dependent on the host’s upload speed and the guest’s download speed; can introduce input lag; not a true cross-platform solution.
Looking to the Future: Is Sons of the Forest Cross-Platform?
This is the million-dollar question for the community. As of late 2024, Sons of the Forest is also not cross-platform. The same barriers that affected the original game largely remain.
However, the landscape is changing. Cross-play has become a highly demanded, almost expected feature in major multiplayer titles. While Endnight has not announced any plans for cross-platform support in Sons of the Forest, the community’s vocal demand makes it a possibility for a future update, especially as the game moves out of Early Access and development on core content concludes. It remains a “wait and see” scenario.
Expert Survival Tips for Multiplayer Sessions
Whether you’re on PC or console, playing with friends is the ultimate Forest experience. Here’s how to make the most of it:
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Assign Roles: Designate a builder, a hunter/gatherer, and an explorer. Efficiency is key to survival.
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Communication is Critical: Use in-game voice chat or a external service like Discord to coordinate against attacks and avoid getting lost.
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Base Building Strategy: Build your main base in a defensible location, but consider smaller outposts near key resources and cave entrances.
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Stick Together (Mostly): There’s safety in numbers, especially at night. However, sometimes splitting up to cover more ground during the day can be beneficial—just have a meeting point.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Is The Forest cross-progression?
A: No, there is no cross-progression or cross-save feature. Your save files are locked to the platform you created them on. You cannot transfer progress from a PlayStation to a PC, or vice versa.
Q: Can PlayStation and Xbox players play The Forest together?
A: No. The Forest is not available on Xbox consoles at all. It is exclusively on PC (Steam) and PlayStation consoles (PS4/PS5). Therefore, cross-platform play between Xbox and PlayStation is not possible for this title.
Q: How many people can play The Forest together?
A: On Steam, you can have up to 8 players in a single game. On PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 (via backwards compatibility), the multiplayer is limited to 4 players.
Q: Does the sequel, Sons of the Forest, have cross-play?
A: Not currently. As of now, Sons of the Forest is only available on PC (Steam) and does not support cross-platform play with any other system. Its future on consoles has not been officially detailed.
Conclusion: Forge Your Survival Party Wisely
So, is The Forest cross platform? The definitive answer remains no. The walls between Steam and PlayStation are high, and there are no signs they will be torn down for this classic survival game.
Your path to multiplayer is clear: gather your friends who are on the same platform as you. The journey through the penninsula is harrowing, but facing its horrors with allies by your side is one of the most rewarding experiences in gaming. While we can’t play across PC and console, the dedicated communities on both platforms are thriving.
Ready to test your sanity? Gather your brave friends on the same platform, dive into the wilderness, and see if you have what it takes to uncover the truth and survive The Forest.