Yes, Lightyear Frontier has crossplay between PC and Xbox: players on Steam, on the Microsoft Store version for Windows, and on Xbox Series X|S can farm together in the same co-op session. There is no PlayStation 5 or Nintendo Switch 2 version to cross-play with yet, and FRAME BREAK’s 1.0 FAQ says only that it is “looking into porting to other platforms in the future.”
Lightyear Frontier left Early Access with its 1.0 release on November 4, 2026. Below: exactly which platforms can play together, how to join across them, how to move a farm from Xbox to Steam, and why crossplay sometimes stops working after an update.
Which Platforms Can Play Together
FRAME BREAK promised “crossplay on PC, Xbox Series S|X, and Game Pass” when it announced the game’s launch window in 2023. Game Pass is gone now (more on that below), but the rest holds: the 1.0 launch post says 1.0 is “out on Steam and Xbox,” and the Steam store page lists Cross-Platform Multiplayer. As of 1.0:
| Platform | Has the game | Crossplay |
|---|---|---|
| Steam (Windows PC) | Yes | Yes |
| Steam Deck | Yes, Steam Deck Verified | Yes, as part of the Steam version |
| Microsoft Store / Xbox app (Windows PC) | Yes | Yes |
| Xbox Series X and Series S | Yes | Yes |
| PlayStation 5 | No version announced | Not possible |
| Nintendo Switch 2 | No version announced | Not possible |
When the game earned Steam Deck Verified status in February 2025, FRAME BREAK shipped a small update “to make sure the resolution works and that crossplay is still enabled for all platforms,” so the Deck plays with everyone else.
On PlayStation 5 and Switch 2, the official 1.0 FAQ answers directly: “We’ve seen your demand and are looking into porting to other platforms in the future. Nothing confirmed yet, so keep an eye out!”
How to Play With Someone on Another Platform
Cross-platform sessions work the same way as any co-op session: the host shares an invite code.
- The host opens Multiplayer from the main menu, chooses Host Multiplayer and picks a save.
- Once the world loads, the host opens the pause menu to see the invite code.
- The player on the other platform enters that invite code to join the session.
- Up to four players can be in one session, from any mix of the supported platforms.
FRAME BREAK’s own save migration guide uses exactly this flow: host on the Xbox or Microsoft Store version, then “on the Steam version, use the invite code to join the multiplayer session.” The 1.0 patch notes also fix Shared save sessions showing as offline in the game’s session browser.
Two rules apply to every crossplay session:
- Same version for everyone. All players must be on the same build. Right after a big update, one platform can briefly sit a version behind the other.
- No beta branches. FRAME BREAK’s beta tests run on Steam only, and its beta FAQ is blunt: on the beta branch “crossplay will not work.”
Cross-Progression: Moving a Farm Between Xbox and Steam
Crossplay does not mean cross-save. FRAME BREAK’s March 2026 migration guide says “there is no way to directly move a save file from Xbox to Steam,” and the 1.0 patch notes add no cross-save. The workaround uses crossplay and Shared saves, and it requires owning the game on both platforms:
- On the Xbox or Microsoft Store version, go to Multiplayer > Host Multiplayer and find the save.
- Press F on keyboard or Y on controller (default bindings) to create a Shared copy.
- Host that Shared copy and note the invite code in the pause menu.
- On Steam, join with the invite code. Joining gives your Steam account access to the Shared save, even when the original host is not around.
- Optionally, make a Standard copy of it on Steam.
World progress comes across: day count, completed deliveries, Mech Power, items in storage and built Constructs. Your personal inventory and character progression, such as Mech Parts, Mods, loadouts and some completed missions, do not, because you join “as a new player.”
Before 1.0, FRAME BREAK suggested recycling your Mech Parts and Mods and putting everything in storage before you move. 1.0 replaced crafted part tiers with upgrade paths, so the step that clearly still works is the storage one: whatever sits in storage is world progress, and it comes across with the farm.
When Crossplay Stops Working
Crossplay depends on every platform getting each update at the same time. When the Trailblazer update hit Steam in November 2024 but was delayed on other platforms, FRAME BREAK disabled crossplay between Steam and other platforms until the fix shipped the next day, announcing “Crossplay between Steam and other platforms is back in action” in its November 28 hotfix.
If a friend on another platform suddenly cannot join you:
- Check that both games are fully updated, especially in the first days after 1.0.
- Make sure no Steam player is on a beta branch.
- If every join attempt fails, restart the game. The 1.0 patch notes “potentially” fix a join failure that made all later attempts fail until a restart, along with several ways to get stuck on the “Joining session…” screen.
- Try hosting from the other platform. FRAME BREAK recommends that the player with the most powerful machine hosts, which in a mixed group is often the PC.
Game Pass and Buying the Game
Lightyear Frontier left Xbox Game Pass on March 15, 2026, so Xbox and PC Game Pass players now need to buy it to keep playing. FRAME BREAK says it “will still be available on Xbox, and will keep being supported with updates and patches.” The 1.0 price is $29.99 / €29.99 / £23.49, and Early Access owners get 1.0 as a free update.
For everything else about playing together, including Standard versus Shared saves and what 1.0 changes for groups, read our guide to whether Lightyear Frontier is multiplayer. Our guide to whether you need a new save for 1.0 covers what happens to existing farms, and every guide is on our Lightyear Frontier hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lightyear Frontier crossplay between Xbox and PC? Yes. Steam, the Microsoft Store version and Xbox Series X|S can all join the same co-op session.
Can PS5 players play Lightyear Frontier with Xbox or PC players? No. There is no PlayStation 5 version. FRAME BREAK says it is looking into other platforms, with nothing confirmed.
Is Lightyear Frontier on Nintendo Switch 2? Not as of 1.0. Asked about PS5 and Switch 2 in its 1.0 FAQ, the developer says it is looking into other platforms, with nothing confirmed.
Does Lightyear Frontier have cross-save? Not directly, and 1.0 did not add it. You can carry a farm from Xbox to Steam with a Shared copy and crossplay, but your personal items, Mech Parts and Mods stay behind.
Can I play crossplay on the Steam beta branch? No. FRAME BREAK’s beta FAQ says the beta is Steam only and crossplay does not work on it.
Can Steam Deck players join Xbox players? Yes. The Steam Deck runs the Steam version, which FRAME BREAK kept crossplay-enabled when the game became Steam Deck Verified.