Yes, Highguard is fully cross-platform, and you can squad up across PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S without needing to jump through weird settings menus.
The game was built with crossplay in mind, so it feels very “normal” to have a lobby where everyone’s on different hardware, and nobody has to argue about which system to buy it on.
Is Highguard Cross-Platform?
Yes, Highguard is cross-platform and supports crossplay between PC (via Steam), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. You can queue together on the same servers, in the same matches, regardless of who’s on keyboard and mouse and who’s on a controller.
What’s nice is that crossplay is on by default, so there’s no “did you turn the setting on?” dance in the menus.
You just install the game, log in, and you’re automatically in the same multiplayer pool as your friends on other platforms. It’s the kind of system that quietly does its job in the background, which is exactly how crossplay should feel for a modern PvP raid shooter.
How Crossplay Works in Highguard
Highguard uses its own in‑game friend system to make crossplay work, which sounds complicated at first but is actually pretty straightforward once you’ve done it once.
The game generates a Highguard name for each player: it’s your platform account name followed by a hash and four numbers, like a slightly more serious version of a Discord tag.
Here’s the basic flow, in normal human language:
-
Open the Social menu by clicking one of the little “+” icons next to your name in the top‑right of the screen.
-
Ask your friend for their Highguard name (name + # + four digits). You can see your own in the Social menu too, at the top of your friends list, nudged over to the right.
-
Type their Highguard name into the search bar at the top of your friends list. If you didn’t mistype it (we all do), their playercard will pop up.
-
Click the card, hit “Send Highguard Friend Request.”
-
They accept it from the “Highguard Friend Requests” tab in their Social menu.
Once that’s done, you just click their name and choose “Invite to Party” or “Join Party” to squad up. It feels very familiar if you’ve played other modern shooters, but with its own slightly quirky identity through the Highguard names.
The first time you realize your squad is split across three different platforms and the game simply doesn’t care is actually pretty satisfying.
Crossplay vs Cross-Progression in Highguard
Crossplay is fully supported, but cross‑progression is where things get a bit more nuanced. Some sources still describe cross‑progression as “unconfirmed” or “rumored,” warning that your unlocks might be limited to a single platform for now.
That’s the usual early‑live‑service anxiety: nobody wants to grind out cosmetics and gear for their Wardens only to lose them if they switch from console to PC later.
However, Highguard’s own account system is explicitly designed to link platforms for both crossplay and crossprogression, and once you link your platforms under the same Highguard account, your progress carries over between PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox.
The big caveat: premium currency (Highguard Gold) does not transfer between platforms, even though the rest of your unlocks do. So if you plan to jump between systems, it’s smarter to think of your in‑game wallet as “per device” but your actual account progress as shared.
It’s not perfect, but it’s a lot better than the days when swapping platforms meant starting completely from scratch and pretending you hadn’t already sunk hours into another version.
Supported Platforms
Right now, Highguard’s cross-platform ecosystem is focused on current‑gen and PC, which honestly makes sense given how demanding a fast‑paced raid shooter can be. The supported platforms are:
-
PC via Steam
-
PlayStation 5
-
Xbox Series X|S
No previous‑gen consoles, no mobile, no cloud‑only oddities pretending to be native. It’s pretty clean: if your group has at least one of these three platforms each, you’re good. In practice, that means: one friend on Steam, one on PS5, one on Series X? They can all stack into the same fireteam, no “console‑only” or “PC‑only” pools to worry about.
I’ve already seen the classic scenario where one friend refuses to leave their console ecosystem, another is a die‑hard PC player, and someone else just bought whatever was on sale, and Highguard quietly becomes the neutral meeting ground where nobody has to compromise.
Is Highguard Free to Play?
Yes, Highguard is free to play from day one, across all supported platforms. You don’t pay anything to download it on Steam, PS5, or Xbox Series X|S; you just grab it, log in, and you’re in the mix.
That free‑to‑play setup is a big reason why crossplay feels so important here: it lowers the friction to basically zero.
Because the game leans on cosmetics and progression, that’s where your time and (optionally) money go, in unlocking looks and gear for your Wardens rather than an upfront box price.
That also makes the “which platform should I start on?” question more serious, especially if you’re planning to invest a lot of time or buy cosmetics.
If cross‑progression is working for you through the linked account system, great; if not, it’s worth choosing the platform you’re most likely to stick with.
Disclaimer:
The information above is based on publicly available details, in-game features, and early user reports at the time of writing. Crossplay, cross-progression, supported platforms, and free-to-play status may change with future updates or regional policies. Always check the official Highguard website, patch notes, or platform store pages for the most accurate and up-to-date information.
