Missing at launch, despite Codemasters-developed GRID Legends supporting it, F1 22 will finally be receiving cross-platform online multiplayer, and sooner rather than later.
Two test sessions will be live for all players between 5th-7th August and 12th-14th August in the Social Race and Two-Player Career modes. Ranked play will not be supported.
The final launch is on a to-be-determined date at the end of August 2022.
Cross-platform multiplayer will allow those on PC to race against those on PlayStation and Xbox, or any combination of platforms. It also means those playing on PC Steam can race online against those on PC Origin for the first time, a glaring omission to this point.
Should you want to just play on your preferred platform, the cross-platform option can be toggled off.
Cross-generational multiplayer, PS4 to PS5 and Xbox One to Xbox Series X|S, has been possible since launch and in the prior game, F1 2021.
Should you enter an online race between the available dates, selecting the Invite Friends option should allow you to select from people outside of your device’s specific ecosystem.
“Cross-play brings all our players together and allows them to settle the score of who is the best driver across all platforms,” said Lee Mather, F1 Senior Creative Director at Codemasters.
“Cross-play also allows us to create better matchmaking opportunities so players can compete against rival racers with similar attributes.”
Of note, fellow racing games MotoGP 22 and Hot Wheels Unleashed added cross-platform multiplayer recently – MotoGP on 28th July and Hot Wheels today. In both instances, the number of lobbies and people in lobbies dramatically increased. We hope the same happens with F1 22 adds the feature later this month.
