Deep Rock Galactic cross-play: buy the right version

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Three friends are getting ready on Xbox. The fourth finds a tempting Steam offer and says they will join from PC. Everyone has chosen Deep Rock Galactic. They have not chosen versions that can play together.

Steam and Microsoft Store PC belong to different multiplayer groups. Microsoft’s PC edition can play with Xbox; Steam cannot join that group. Ghost Ship’s cross-play information makes the distinction explicit.

That is the purchase to settle before discussing Deluxe bundles or choosing a class. The Engineer’s platforms can solve a difficult route through a cave. They cannot solve a store mismatch before the session starts.

Our salvage-mission analysis looks at why the tools and the trip home are interesting. This guide handles the earlier practical question: which copies get your actual friends into the same game? It uses official documentation and listings, not a claim that we tested these lobbies ourselves.

Match everyone to one version group

Version group	Versions that can play together
Steam	Steam players
Microsoft / Xbox	Microsoft Store PC, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S
PlayStation	PS4 and PS5

Keep the whole group within one row. The Microsoft/Steam separation comes from Ghost Ship; the current Xbox listing identifies its supported Xbox and PC devices. Ghost Ship’s PlayStation launch announcement confirms PS4/PS5 play together and excludes Steam/Xbox from that pool.

The PlayStation explanation is an older launch announcement, checked for this guide rather than newly announced in 2026. These are the documented groups behind our advice. Revisit the official information if support changes before your purchase.

Two useful messages to the group are “I use Steam on PC” and “I use the Xbox app/Microsoft version on PC.” “I’m on a computer” leaves the decision unfinished.

Four common group-chat situations

“We all have Steam.”

Your versions are in the same group. Before buying elsewhere, check that the retailer supplies a Steam copy of the base game. A retailer’s name is not the activation platform: the product listing needs to tell you where you will use it. See the reviewed Steam copy.

“I’m on PC; my friends are on Xbox.”

Choose the Microsoft PC route to join that group. A Steam price is not an alternative for this plan. If you already own the Steam version, check your existing Microsoft access before buying anything else; owning one store’s copy does not by itself establish access through another. See the Microsoft PC/Xbox listing.

“One of us still uses PS4; the others have PS5.”

That fits the documented PlayStation group. Confirm the exact product and online access on each account. Cross-generation multiplayer answers who can join; it does not automatically answer whether an existing save transfers to a different version.

“We have PlayStation, Xbox and Steam players.”

There is no shared group for that combination in the official support described above. Choosing a different host or a more expensive edition does not bridge it. Either agree on compatible devices and copies everyone can actually use, or pick another game through the mixed-platform group planner.

These scenarios apply the version groups above. They are not recommendations to repurchase the game immediately. First write down what everyone already has.

Buy the base game before considering cosmetics

For a group starting together, the base game is the relevant purchase. The Steam edition description distinguishes the standard game from cosmetic additions in larger packages; it also describes free seasonal content.

Matching outfits or owning the same cosmetic bundle is not what makes the versions compatible. Look at the included items because you want those items, after settling the platform question.

Compare contents on the actual store you will use. “Deluxe” is not a universal list of extras across Steam, Xbox and PlayStation. An add-on or upgrade listing also needs to be read as such; do not assume it includes the base game because its cover uses the same dwarves.

Our buying order would be: compatible version, valid base-game access, then optional extras. That makes a larger bundle an informed preference rather than an attempted fix for an invitation problem.

One room is not the same as one screen

The standard game supports one to four players; the Steam listing describes its online co-op. The PlayStation listing specifies one local player and up to four online. Plan a separate device for each person joining your online group, rather than buying it as a couch split-screen game.

A fifth friend changes the choice. They cannot join the standard four-player session just because someone hosts on a more powerful PC. Our six-player guide is a better starting point for a larger group.

Console online access is another separate check. PlayStation requires PS Plus; the Xbox listing requires an eligible plan for console online multiplayer. Verify your current membership and game access instead of treating a subscription logo as a permanent promise that the game is included.

Play Anywhere is about your devices, not four free seats

Microsoft’s Xbox Play Anywhere explanation describes an eligible digital purchase working across the owner’s supported Xbox and Windows devices. It also says the same account cannot play the same game simultaneously on those devices.

For your group, each friend should use their own profile and confirm valid game access for that profile. Do not build a four-person plan around one account signed in everywhere.

Ghost Ship documents shared progress between Xbox and Microsoft Store PC in its cross-play notes. That is a specific route. This guide does not promise that a Steam or PlayStation save follows the same path. Ask “can we join?” and “will my progress move?” as two different questions.

Before everyone says they are ready

Use this short check before the evening:

1. Count the players: two to four for a standard online group.
2. Write every version down: PC store names included. Match the whole list to one group above.
3. Check access: the base game, the intended profile and applicable console online membership.
4. Finish installations and updates: do this before the agreed start time.
5. Try the invitation: use your version’s supported invitation route and confirm everyone is in the session before setting off together.

If an invitation fails, first recheck the version list. For an otherwise compatible group, Ghost Ship’s troubleshooting FAQ includes game-update checks, Steam online status and Xbox multiplayer/privacy permissions. Follow the guidance relevant to your setup; do not start buying upgrades to solve a problem they do not address.

One message can prevent a long detour:

“Deep Rock Galactic tonight: four people, Microsoft PC and Xbox versions. Please confirm your version, game access and updates before we start.”

Swap in your real headcount and version group. Once that is settled, check the matching store listings, then go back to the more interesting question: does your group enjoy making a route as much as firing down it?

Setup sources checked October 16, 2026. Platform support, product contents and memberships can change. Store links follow our link policy; they do not determine compatibility advice.