Crossplay is one of the defining features of games at the moment, as more and more developers integrate the feature.
With F1 2021 on the way, fans are keep to know if the new title will break down the walls between gamers.
We sat down with F1 Franchise Director Lee Mather of Codemasters and asked him about the future of crossplay in F1.
Latest News - Full game review
We've now had the opportunity to experience all that F1 2021 has to offer, and have put together this awesome review for the title.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSWEyEl7-js&t=10s&ab_channel=RacingGames
With a new HUD, improved graphics once again, and a much improved Braking Point mode, the latest title really does have it all.
F1 2021 Cross-gen play
Crossplay, simply, is allowing gamers on different hardware to play together in the same online lobbies. It's not been around for long but has already seen a huge impact on the lifespan and player base of games that use it.
Most notably utilised in Battle Royales to continuously fill 100+ player lobbies, crossplay has become a fixture in the biggest games around. But not sports titles. Not yet anyway.
We sat down with Codemasters' own Lee Mather, who is Franchise Director for the Formula 1 games to discuss what role expanding the multiplayer pool has in the future of the series.
"The first outing was for us to get cross-gen play in there." Said Mather.
This year, and for the first time ever, the F1 game will be a cross-generational title. That means that the game will release on both PS4 and Xbox One as well as PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
Not only that, but Codemasters has created a seamless process for players on the previous generation of consoles to play with the new generation. So PS4 & PS5 players can join the same lobby, while Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S can race one another.
But what about crossplay?
The future of crossplay in the F1 series
There is no crossplay in F1 2021. It was more of a wishful dream from the community than a real hope for this year. However, its something Codemasters are aware of.
"The work that would have been required to create private leagues when people could have been on different platforms in the future is something we'll have to address." Said Mather, when discussing the multiplayer world of F1 2021.
Crossplay is clearly something they are moving towards, as when directly asked about it he said: "That's something we are continuing to work on for the future."
Naturally, Mather was unwilling to put a firm date on the feature, but as we have seen with the post-launch path of DIRT 5, crossplay is something Codemasters are already familiar with and something they can introduce post-launch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVrUTeh6jPQ
The news that Codemasters is working on crossplay is great to hear. It's a crucial step in the evolution of the series, and will save thousands for players that want to compete at the highest level but don't yet have a PC.
F1 2021 release date
The official release date for F1 2021 is 16 July.
Gamers can go racing a little earlier, as the Deluxe Edition comes with three days early access for those willing to pay a little extra.