Cross play matchmaking disparity between PC and console numbers

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@OskooI_007 wrote:

I image global supply shortages are preventing people from buying next-gen consoles.

Console players usually outnumber PC players in Battlefield games.

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The supply shortages certainly seem to be lessening with regards to the Series X. PS5 is a slightly different story from what I've gathered but hopefully it picks up.

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@🤭WhiskeyjackOo wrote:

I mostly play with cross play enabled (series X) as it usually is the best way to guarantee full servers and get into a game quickly. What I have found is that games are usually around 60/40% - 70/30% split with PC players being the majority.

I know the question about having a console only cross play has been asked plenty of times already.

Is it a simple fact that more people play on PC than on next gen combined consoles or does the matchmaking process somehow prioritise PC players first to fill servers before populating the remaining slots with console?

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No. The issue is that the default setting on console (and PC) is crossplay enabled. So there aren't enough console players in your region that have disabled crossplay. If you disable crossplay the match maker will only try to match you with other players who have also disabled it. This is the "Tyranny of the default". 90+% of console players don't even look at the settings.

The right thing is to make as standard the model used in the game Apex Legends where the cross platform exists only between consoles unless you are with a friend on your part who is on the PC then you will play against the PC

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@🤭WhiskeyjackOo wrote:

I mostly play with cross play enabled (series X) as it usually is the best way to guarantee full servers and get into a game quickly. What I have found is that games are usually around 60/40% - 70/30% split with PC players being the majority.

I know the question about having a console only cross play has been asked plenty of times already.

Is it a simple fact that more people play on PC than on next gen combined consoles or does the matchmaking process somehow prioritise PC players first to fill servers before populating the remaining slots with console?

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What region are you in?

At least when I play with my buddies in the evening in East-Coast/Midwest US [3/4+ of us on PC] we are always outnumbered by console players on both teams. 

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@DigitalHype wrote:

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@🤭WhiskeyjackOo wrote:

I mostly play with cross play enabled (series X) as it usually is the best way to guarantee full servers and get into a game quickly. What I have found is that games are usually around 60/40% - 70/30% split with PC players being the majority.

I know the question about having a console only cross play has been asked plenty of times already.

Is it a simple fact that more people play on PC than on next gen combined consoles or does the matchmaking process somehow prioritise PC players first to fill servers before populating the remaining slots with console?

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No. The issue is that the default setting on console (and PC) is crossplay enabled. So there aren't enough console players in your region that have disabled crossplay. If you disable crossplay the match maker will only try to match you with other players who have also disabled it. This is the "Tyranny of the default". 90+% of console players don't even look at the settings.

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Seems as though you are making the connection that console players = casual players and therefore would not change settings. In my experience especially with online competitive style games this is simply not true.

90+% also feels arbitrary, where would you know that from?

@🤭WhiskeyjackOoIf you play on Xbox One or PS4, there is crossplay, but not with PC. If you have a Xbox X or PS5, and have both 64 & 128 player versions loaded, many prefer to play on the 64 player version to avoid PC players. Therefore, crossplay with PC is overweighted to 128 player mode.

My guess...50% or more of console players are not able or choose not to crossplay with PC.

In the interests of disclosure, I play on Xbox X and I only use 64 player mode, so that I only play against other console players.

On West Coast US servers it tends towards a console majority from the times I've counted them up.

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@🤭WhiskeyjackOo wrote:

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@DigitalHype wrote:

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@🤭WhiskeyjackOo wrote:

I mostly play with cross play enabled (series X) as it usually is the best way to guarantee full servers and get into a game quickly. What I have found is that games are usually around 60/40% - 70/30% split with PC players being the majority.

I know the question about having a console only cross play has been asked plenty of times already.

Is it a simple fact that more people play on PC than on next gen combined consoles or does the matchmaking process somehow prioritise PC players first to fill servers before populating the remaining slots with console?

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No. The issue is that the default setting on console (and PC) is crossplay enabled. So there aren't enough console players in your region that have disabled crossplay. If you disable crossplay the match maker will only try to match you with other players who have also disabled it. This is the "Tyranny of the default". 90+% of console players don't even look at the settings.

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Seems as though you are making the connection that console players = casual players and therefore would not change settings. In my experience especially with online competitive style games this is simply not true.

90+% also feels arbitrary, where would you know that from?

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My comments have nothing to do with console players vs. PC players. The reason I mentioned console, is because the OP was asking about console. The same issue applies to PC players atteming to disable crossplay. The matchmaker and crossplay functionality in this game is not sophisticated. If you have crossplay disabled, it will only attempt to match you with other players on your platform who have also disabled it.

The OP was asking if the lack of console players is the issue. My point is there are plenty of console players. Just that almost none of them have crossplay disabled. If all of the console players suddenly disabled crossplay (OR IF IT WERE DEFAULT SETTING) they would find matches with crossplay disabled. Same applies for PC.

While I do suspect its more likely for PC players to change options simply due to the nature of the demographics, that isn't the point. PC players are still subject to the same problem of "Tyranny of the default".

The 90% number was pulled out of my *. It doesn't matter and the # isn't the point. Bottom line is most people don't mess with the options. Us here in the forums aren't the typical user.