Cross-platform multiplayer games have become increasingly popular over the past few years, with more players than ever connecting from different consoles and PC’s. But these types of games have always faced a challenge: the effects of too many people playing on one platform at once. For example, one player may be dominating another in a game like Halo or Overwatch but their team will still lose because that individual was only playing on Xbox One for instance.
PC gamers are ruining multiplayer gaming with cross-platform play. The issue has been present for a while, and it is not going away anytime soon.
Is it fair to want cross-play in Halo Infinite? (Photo courtesy of Microsoft)
A reader expresses dissatisfaction with the amount of cheaters in games such as Call of Duty and Halo Infinite, blaming the inability to turn off cross-play.
Like many others, I’ve lately been enjoying Halo Infinite’s free multiplayer and applaud its back-to-basics approach, which is some of the best fun I’ve had with an online shooter in a long time. However, I was not shocked to learn that the game had already been hacked by cheaters, and I was even less surprised to learn that the hackers were PC players.
Cross-play between console and PC players, in my opinion, is the worst concept in video games since the loot box. It’s OK to play on both the PlayStation and the Xbox… There isn’t much of a difference between the systems, and their controllers are identical. PCs, on the other hand, are a fundamentally different kind of format, and it’s much simpler to change a game on them, which is why many find them so easy to cheat on.
It was so simple that they were able to get hacks operating during the Call After Duty: Vanguard beta and within a few days of Halo Infinite’s release. Given how much both publishers have spoken about wanting to discourage cheaters, the fact that they both failed so spectacularly, so rapidly, just emphasizes how serious the situation is.
What I don’t understand is who requested any of this. I’m not aware of any PC players that are itching to play with console gamers. If you have a gaming PC, I’m sure you’d want to hang out with and play with other people who have comparable setups. You don’t purchase a high-end gaming PC to then have to play with others who can only play at 30 frames per second or at poor resolutions, or whatever the game’s limitations are.
Why do publishers normally refuse to enable us to switch off cross-play when there aren’t thousands of PC players submitting petitions requesting the ability to play with console gamers? It’s not a matter of choice; it’s the difference between being able to play the game normally and quitting up because it’s riddled with cheats and people ranting about the ‘PC master race’ (keep it classy PC gamers!).
I stopped playing Call Of Duty about a month ago due to the cheats, and although I don’t miss it, I’ll be devastated if I had to do the same with Halo Infinite, since I’m really loving it right now. Except in those games when players start walking through walls or immediately zero in on me from the other side of the map.
To be honest, I’m irritated by the fact that they’re all using a mouse, which enables them to spin around so swiftly. What’s the purpose of playing a multiplayer game if the two teams are that far apart before they even begin? Yes, there is a workaround to prevent keyboard users from participating in Ranked matches, but I shouldn’t have to rely on a hack to play the game I want. You know, when everyone is on an equal footing and no one has an undue edge.
I’m not interested in playing with PC players. I don’t want to play with them because they cheat, and I also don’t want to play with them since their preferred control mechanism is fundamentally different from the one used by consoles.
I’m not implying that PC players are demons and console gamers are saints. Console players are known for cheating and have no qualms about it. This, on the other hand, usually necessitates the purchase of additional hardware and is much less common. But, more importantly, the equipment you’re using doesn’t make it simple for you.
I want to play a fair game of Halo without cheating, which means I need to be able to disable cross-play. If game companies like Microsoft don’t understand how critical this is, internet gaming as a whole will suffer, as cheaters spoil game after game and console users are unable to stop them.
Casper, a reader
The reader’s feature does not necessarily reflect GameCentral or Metro’s opinions.
You may submit your own 500-600-word reader feature at any time, and it will be published in the next available weekend slot if it is used. As usual, send us an email at gamecentral@ukmetro.co.uk, and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.
MORE: Cheaters have already infected Halo Infinite, and players are blaming PC gamers.
MORE: Activision says cheaters will be blacklisted from the whole Call of Duty series.
MORE: There are no warnings or permabans for cheats in Battlefield 2042.
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