Switch + PC

The hardest crossplay pairing - and what actually works

Switch and PC is the trickiest mixed setup to shop for, and it is worth being honest about why. Nintendo's biggest games - Mario Kart, Smash Bros., Mario Party, Super Mario Bros. Wonder - are Switch exclusives with no PC version at all, so they can never crossplay. Meanwhile a lot of PC-first co-op games never get a Switch port. The overlap is real but narrower than for any other pairing, which is exactly why a filtered list is useful.

Minecraft is the top pick and the most reliable answer to this question. The Bedrock edition runs on Switch and PC and connects them directly, it costs relatively little, and it works for two people or eight. If you want one purchase that solves Switch-plus-PC permanently, this is it - just make sure the PC side buys Bedrock, not Java.

After that the free tier does most of the heavy lifting. Fortnite, Rocket League, and Fall Guys all run on Switch and PC with full crossplay and cost nothing, which makes them the obvious starting point before anyone spends money. On the paid side, Human: Fall Flat, Overcooked! All You Can Eat, Moving Out 2, and Terraria all bridge the two.

The Java vs Bedrock trap, again

It is the single most common way this pairing goes wrong, so it is worth repeating. Minecraft on Switch is Bedrock. Minecraft: Java Edition on PC is a different program that cannot see Bedrock players. If your PC friend already owns Java, they need the Bedrock version too - modern PC purchases usually bundle both, but an older Java-only license does not. Verify before a Switch owner spends anything.

Check the version number on Terraria

Terraria crossplays across most platforms, but only between clients running the same version. Console and PC updates do not always land simultaneously, so a freshly patched PC copy can temporarily be unable to join a Switch world. If you cannot connect, mismatched versions are the first thing to check.

What you give up on this pairing

Being straightforward about it: no Mario Kart, no Smash Bros., no Mario Party, no Super Mario Bros. Wonder, no Nintendo Switch Sports. Those are Switch exclusives and there is no workaround - if they are what the Switch owner wants to play, the honest answer is that the PC player needs a Switch, not a different game. Our Switch page covers those on their own terms.

You also give up most of the big co-op shooters. Helldivers 2, Deep Rock Galactic, Borderlands 3, and Diablo IV are all absent from Switch or absent from its crossplay. Four-player co-op across Switch and PC essentially means Overcooked, Moving Out 2, Human: Fall Flat, or Terraria.

By what the two of you want

A shared world to build in. Minecraft first, Terraria as the cheaper 2D alternative that scales to eight players.

Chaos for a short evening. Overcooked! All You Can Eat, Moving Out 2, or Human: Fall Flat - all crossplay, all cheap, none requiring skill.

Free, right now. Fortnite, Rocket League, Fall Guys, or Among Us. Zero cost and zero risk while you work out what the two of you actually enjoy. See the free games hub.

Accounts and friend lists across the two

Crossplay games handle friending in one of two ways, and knowing which saves a lot of confusion. Most use their own account system - an Epic account for Fortnite and Fall Guys, a Microsoft account for Minecraft, a Rocket League account - and you add each other there rather than through Nintendo or Steam. Your Switch friend list is largely irrelevant to cross-platform play.

So the reliable pattern is: both of you create or sign in to the game's own account on your respective platforms, then add each other by that account name. If you have added each other on Nintendo Switch Online and still cannot see each other in the game, this is almost always the reason.

One more Switch-specific note: online play on Switch generally requires a Nintendo Switch Online subscription, including for free crossplay games. Fortnite has been an exception to that requirement, but do not assume it applies across the board - budget for the subscription on the Switch side.

Performance is not identical

Expect the Switch version of any cross-platform game to run at a lower resolution and frame rate than the PC one. For Minecraft, Terraria, or Overcooked this makes no practical difference. For anything competitive - Fortnite and Rocket League especially - the Switch player is at a genuine disadvantage against mouse-and-keyboard opponents. Play those casually rather than ranked, and nobody will care. Other combinations are covered on our PS5 + PC and PC + Xbox pages.

Docked and handheld also differ on Switch - handheld mode runs at a lower resolution still. For a long session of anything competitive, the Switch player should dock. For Minecraft, Terraria, or Stardew-style games it genuinely does not matter, and handheld is part of the appeal.