Stardew Valley, a game developed by a single person, has achieved remarkable success, even surpassing many games created by large teams. It’s no surprise that it’s listed among Digital Trends’ top 50 video games of all time. Since its release in 2016, Stardew Valley has received consistent updates, introducing new features and content to keep players engaged. One notable addition in the 1.6 update is online multiplayer, allowing up to four friends to farm together. However, many players are still eagerly awaiting the arrival of Stardew Valley 1.6 on consoles, and with the growing trend of cross-platform gaming, the question of cross-platform support in Stardew Valley arises.
Unfortunately, Stardew Valley currently doesn’t offer cross-platform support. This means that players on different platforms, like PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, or PC, cannot play online multiplayer together. Furthermore, the host of a multiplayer game saves the shared world locally, restricting access to other players unless the host is present.
The prospect of cross-platform play in Stardew Valley seems bleak, as there is no indication that it’s being considered. The game’s official Reddit page still lists it as unsupported, and the developer has only addressed the issue once on Twitter back in 2018. He acknowledged the desire for crossplay but cited technical obstacles as the reason for its absence. He promised to revisit the possibility but prioritized the release of the update. Years have passed without any further news, suggesting that cross-platform support remains unlikely.
It’s worth noting that the lack of cross-platform functionality extends beyond online multiplayer. Stardew Valley also doesn’t support cross-save for most platforms, preventing players from transferring their save data between consoles. While the game is available on almost every platform, the inability to carry over progress is a significant drawback. Similar to cross-platform play, there’s no guarantee that this feature will be implemented in the future.
For now, the best hope lies in ConcernedApe’s upcoming game, Haunted Chocolatier. There’s a possibility that this new title might incorporate cross-platform play and cross-save functionality, offering players a more seamless experience. However, until then, Stardew Valley fans will have to accept the limitations of its current platform compatibility.
