Does Need for Speed Unbound have cross-play?

Need for Speed returns, in Lakeshore City (Image via Electronic Arts)
Need for Speed returns to Lakeshore City (Image via Electronic Arts)

Need for Speed Unbound returns as a bold reimagining of the iconic franchise on December 2, 2022. Players can enjoy the game on the PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S platforms, with cross-play enabled from the get-go.

High-stakes police chases and bright cel-shaded neon animations have made the return to underground racing more enticing than ever.

The game will be released on multiple platforms simultaneously worldwide. However, gamers who have pre-purchased the Palace Edition of the game already have unrestricted access to the title.


Exploring Need for Speed Unbound’s cross-play features

Need for Speed Unbound comes with cross-play support enabled right out of the box. Online cooperative multiplayer is available for the PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. Players can meet up with other interested gamers from all around the world to take part in races and social interactions. Additionally, cross-play is an optional feature and can be disabled at any time.

Furthermore, publisher Electronic Arts has confirmed that there will be further updates and new features pushed to the game post-launch, in the form of paid downloadable content or free.

This should ensure that servers remain populated and healthy over the coming years. However, the game does not support the cross-save feature as of this moment. Publisher Electronic Arts has confirmed the same. This means that players cannot pick up and resume their copy of the game between different platforms.


Details regarding online multiplayer in Need for Speed Unbound

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The online multiplayer mode is titled Lakeshore Online and is completely separate from the campaign. Since the progression is independent, players need not worry about having to grind through the single-player story to proceed in the online mode. While a maximum of 16 gamers per server is possible in a match, Playlists can only accommodate a maximum of eight non-NPC characters.

Collectible and achievement progress is shared between the two game modes. Gamers also have access to the Garage, where they can customize their cars to their liking, including the addition of the new cel-shaded smoke effects and graffiti art stickers.

Additionally, players can freely roam the whole map of Lakeshore City, and have Meetups with other gamers. In a Meetup, fans from around the world, even on different supported systems, can race against each other in various Playlists. However, it should be noted that the game cannot be paused during online matches.

Additional content such as Pinkslip bets, Sidebets, Takeovers, and a day-night cycle will be added post launch.


More about Need for Speed Unbound

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NFS Unbound is a racing video game developed by Criterion Games and published by Electronic Arts. The latest offering in the iconic franchise takes place in the fictional Lakeshore City, which is inspired by Chicago.

Unbound is Criterion Games’ third Need for Speed title, and was officially unveiled on October 6, 2022. It marks the 25th entry in the long-running franchise.

The game is already up for grabs via pre-order, and players who have purchased the Palace Edition can already start playing the game.

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