Enabling and Disabling Crossplay in Black Ops 7: Platform-Specific Instructions

Step-by-Step Instructions (Xbox One, Series S, Series X)

Step 1: Exit Black Ops 7 You’ll need to access Xbox system settings, so back out to the Xbox dashboard.

Step 2: Open Xbox Settings

• Press the Xbox button on your controller to open the guide
• Navigate to Settings (gear icon)
• Select All Settings

Step 3: Navigate to Online Safety and Family

• In the Settings menu, find Account
• Select Privacy & Online Safety
• Then choose Xbox Privacy

Alternative Path: Settings → Account → Privacy & Online Safety → Xbox Privacy

Step 4: Access Privacy Details

• Select View Details & Customize
• This opens your detailed privacy settings

Step 5: Find Communication & Multiplayer

• Scroll down to find Communication & Multiplayer
• Select this option

Step 6: Locate Cross-Network Play Setting

• Look for the setting labeled You can join cross-network play
• This controls crossplay functionality system-wide

Step 7: Change to Block

• The setting will show either Allow or Block
• Highlight the option
• Change from Allow to Block

Step 8: Confirm Changes

• The system may prompt you to confirm
• Accept the changes
• Exit back to the dashboard

Step 9: Relaunch Black Ops 7

• Start Black Ops 7 again
• Crossplay should now be disabled
• You’ll only match with other Xbox players who have crossplay disabled

Re-Enabling Crossplay on Xbox

To turn crossplay back on:

1. Return to the same settings path
2. Change You can join cross-network play from Block to Allow
3. Relaunch Black Ops 7

Important Xbox Considerations

System-Wide Impact: This setting affects ALL games on your Xbox, not just Black Ops 7. If you play other titles with crossplay, they’ll also be restricted to Xbox-only lobbies.

Why Is It This Way? Microsoft has maintained this system-level approach for years, likely due to privacy and parental control frameworks. It’s been a source of frustration for players who want per-game control, but this is unlikely to change soon.

Matchmaking Impact: Xbox-only lobbies (especially with crossplay disabled) can have significantly longer queue times, particularly in less popular modes or regions with smaller Xbox player bases.

Quick Summary (Xbox)

Xbox Settings → Account → Privacy & Online Safety → Xbox Privacy → 
View Details & Customize → Communication & Multiplayer → 
You can join cross-network play → Block

Far more convoluted than it needs to be, but this is the only way to disable crossplay on Xbox.

Crossplay on PC: The Current Reality

Here’s the disappointing news for PC players: you cannot disable crossplay in Black Ops 7 on PC at the time of writing.

Why PC Can’t Disable Crossplay

Player Population Concerns: PC typically has the smallest player base among the three platforms in Call of Duty games. Allowing PC players to disable crossplay would further fragment an already smaller population, resulting in:

• Extremely long queue times
• Difficulty finding matches in non-peak hours
• Dead lobbies in less popular game modes
• Poor matchmaking quality due to limited skill brackets

Competitive Balance: The common perception (whether accurate or not) is that PC players have input advantages over console players. If PC players could disable crossplay, they’d be creating PC-only lobbies with mouse and keyboard advantages while also having access to superior hardware. This would concentrate the perceived advantages rather than distributing them.

Activision’s Decision: The publisher has clearly decided that maintaining healthy matchmaking populations on PC requires mandatory crossplay. Given PC’s historical player retention issues in Call of Duty titles, this makes business sense even if it frustrates some players.

Workarounds and Alternatives for PC

Option 1: Input-Based Matchmaking Awareness

Black Ops 7 uses input-based matchmaking in some modes, meaning:

• Controller players are generally matched with other controller users
• Mouse and keyboard players match with other M&KB users
• This provides some segregation even within crossplay

Option 2: Private Lobbies

Create or join private PC-only custom lobbies if you want to avoid console players entirely. This requires:

• Finding communities or Discord servers organizing PC-only matches
• Manually inviting players
• No progression or ranked play

Option 3: Accept Crossplay

Honestly, this is the reality for PC players. Crossplay is mandatory, and there’s no indication this will change. The trade-off is faster matchmaking and healthier lobbies.

Will This Change?

Speculation: Future updates could introduce PC crossplay toggles if:

• The PC player base grows substantially
• Community backlash reaches critical mass
• Activision decides the benefits outweigh matchmaking concerns

Likelihood: Low. This has been Activision’s approach for multiple Call of Duty titles, and it appears to be their long-term strategy for maintaining PC health.

Impact of Disabling Crossplay

Understanding what actually changes when you disable crossplay helps you make informed decisions.

Matchmaking Effects

Queue Times:

• Crossplay On: Typically 15-60 seconds for most modes
• Crossplay Off (Console): 1-5+ minutes, sometimes failing to find matches in unpopular modes

Skill-Based Matchmaking Quality:

• Crossplay On: Better skill matching due to larger player pool
• Crossplay Off: Looser SBMM due to limited options, potentially more lopsided matches

Mode Availability:

• Crossplay On: All modes populated at most times
• Crossplay Off: Less popular modes may be unplayable, especially off-peak hours

Regional Considerations:

• High Population Regions (NA, EU): Crossplay-off still viable
• Low Population Regions (OCE, SA, Asia): Crossplay-off can be nearly impossible for matchmaking

Competitive Experience

Perceived Fairness: Console players report feeling the competition is “fairer” in crossplay-disabled lobbies since everyone is using controllers and similar hardware.

Actual Impact: Studies and player data suggest the skill-based matchmaking system compensates for input differences more than players realize. Your win rate likely won’t change dramatically with crossplay off unless you were regularly facing significantly higher-skilled PC players.

Cheating Exposure: Disabling crossplay on console eliminates exposure to PC cheaters entirely. While anti-cheat systems exist, this is the most foolproof prevention method.

Social and Party Considerations

Cross-Platform Parties: If you disable crossplay but have friends on other platforms, you cannot party with them. The game will require all party members to have compatible crossplay settings.

Friend Pool: Your potential friend list and social interactions become limited to your platform ecosystem.

Community Events: Some community events or tournaments may require crossplay enabled for participation.

Best Practices and Recommendations

Who Should Disable Crossplay?

Strong Candidates:

• Competitive players who believe input method parity is crucial
• Console players in high-population regions where matchmaking remains viable
• Players primarily concerned about PC cheating
• Casual players who don’t mind longer queue times
• Those without cross-platform friends

Who Should Keep Crossplay On:

• Players with friends on different platforms (mandatory for parties)
• Anyone in low-population regions or playing off-peak hours
• Players who prioritize fast matchmaking over input parity
• Those playing less popular game modes
• Competitive players who want the largest SBMM pool for best skill matching

Testing Both Options

My Recommendation: Try both settings for a week each and track your experience:

Week 1: Crossplay On

• Note queue times
• Track your performance (KD, win rate)
• Monitor perceived fairness of matches
• Observe any cheating encounters

Week 2: Crossplay Off

• Note queue times (likely longer)
• Track performance (compare to Week 1)
• Monitor match quality
• Assess whether the trade-offs are worth it

Make Decision: Choose the setting that provides the best overall experience for your priorities and playstyle.

Platform-Specific Advice

PlayStation Players: The easy toggle makes experimenting risk-free. Try disabling crossplay for specific gaming sessions (like ranked grinding) and re-enable for casual play or when playing with friends.

Xbox Players: The system-level requirement makes frequent toggling annoying. Decide based on whether you need crossplay for other games. If you play multiple cross-platform titles, keeping it enabled might be more convenient despite Black Ops 7 preferences.

PC Players: Accept mandatory crossplay and focus on mastering your weapon loadouts and combat specialties to compete effectively regardless of opponent platform.

Common Issues and Troubleshooting

“Can’t Find Matches” After Disabling Crossplay

Causes:

• Limited player pool in your region/SBMM bracket
• Playing unpopular game mode
• Off-peak hours

Solutions:

• Try more popular modes (TDM, Domination, Hardpoint)
• Play during peak evening hours in your region
• Re-enable crossplay temporarily if matchmaking fails repeatedly

Party Member Can’t Join

Cause: Party members have incompatible crossplay settings.

Solution: All party members must have the same crossplay configuration (all on or all off). Have everyone check their settings and align them.

Changed Xbox Setting But Still Seeing PC Players

Causes:

• Setting didn’t apply properly
• Game was still running when you changed it
• Looking at usernames that resemble PC but are actually Xbox

Solutions:

• Completely restart the game after changing the setting
• Verify the setting is still on “Block” (it sometimes reverts)
• Check player profiles in-game to confirm platform

Performance Issues After Changing Crossplay

Note: Crossplay settings don’t directly affect performance. If you’re experiencing issues after changing settings, it’s coincidental. Check our optimization guide and lag troubleshooting for performance improvements.

Crossplay in Different Game Modes

Multiplayer

All standard multiplayer modes support crossplay configuration. Your settings apply equally to:

• Team Deathmatch
• Domination
• Hardpoint
• Search and Destroy
• All other standard playlists

Ranked/Competitive: Check if ranked modes require crossplay enabled. Some competitive playlists mandate crossplay to ensure fair skill matching and sufficient population.

Zombies

Crossplay settings affect Zombies matchmaking as well:

• Crossplay On: Find co-op partners faster from any platform
• Crossplay Off: Limited to your platform for zombies strategies

For dedicated zombies players working on Easter eggs or high rounds, having a larger co-op pool via crossplay can be beneficial.

Campaign

Campaign typically isn’t affected by crossplay settings since it’s primarily single-player or private co-op with invited friends.

Future of Crossplay in Call of Duty

Industry Trends

Crossplay is becoming increasingly standard across all multiplayer games. The trend suggests:

• More unified player bases across platforms
• Better cross-progression and account systems
• Improved input-based matchmaking to address fairness concerns
• Enhanced anti-cheat to reduce PC cheating concerns

Potential Changes in Black Ops 7

Possible Updates:

• PC crossplay toggle (unlikely but possible)
• Better input-based matchmaking transparency
• Console FOV sliders to reduce PC advantages
• Enhanced reporting systems for cross-platform issues

Stay updated with official Call of Duty announcements for any policy changes.

Integration with Overall Strategy

Your crossplay decision should integrate with your complete Black Ops 7 approach:

For Aggressive Players: Crossplay exposure to diverse playstyles (including PC movement and aim) can actually improve your skills. Testing yourself against the full spectrum makes you better.

For Tactical Players: Platform-specific lobbies might feel more predictable, allowing for consistent strategy execution without worrying about unexpected PC-specific advantages.

For Weapon Mastery: Regardless of crossplay settings, focus on optimizing your loadouts, understanding BO2 returning weapons, and mastering mechanics.

For Progression: Your prestige journey and unlock progression aren’t affected by crossplay settings—focus on efficient XP farming regardless.

Your Choice, Your Experience

The crossplay debate will likely continue throughout Black Ops 7’s lifecycle. There’s no objectively “correct” answer—it depends entirely on your priorities, platform, region, and tolerance for trade-offs.

The Reality:

✅ PlayStation players have the easiest control with a simple toggle
✅ Xbox players face annoying system-level restrictions but can disable it
❌ PC players are locked into mandatory crossplay
✅ Everyone should experiment before committing to a setting

My Personal Take:

As someone who’s played extensively with both crossplay on and off, I’ve found the skill-based matchmaking system does a reasonable job equalizing competition regardless of platform. Most of what feels like “PC advantage” is actually just facing higher-skilled players that SBMM matched you with.

That said, if disabling crossplay makes the game more enjoyable for you—whether due to perceived fairness, performance concerns, or simply preference—then absolutely do it. The whole point is having fun, and if platform-specific lobbies enhance your experience despite longer queues, that’s a valid choice.

For most players, I’d recommend:

• Start with crossplay on for the full player base experience
• Monitor your enjoyment and performance
• Disable temporarily if you hit frustrating stretches
• Re-evaluate periodically as your skill and the meta evolve

Ultimately, Black Ops 7 gives you the tools (well, PlayStation and Xbox players at least) to customize your experience. Use them to create the multiplayer environment that keeps you coming back.

For more Black Ops 7 guides and optimization tips, check out our coverage of Combat Specialties, armor plate management, and complete settings optimization.