Is Ark: Survival Ascended Cross-Platform?
As one of the most popular video games, Ark: Survival Ascended offers advanced features to enhance the gaming experience. One key question players often ask is, Is Ark: Survival Ascended cross-platform? The direct answer is yes—players on different platforms, including PCs, Xboxes, and PlayStations, can play together seamlessly.
But when was this cross-platform feature introduced, and how does it work? This article dives into these details and addresses other common questions from Ark: Survival Ascended players.
What Is Ark: Survival Ascended?
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Ark: Survival Ascended is the remastered version of Ark: Survival Evolved video game created by Studio Wildcard in 2017. The remaster was released in 2023, bringing new and advanced features like cross-platform functionality.
It also features new graphics and gameplay procedures. The new add-ons use Unreal Engine 5 – one of the latest and most popular game engines among game developers across different industries.
This engine enhances performance and offers more realistic gaming visuals. The new graphical improvements include dynamic lighting, better textures, realistic physics, and enhanced environmental details.
Its gameplay features include enhanced creature artificial intelligence, multiplayer procedures, and cross-platform functionality. This functionality allows integration between Xbox, PlayStation, and Computer (PC).
Critical gameplay mechanisms like resource management, base building, and robust water systems have been overhauled to provide a better experience. Another major improvement in Ark: Survival Ascended is the multiplayer capability.
With the full cross-platform functionality, players of different platforms can come together to share mods and enjoy the game together simultaneously, which wasn’t possible with the previous version of the game. Another notable upgrade is the updated content.
Ark: Survival Ascended maintains the core experience offered by its predecessor when exploring, enduring, and taming dinosaurs. However, its content has been updated and improved.
While the remaster is based on its predecessor in terms of the overall concept and creation, it’s considered a standalone name with its own content updates and possible expansions.
Now you can experience the original Ark: Survival Evolved experience using a new framework, improved visuals, and multiplayer functionality.
Its performance has also improved significantly without disrupting the original spirit of the game in an ancient world.
How Does the Ark: Survival Ascended Cross-Platform Work?
Also referred to as cross-play, the cross-platform feature enables multiple players on different gaming platforms like Xbox Series X/S, Steam and Windows PC, and PlayStation 5 to team up and enjoy the game together. Therefore, more than two players can play the game together whether they’re using a PC or gaming console.
The cross-platform functionality is a modding system that allows players to access mods on their PCs on consoles. These mods expand the gameplay experience by providing custom maps, objects, and creatures that can be shared by players across different platforms.
The in-gaming mod browser makes this functionality possible thus enhancing the gameplay and visuals. It leverages the gaming engine mentioned above for more exciting graphics and mechanics. The cross-platform functionality works in three major ways: cross-platform multiplayer, cross-save or cross-progression, and cross-platform mods.
Cross-Platform Mods
As mentioned above, the cross-platform feature uses a modding system to allow players to share gaming resources across platforms. This means that mods on your computer can be used by another player on a console through the mod browser.
This way, multiple players can access user-generated content and resources like objects, creatures, and maps across different platforms. This creates a seamless way to team up with friends and family for an exciting gaming session, regardless of the platforms they’re on.
Since the release of Ark: Survival Evolved, players have had trouble finding the right modding options. But with the new cross-platform modding system, players have a wide range of options to customize their game on multiple platforms.
Cross-Platform Multiplayer
This feature enables multiple players on different platforms to come together and form tribes that they can rely on to survive. In other words, players on different devices form a tribe and collaborate in the game. They can also team up to be on one server.
Cross-Save or Cross-Progression
This remaster supports the cross-save or cross-progression functionality, which enables multiple players to save and transfer their game advancements and characters across platforms. For instance, if you’re currently on PS5 and you want to continue your game on Xbox or computer, this feature makes it possible.
These features provide players with an undisrupted experience regardless of the devices they want to play on. It’s a perfect way for gaming families and friends to explore the game together.
Strengths and Limitations of Ark: Survival Ascended Cross-Platform
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The cross-platform functionality of the remastered game presents certain advantages and disadvantages that you should be aware of before you start playing. Here are its strengths and limitations.
Advantages
Inclusivity
With this feature, players across different platforms can be united to enjoy the game, thus creating a sense of inclusivity and unity. It also offers players an opportunity to own different gaming platforms where they can enjoy the game with friends and family.
Multiplayer Options
The multiplayer feature allows a maximum of 70 players at once with local split-screen possibilities. Therefore, it’s easy for you to have both small-scale and large-scale games with your friends and family.
The main objective of creating the cross-platform functionality was to enhance the social part of the game by bringing players together regardless of their preferred platforms. Furthermore, this multiplayer option comes in handy when you want to play the game online with friends.
Better Performance and Visuals
The incorporation of Unreal Engine 5 into the remaster has enhanced the game’s graphical and mechanical interfaces. Consequently, the cross-platform feature has become visually striking and stimulating regardless of the device or system you use.
Disadvantages
Limited Cross-Platform Server Options
Although this remaster offers a cross-platform feature, it has certain limitations. For instance, you can only enjoy cross-platform play on official servers. This limitation is due to numerous hacking issues that have forced Studio Wildcard to put in place some anti-cheat measures like not allowing players, especially those using PC, to access the PvP servers.
Imbalanced Performance
Although this platform is available across different devices, it could lead to performance discrepancies owing to potential hardware incompatibility. For instance, you’re likely to experience a smoother gaming experience when you’re using a high-end PC compared to someone using a console. The difference between the two platforms can lead to imbalances in the game.
Delayed Updates and Feature Rollouts
If one platform receives updates and mods before the others, it might cause a temporary imbalance in cross-platform play due to content availability issues.
Final Thoughts
The remastered Ark: Survival Ascended has enabled multiple players on different platforms to team up and enjoy the game at the same time. The cross-platform functionality allows you and your friends and family to explore the game and build your world together.
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