PS4
PS4 vs Xbox One vs Switch vs PC: Which Fortnite Should You Play?
Let’s start off with the most dubious of the platforms you should be playing Fortnite on. Let’s get all the obvious positives out of the way. Fortnite on PS4 contains both the free Battle Royale PvP mode, as well as the paid early access Save the World PvE mode due to release for free later this year. This is the same across all but one platform, which we’ll specifically later.
In terms of your Fortnite experience on PS4, it’s fairly standard. It gets the updates at the same time, the general online experience is solid, and you’ve got cross-platform play with PC and mobile players. This is where the issues begin, however.
Due to Sony’s reluctancy to embrace cross-platform play, if you set up and link your Epic Games account to your PSN account on PS4, you can only progress your Battle Pass and account on your PS4. You can’t log in to that same account on Switch to grind out challenges on the go, you’re stuck purely to playing on that console, unless you create a new account. If you’ve got a PS4, Switch, and a PC, we wouldn’t recommend playing on PS4. You’d be better off linking your Epic Games account on Switch and PC and enjoy grinding challenges on either platform. Oh, and you cannot play with Xbox One or Nintendo Switch players either.
Until Sony addresses these cross-platform issues, it’s difficult to recommend playing Fortnite on the system if you’ve got other options. For those who don’t care about cross-platform play and progression, however, you won’t be missing out on anything by playing on PS4.
Xbox One
PS4 vs Xbox One vs Switch vs PC: Which Fortnite Should You Play?
Moving onto the other major player in the console space when it comes to Fortnite, the Xbox One has a few advantages over the PS4. Not only are we, as usual, receiving the full-fat Fortnite experience with both PvP and PvE modes available (if you’re willing to pay for that Early Access to Save the World), but depending on what version of the Xbox One you have, you could be getting the best performance out of Fortnite on console. The Xbox One X reigns supreme, delivering the best average framerate and resolution in Digital Foundry’s 60fps mode breakdown a few months ago, despite being a little less stable. Though, if you’re playing on the original Xbox One, performance is the worst of all the consoles. It’s not so bad you’re going to be at a disadvantage, but it might not look quite as good.
On top of that, you’re also free to link your Epic Games account to multiple platforms (as long as it’s now PS4) by playing on Xbox One. That means you could get in some squad Victory Royales with your friends at home on Xbox, before using your Switch to grind out some challenges on your commute on the train the next day. Or maybe you just want to play on PC or mobile when you can’t reach your Xbox. Well, all of your Fortnite account progression will carry over, and you can play against all of these different platforms as well.
If you’ve got both the PS4 and Xbox One, we’d recommend playing on Xbox One (as long as you’re happy taking a slight performance dip you original Xbox One owners). You’re getting the very same experience, but you can play with friends and players from PC, Switch, and mobile. Oh, and Xbox Live is an incredibly stable online network, so it’ll be very rare that you can’t play because the network is down.
Nintendo Switch
PS4 vs Xbox One vs Switch vs PC: Which Fortnite Should You Play?
Fortnite on the Nintendo Switch is a bit of a double-edged sword. While its portability makes grinding out challenges for a few games before bed, or on your commute to work a possibility without having to sit in front of a giant screen or play on your tiny smartphone screen. It’s that perfect middle ground, but in order to get the experience running on the less powerful Switch, some cuts have had to be made.
The Nintendo Switch is the only platform of these four that does not and will not be getting the Save the World PvE mode. If you’re just bothered about playing the Battle Royale mode that’s all the craze right now, this won’t matter much to you, but who knows how popular this mode could get when it releases for free sometime later this year.
Further, the Switch version’s performance is considerably worse, with notable framerate issues and muddier-looking textures than the other platforms. This can come as a detriment when playing against other platforms (more on that in a second), as it can make seeing distant enemies far more difficulty. It’s also something you need to keep in mind if you’re going to play Fortnite on the small tablet screen, as distant objects become far, far more difficult to spot.
On the plus side, the Nintendo Switch version is cross-platform compatible with PC, Xbox One, and the mobile versions of the game. If you’ve got a Switch and play Fortnite on PC or Xbox One already, we’d highly recommend downloading it on your hybrid, too. You can grind out challenges that don’t require as fast reactions such as the treasure hunts or search X chests in X location while watching TV or on your commute, before dropping it in the dock for a big-screen experience when things get serious.
Would we recommend playing Fortnite primarily on the Nintendo Switch if you have access to other platforms? No. But it’s certainly an exceptional option to have at your disposal.
PC
PS4 vs Xbox One vs Switch vs PC: Which Fortnite Should You Play?
And finally we have Fortnite on PC. This is the same core experience you’re going to get on the PS4 and Xbox One, with both PvE and PvP modes available if you’re willing to pay the Early Access fee for Save the World (or you can just wait until its free later this year). However, the PC has a number of unique advantages that you simply cannot get on the other platforms.
First and foremost, there’s something to be said about the skill level of players you’ll find on PC. Due to mouse and keyboard being an incredibly fast and accurate method of control, you’ll likely find that players are far more capable of building at insane speeds, or nailing that sniper headshot from hundreds of meters away on PC than they are on console. This isn’t to say everyone on PC is some Ninja-esque genius, but it’s something to be wary of when contemplating playing Fortnite on PC. It goes both ways, though, as if you’re also competent at playing mouse and keyboard already, you’ll have an advantage over any players from other platforms. It’ll also allow you to build far faster and more confidently, so if you’re looking to take on the best of the best, you’ll likely want to play on PC.
Further, due to the upgradable nature of PCs, this version of Fortnite is capable of running at 4K resolutions with exceptional framerates and other graphical options maxed out on the right rig. Even lower-end PCs should be able to run Fortnite comfortably at decent resolutions, but always check before trying to play.
Finally, the PC version, of course, offers up cross-platform play with Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and the mobile versions of the game. A bigger player pool is always welcome, and if your friends are all playing on console, this way you can play alongside them and show them the power of mouse and keyboard!
Conclusion
PS4 vs Xbox One vs Switch vs PC: Which Fortnite Should You Play?
Honestly, there’s not a whole lot of difference when it comes to deciding what platform you want to play Fortnite on. But, to give you a definitive winner, we’ll break things down for you on this conclusion page here.
For us, the last platform we’d recommend playing Fortnite on right now is the PS4. This isn’t anything against how the version runs or even plays. If anything, it plays exceptionally and looks great. But with no cross-platform play with Xbox One and Switch players and its implications on cross-platform progression, if you’ve got other consoles you want to play Fortnite on, the PS4 is a bit of a no-go at this moment.
When it comes to the Nintendo Switch, you’ve only got Fortnite Battle Royale, but at least you can take the PvP action with you wherever you go. You’ll be able to grind out challenges without having to sit in front of your TV and monitor, albeit at the expense of things looking silky smooth and quite as pretty as they look on other platforms.
The Xbox One version of Fortnite offers up largely the same experience as the PS4, with the different versions of the consoles offering varying performance. You’ll be all set for Save the World when it releases for free later this year, or if you want to buy it now, and you’re able to play with players on all other platforms except for PS4.
If you’re confident enough to take on the slightly more advanced players on the PC version of Fortnite and you have a fairly powerful system, this is definitely the best place to play the game. Mouse and keyboard make aiming and building far faster, and currently it’s where the competitive scene is budding the most, if that’s something you’re interested in jumping into. Top that off with cross-platform play and progression and Fortnite is best on PC.
Before we go, though, we want to make it completely clear that no matter what platform you play Fortnite on, you’re still getting the same great core experience. As long as you can get the Victory Royale, that’s all that really matters!
