Whether on linux works depends less on the hardware and more on which version the publisher chose to maintain.

Short answer

Crossplay and cross-progression are separate switches, and War Thunder does not necessarily have both.

  • Assume mobile versions are a different game with the same name.
  • Look for a cross-progression toggle in account settings before starting fresh.
  • Give a method one honest attempt before deciding it does not work.

War Thunder models more of the vehicle than it tells you about, and the grind punishes guessing. Store pages list supported platforms accurately; trailers do not. Cross-progression carries your account; crossplay only puts you in the same lobby.

What you lose on the smaller platforms

Where something depends on your platform or region, that is called out rather than glossed over. Some features are disabled per-platform for reasons that have nothing to do with performance. Cloud streaming sidesteps the hardware question and introduces a latency one instead. None of this needs a paid tool, a third-party launcher or an account on a site you have never heard of.

Handheld versions often trail the main build by a full season. A cut-down port is still a port, and the difference usually shows up in player counts rather than frame rates. If your result differs from what is described here, note what is different first rather than starting over.

Which versions exist right now

Console certification adds weeks to every patch, which is why fixes land unevenly. A single check up front replaces a lot of guessing later. If a step reads as obvious, do it anyway — the obvious ones are the ones people skip and then wonder about.

  • Verify controller support separately from platform support.
  • Confirm whether your friends are on the same build, not just the same game.
  • Expect one number in every guide to be out of date; the method is what matters.
  • Check the store page's supported-platforms box, not the trailer.
  • Check whether the version on sale is the current-gen one.

How to check before you buy

War Thunder is not shy about hiding useful information two menus deep, so some of this is simply knowing where to look. Screenshots age faster than text, which is why this describes rather than shows. Anything that behaves differently on console than on PC is flagged where it matters. Most of the disagreement you will find online is two people describing different builds.

Everything below is framed around the current state of War Thunder rather than a launch-week impression. There is usually a fast way and a reliable way, and it is worth knowing which one you are choosing. Where two approaches both work, the one with fewer moving parts is the one to keep.

Crossplay versus cross-progression

Patch notes move numbers around constantly; the shape of the answer holds even when a specific value shifts. If you are coming to this after a long break, the terminology has probably moved on. The community wisdom on this is roughly half right, and the half that is wrong costs the most time.

It helps to understand why a step exists, because then you can adapt it when your situation is slightly different. Nothing here assumes a particular playstyle beyond wanting the thing to work. The short version is near the top on purpose; the reasoning is there if you want to know why.

Streaming as a fallback

The awkward part is rarely the step itself, it is knowing which step comes first. Treat anything stated without a version number as provisional. The developers have changed their mind about this at least once, which explains the older advice.

Where people go wrong

  • Assuming a guide from an older season still describes the current version.
  • Copying a setup wholesale from a streamer without understanding what each part does.
  • Treating a rare edge case as the normal behaviour and planning around it.
  • Ignoring the platform-specific note and then wondering why the steps do not line up.

War Thunder FAQ

Why do other guides describe this differently?

Most were written for an earlier version and never revisited. Compare the steps against what your build actually shows.

Can I play with friends on a different platform?

Only if crossplay is enabled for that mode. Some modes in War Thunder allow it and some deliberately do not.

Is this still accurate after the latest War Thunder update?

The method is; individual numbers may not be. If a value on your screen differs, trust the screen and keep the sequence.

What if none of this works for me?

Then something in your setup differs from the assumption — version, region or platform. Check those three before anything else.

Anything that shifts with the next War Thunder update will show up as a changed number, not a changed approach.