Whether ps5 works depends less on the hardware and more on which version the publisher chose to maintain.

Short answer

The feature is there on the platforms with an active build, and absent on the ones left on an older version.

  • Check whether the version on sale is the current-gen one.
  • Look for a cross-progression toggle in account settings before starting fresh.
  • Expect one number in every guide to be out of date; the method is what matters.

War Thunder models more of the vehicle than it tells you about, and the grind punishes guessing. A cut-down port is still a port, and the difference usually shows up in player counts rather than frame rates. Store pages list supported platforms accurately; trailers do not.

Streaming as a fallback

Most of the disagreement you will find online is two people describing different builds. Cross-progression carries your account; crossplay only puts you in the same lobby. Some features are disabled per-platform for reasons that have nothing to do with performance. Patch notes move numbers around constantly; the shape of the answer holds even when a specific value shifts.

Console certification adds weeks to every patch, which is why fixes land unevenly. Cloud streaming sidesteps the hardware question and introduces a latency one instead. Treat anything stated without a version number as provisional.

Which versions exist right now

Handheld versions often trail the main build by a full season. Where two approaches both work, the one with fewer moving parts is the one to keep. If your result differs from what is described here, note what is different first rather than starting over.

  • Verify controller support separately from platform support.
  • Confirm whether your friends are on the same build, not just the same game.
  • Read the whole sequence once before doing the first step.
  • Check the store page's supported-platforms box, not the trailer.
  • Assume mobile versions are a different game with the same name.
  • Prefer the in-game option over an external tool when both exist.

How to check before you buy

None of this needs a paid tool, a third-party launcher or an account on a site you have never heard of. 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. The awkward part is rarely the step itself, it is knowing which step comes first.

The community wisdom on this is roughly half right, and the half that is wrong costs the most time. If a step reads as obvious, do it anyway — the obvious ones are the ones people skip and then wonder about. Screenshots age faster than text, which is why this describes rather than shows.

What you lose on the smaller platforms

It helps to understand why a step exists, because then you can adapt it when your situation is slightly different. There is no hidden trick here that the game is keeping from you. War Thunder is not shy about hiding useful information two menus deep, so some of this is simply knowing where to look.

Nothing here assumes a particular playstyle beyond wanting the thing to work. Half the pages on this topic were written for a build that no longer exists, which is why they stop matching what you see. A single check up front replaces a lot of guessing later.

Crossplay versus cross-progression

The developers have changed their mind about this at least once, which explains the older advice. If you are coming to this after a long break, the terminology has probably moved on. Where something depends on your platform or region, that is called out rather than glossed over.

Where people go wrong

  • Rushing the last step, which is usually the one with the actual requirement in it.
  • Downloading a helper tool for something the game already does in its own menu.
  • Grinding a method that was patched months ago because a thread still ranks well.
  • Changing five things at once and then not knowing which one helped.

War Thunder FAQ

Does this work the same on console and PC?

The logic is identical. Menu paths and button prompts differ, and any real difference is flagged above.

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.

Is the mobile version the same game?

Rarely. It usually shares the name and the art, and almost nothing else.

Does my progress carry across platforms?

That is cross-progression, and it needs to be linked through the publisher account before you start playing on the second device.

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