The honest answer to linux has changed at least once, which is why old threads disagree.

Short answer

Support exists where the publisher ships a native build; everything else is streaming or emulation with the trade-offs that implies.

  • Confirm whether your friends are on the same build, not just the same game.
  • Check the store page's supported-platforms box, not the trailer.
  • If a menu path does not exist for you, your build is older or newer than the one described.

Twenty years of expansions mean half the advice online describes a version that no longer exists. Console certification adds weeks to every patch, which is why fixes land unevenly. A cut-down port is still a port, and the difference usually shows up in player counts rather than frame rates.

What you lose on the smaller platforms

If your result differs from what is described here, note what is different first rather than starting over. Cloud streaming sidesteps the hardware question and introduces a latency one instead. Store pages list supported platforms accurately; trailers do not. Everything below is framed around the current state of World of Warcraft rather than a launch-week impression.

Some features are disabled per-platform for reasons that have nothing to do with performance. Cross-progression carries your account; crossplay only puts you in the same lobby. Half the pages on this topic were written for a build that no longer exists, which is why they stop matching what you see.

How to check before you buy

Handheld versions often trail the main build by a full season. There is usually a fast way and a reliable way, and it is worth knowing which one you are choosing. The short version is near the top on purpose; the reasoning is there if you want to know why.

  • Look for a cross-progression toggle in account settings before starting fresh.
  • Verify controller support separately from platform support.
  • Write down what you changed, so you can undo exactly one thing if it goes sideways.
  • Check whether the version on sale is the current-gen one.
  • Assume mobile versions are a different game with the same name.

Which versions exist right now

Patch notes move numbers around constantly; the shape of the answer holds even when a specific value shifts. Treat anything stated without a version number as provisional. Nothing here assumes a particular playstyle beyond wanting the thing to work. If a step reads as obvious, do it anyway — the obvious ones are the ones people skip and then wonder about.

The community wisdom on this is roughly half right, and the half that is wrong costs the most time. Anything that behaves differently on console than on PC is flagged where it matters. Do the cheap check before the expensive one — that ordering alone saves most of the frustration.

Crossplay versus cross-progression

Where two approaches both work, the one with fewer moving parts is the one to keep. What follows assumes you are on a current install and have not modified it. None of this needs a paid tool, a third-party launcher or an account on a site you have never heard of.

If you are coming to this after a long break, the terminology has probably moved on. The awkward part is rarely the step itself, it is knowing which step comes first. Screenshots age faster than text, which is why this describes rather than shows.

Streaming as a fallback

The developers have changed their mind about this at least once, which explains the older advice. Where something depends on your platform or region, that is called out rather than glossed over. There is no hidden trick here that the game is keeping from you.

Where people go wrong

  • Rushing the last step, which is usually the one with the actual requirement in it.
  • Assuming a guide from an older season still describes the current version.
  • Ignoring the platform-specific note and then wondering why the steps do not line up.

WoW FAQ

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.

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.

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.

Do I need any mods or third-party tools for this?

No. Everything described here works with the base game on any supported platform.

Come back to the caveats list if it does not work first time — the answer is almost always in there.