One host and up to three visitors can farm, fish, build, and explore together; home-island progress stays separate and platforms cannot currently mix.
Starsand Island supports online multiplayer for up to four players total, but it does not currently support crossplay. A PC player cannot assume they can join PS5, Xbox, or Switch 2 friends. Each platform group must play within the same supported ecosystem until the developer announces otherwise.
Four players means host plus three visitors
| Rule | Version 1.0 answer |
|---|---|
| Maximum online group | Four total |
| Session owner | One host island |
| Visitors | Up to three |
| Local split-screen | Not listed |
| Cross-platform play | Not currently supported |
| Permanent shared island | No |
| Host controls | Join mode and resource permissions |
The host can use Anyone Can Join, Request to Join, or Password Required. Permissions can be changed for crops, livestock, fishing, crafting, and other island resources. Set these before opening valuable fields or storage areas to visitors.
What you can do together
Official 1.0 material names farming, fishing, building, gathering, exploration, profession quests, requests, and taking photos. These activities can award Multiplayer Coins, which are separate from ordinary island progression and are spent in the Multiplayer Shop.
The safe model is “visit a friend's island,” not “merge four saves.” Each player keeps a home island. If a quest or unlock does not advance while visiting, return to the save's home island before treating it as a bug.
Crossplay and subscriptions
Nintendo lists Nintendo Switch Online for online play. PlayStation lists PS Plus. Those subscriptions do not create crossplay; they only allow online access on their own platforms.
Xbox Play Anywhere is also not proof of universal crossplay. It describes ownership and save access inside Microsoft's ecosystem. The current developer guidance says cross-platform multiplayer is not supported and remains under investigation.
The exact unlock requirement is not published
The public Version 1.0 launch announcement explains hosting, permissions, activities, progression, and crossplay, but it does not name a guaranteed quest, Island Life rank, or menu milestone that unlocks multiplayer. This page therefore does not present an Early Access route as a current answer.
If the option is absent on a new save, that alone does not show the save is broken. The exact Version 1.0 prerequisite remains unspecified in the accessible official announcement.
For release dates and platform differences, use the Version 1.0 page. Return to the Starsand Island hub for progression and resource guides.
Sources
QUICK ANSWERS
Questions players ask next
Does Starsand Island have crossplay?
No. Cross-platform multiplayer is not currently supported in Version 1.0.
How many people can play Starsand Island together?
Up to four players total—the host and as many as three visitors.
Is multiplayer progress shared?
No. Friends visit a host island, but each player keeps a separate home-island progression file.
Is Starsand Island couch co-op?
The checked official stores list one local player and up to four online players, not local split-screen co-op.
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