If you’ve opened up your Netflix in the past years and haven’t been living under a rock, you’ve probably already noticed the immense popularity of the South-Korean action drama show Squid Game. It didn’t take long before other people tried to lift on the success of the series, such as Mr. Beast with his own real-life version of the contestant.
Of course, numerous video games and Squid Game spinoffs were released, but most of them were pure trash. There’s one title that stands out though, the immensely popular and free-to-play Crab Game. The accessible price tag will definitely be a major reason why this game exploded, and chances are that it’ll see another boost of players when future seasons of the Netflix series air.
Even though it’s totally not Squid Game-inspired (ahem, did you detect my sarcasm over there?), it’s actually a pretty decent game and multiplayer experience with hundreds of thousands of buyers on Steam with an average “very positive” rating of 92%.
Is it possible to play Crab Game on Xbox, PlayStation, or Mobile?
With the success of Crab Game on Steam, many players are wondering whether it’s possible to play Crab Game on Xbox, PlayStation, or mobile (iOS / Android) devices.
We’re not going to beat around the bush. Currently, Crab Game is not available on consoles such as Xbox One and Xbox Series S/X, PS4 and PS5, Nintendo Switch, or mobile (iOS and Android).
However, that doesn’t mean you have to throw all hope out the window. Let’s explore some possibilities to play Crab Game on your other devices anyway.
Does Crab Game work on Steam Deck?
Before we head over to the unsupported platforms, let’s take a look at a “console” that does work remarkably well with Crab Game: the Steam Deck. As you’ll see in numerous YouTube videos, Crab Game works pretty well on the Steam Deck, and built-in controls of the handheld device are supported. Occasionally, you’ll need to input something and use the on-screen keyboard, something that is also mentioned on the official Steam Deck compatibility page.
The title works really well in Linux and SteamOS (the operating system that Steam Deck uses) and even has a “Gold” certificate on ProtonDB. In other words – if you want to play Crab Game on your couch, in your bed, or on a plane, the Steam Deck is definitely the way to go.
But if you’d rather play the game on other platforms, be sure to keep reading.
Crab Game isn’t available on Xbox, but you can stream it
Look, I’m personally not a major fan of streaming games. Your internet needs to be great, you still have the nuisance of booting and setting up your host device, and a native gaming experience is almost always preferable.
However, if you want to play Crab Game on the big screen, you’re pretty much out of options here. Streaming it to your Xbox will be the only way to do so unless the one-man developer Dani decides to port and release his game on consoles as well.
How to stream Crab Game on your Xbox One or Xbox Series console
Right – so now that I’ve burst your bubble about playing the game natively (sorry), let’s see how we can stream the game from your PC to your Xbox console. Luckily, the process really isn’t that difficult, and it’s even free. Keep in mind that this is streaming and completely wireless, there might be some latency involved, but this is an issue that will probably only annoy you if your internet connection isn’t ideal. You’ll need a Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC to make this work, by the way.
Here’s what you’ll want to do: on your Xbox console, head over to the Marketplace and search for “Wireless Display app”. If you’re too lazy to type and search, simply click this Marketplace link and let it download to your console.
When you boot up the application, you’ll be greeted with a welcome message stating that the app is ready to connect. Don’t forget the tip: use the menu and view button (start and select) to switch between keyboard/mouse and Xbox gamepad controls. If you see the blue screen, you’re good to go.
Head over to your PC and press Windows + K to bring up the Cast menu. Give a few seconds to find your Xbox app, and click on connect. Et voila! Everything will be mirrored and you can just go ahead and play Crab Game on the big screen.
Doesn’t work? Make sure both your Xbox and your PC are connected to the same network so they can recognize each other.
Can you play Crab Game on PS4 and PS5?
Unfortunately, the PlayStation 4 and especially the PlayStation 5 are less open that the Xbox family of consoles. You just can’t stream games to its built-in browser and you won’t exactly find a casting application in the PlayStation store either.
How to stream Crab Game on your Android, iPhone, or iPad
Of course, wouldn’t it be great to play “the” Crab Game on your mobile device? Sure, there are many knockoffs, but Crab Game is certainly the best (and most populated) one out there. Here’s the easiest way to make it work.
Since you can download Crab Game for free on Steam, you can also use its built-in and free Steam Link streaming technology. First, download the Steam Link app (Google Play Store, App Store) onto the device you want to play on. Whether it’s an Android smartphone, an iPhone, or even a tablet, you should definitely be able to install this app on most of your devices.
Simply put – Steam Link allows you to stream your entire Steam Library (including Crab Game, of course) to your mobile device. Touch controls aren’t supported, so you’ll have to connect a compatible controller (Made for iPhone in the case of iOS) to play.
Just make sure your Steam device is active and the Steam Link app is open, next, hit the “Start Playing” button, and select Crab Game. If the app doesn’t work, double-check to make sure both devices are on the same (Wi-Fi) network.
Why is it called Crab Game anyway?
Well, you’d probably have to ask the developer. It’s certainly not a far stretch from Squid Game, and the developer Dani later even “added a giant crab to his game so Netflix doesn’t sue him”.
That’s certainly a sentence I didn’t expect to write in my life, but here we are. Curious to see how that looks? Just check out this video by the developer, or download Crab Game and see for yourself!
