Crossplay in shooters is a sensitive issue. The difference in performance between players with a mouse and keyboard and those with controllers is often perceived as too superficial to allow competitive gaming at eye level. CoD: Warzone creates largely the same conditions with Aim-Assist.
And also at Rainbow Six: Siege, crossplay is currently in development. In an interview with PC Gamer, Game Director Jean-Baptiste Halle discussed the situation. Ubisoft is currently working on crossplay and cross progression in Rainbow Six: Siege, but only for consoles.
As soon as the function appears, players on Xbox can interact with Playstation users. Advantages in matchmaking times would be possible, especially in regions in which one type of console dominates.
The PC could, however, be left out completely, as Ubisoft is “skeptical”. Halle leaves the question of crossplay between consoles and PC open:
“I see the advantages, but I also see the disadvantages. It’s too early to communicate.”
Difficult question of balance
Jean-Baptiste Halle acknowledges that the advantage for PC-controlled players would be difficult to balance. Even a possibility to play in Rainbow Six: Siege on consoles with mouse and keyboard could ultimately lead to predominantly such players asserting themselves in the rankings.
Unless artificial aids such as Aim-Assist are used, there is probably a noticeable difference in performance between PC and console control. The extent to which Aim-Assist could be implemented in an R6: Siege with crossplay does not emerge from the interview.
So it can be said that crossplay is coming, but the PC currently has bad cards to benefit from it. The situation is completely different with Cross-Progression: In the future, PC gamers will also be able to switch seamlessly between PC and console so that they can always use the same account depending on the occasion.