Fortnite Video Chat Arrives On Some Platforms With Houseparty Integration

On some platforms, Fortnite is getting a rather big addition today: video chat. Epic Games has teamed up with the folks over at Houseparty to bring video chat to some versions of Fortnite, allowing you to see your friends' faces as you squad up and chase some wins. Unfortunately, Houseparty's video chat isn't going live for all Fortnite players, and even those who are getting it still need to do some setup to get video chat up and running.

Specifically, Houseparty video chat will be available in the PC, PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 4 versions of Fortnite (sorry Xbox, mobile, and Switch players). If you're on that platform and you want to get video chat up and running, you'll first need to install the Houseparty app on your iOS or Android device and link your Houseparty account to your Epic Games account.

Those who link their accounts will get the Rainbow Fog Wrap, as seen above. You can also unlock the Rainbow Fog Wrap by playing five matches of Fortnite with friends between November 20th at 12 AM ET and November 26th at 11:59 PM ET, so those playing on platforms that don't support Houseparty chat can at least still get the wrap.

Once you have your Houseparty and Epic Games accounts linked, you'll want to make sure the camera on your iOS or Android device is positioned to fully frame your face, then open the Houseparty app and select "Connect to Fortnite" through the settings menu or the TV icon. From there, you'll want to join your friends in the Houseparty app, then boot up the game.

Once you're in Fortnite, you'll be able to see your friends' faces in the left sidebar, next to the game. Each player will have a Fortnite-themed background automatically inserted behind them, so it seems you don't need to worry about sprucing up your environment before jumping into video chat. Parents can turn off Houseparty video chat in Fortnite's parental controls, and Epic notes that the service is only open to those who are 13 or older anyway.

Houseparty video chat is rolling out for Fortnite beginning today, so if you play Fortnite on PC or PlayStation 4/5, it might be worth giving the app a download and taking it for a spin. You can read more about Houseparty's integration with Fortnite – complete with an FAQ that covers things like blocking, kicking and reporting problematic video chatters – over on the Fortnite website.