Palworld Crossplay Dedicated Server: Steam, Xbox, and Game Pass Together (2026)

The most common question about Palworld servers in 2026 is some variation of "can my friend on Xbox play with me on Steam?" The answer is yes, but it is not as straightforward as it should be. Palworld's crossplay implementation requires a specific server setup, and getting it wrong means one platform cannot connect at all.

This guide covers exactly how to set up a Palworld dedicated server that works across Steam and Xbox/Game Pass, what the current limitations are, and where the common pitfalls are.

How Palworld Crossplay Works

Palworld has two separate server binaries:

1. Steam Dedicated Server (SteamCMD, app ID 2394010): only accepts connections from Steam players
2. Xbox/Game Pass Dedicated Server: accepts connections from Xbox and Game Pass players, and can also accept Steam players when crossplay is enabled

This is important to understand: the Steam-only server cannot do crossplay. If you want Steam and Xbox players on the same server, you need the Xbox-compatible server binary, not the Steam one.

The Xbox-compatible server uses Xbox Live authentication, which means all connecting players (including Steam players) need an Xbox Live account linked to their platform. Steam players will be prompted to sign in with their Microsoft account when connecting to a crossplay server.

Requirements

Hardware

Palworld's server requirements are similar to other survival games:

RAM usage scales with the number of Pals captured and bases built, not just player count. A server with 4 active players who each have 50+ Pals and multiple bases can use as much RAM as a server with 12 casual players.

Network

Crossplay servers need more ports than Steam-only servers:

Setting Up a Crossplay Server

Step 1: Install the Server

For crossplay, you need the community server tool that supports Xbox authentication. As of 2026, the recommended approach is:

mkdir -p /home/steam/palworld
steamcmd +force_install_dir /home/steam/palworld \
  +login anonymous \
  +app_update 2394010 validate \
  +quit

Step 2: Configure for Crossplay

Edit PalWorldSettings.ini in the server's config directory:

[/Script/Pal/PalGameWorldSettings]
OptionSettings=(Difficulty=None,DayTimeSpeedRate=1.000000,NightTimeSpeedRate=1.000000,ExpRate=1.000000,PalCaptureRate=1.000000,PalSpawnNumRate=1.000000,PalDamageRateAttack=1.000000,PalDamageRateDefense=1.000000,PlayerDamageRateAttack=1.000000,PlayerDamageRateDefense=1.000000,PlayerStomachDecreaseRate=1.000000,PlayerStaminaDecreaseRate=1.000000,PlayerAutoHPRegeneRate=1.000000,PlayerAutoHpRegeneRateInSleep=1.000000,PalAutoHPRegeneRate=1.000000,PalAutoHpRegeneRateInSleep=1.000000,BuildObjectDamageRate=1.000000,BuildObjectDeteriorationDamageRate=1.000000,CollectionDropRate=1.000000,CollectionObjectHpRate=1.000000,CollectionObjectRespawnSpeedRate=1.000000,EnemyDropItemRate=1.000000,DeathPenalty=All,bEnablePlayerToPlayerDamage=False,bEnableFriendlyFire=False,bEnableInvaderEnemy=True,bActiveUNKO=False,bEnableAimAssistPad=True,bEnableAimAssistKeyboard=False,DropItemMaxNum=3000,DropItemMaxNum_UNKO=100,BaseCampMaxNum=128,BaseCampWorkerMaxNum=15,DropItemAliveMaxHours=1.000000,bAutoResetGuildNoOnlinePlayers=False,AutoResetGuildTimeNoOnlinePlayers=72.000000,GuildPlayerMaxNum=20,BaseCampMaxNumInGuild=3,PalEggDefaultHatchingTime=72.000000,WorkSpeedRate=1.000000,AutoSaveSpan=30.000000,bIsMultiplay=True,bIsPvP=False,bCanPickupOtherGuildDeathPenaltyDrop=False,bEnableNonLoginPenalty=True,bEnableFastTravel=True,bIsStartLocationSelectByMap=True,bExistPlayerAfterLogout=False,bEnableDefenseOtherGuildPlayer=False,CoopPlayerMaxNum=32,ServerPlayerMaxNum=32,ServerName="My Crossplay Server",ServerDescription="",AdminPassword="changethis",ServerPassword="",PublicPort=8211,PublicIP="",RCONEnabled=False,RCONPort=25575,Region="",bUseAuth=True,BanListURL="https://api.palworldgame.com/api/banlist.txt")

The critical setting for crossplay is bUseAuth=True. This enables Xbox Live authentication, which is required for crossplay connections.

Step 3: Xbox Live Configuration

For the server to authenticate Xbox/Game Pass players, it needs to communicate with Xbox Live services. This happens automatically if the server has internet access and bUseAuth is enabled.

Steam players connecting to a crossplay server will see a Microsoft login prompt the first time. They need to:

1. Have or create a free Xbox Live account
2. Link it during the connection process
3. Accept the crossplay terms

This is a one-time setup per Steam account.

Step 4: Start the Server

cd /home/steam/palworld
./PalServer.sh -useperfthreads -NoAsyncLoadingThread -UseMultithreadForDS

The performance flags are important:

• -useperfthreads: enables optimized thread scheduling
• -NoAsyncLoadingThread: prevents a known issue with async loading causing crashes
• -UseMultithreadForDS: enables multi-threaded dedicated server mode

Common Crossplay Issues

"Session Not Found" on Xbox

The most common crossplay problem. Usually caused by:

1. Server not using auth: bUseAuth must be True
2. Ports not forwarded: Xbox connections use the same game port but the authentication handshake needs outbound HTTPS access from the server
3. Server not listed: Xbox players search by server name in the community server browser, not by IP. Make sure your ServerName is set to something findable

Steam Players Cannot Connect

If Steam players could connect before crossplay was enabled but cannot after:

1. Check that the server is not running the Steam-only binary
2. Verify that the Microsoft login prompt appears for the Steam player
3. If the player dismisses the Microsoft login, they will be disconnected. They need to complete it.

Platform-Specific Bugs

Some features behave differently across platforms:

• Text chat: Xbox players use a virtual keyboard, which is slower. Some servers use Discord for out-of-game communication instead.
• Voice chat: works cross-platform but quality varies. Push-to-talk settings differ between controller and keyboard input.
• Inventory management: Xbox players navigate inventories with a controller, which is slower than mouse. This matters for PvP servers where inventory speed is a factor.

Performance on Crossplay Servers

Crossplay servers have slightly higher overhead than Steam-only servers because of the Xbox Live authentication layer. In practice, the difference is small (roughly 5 to 10% more RAM usage) and only noticeable on servers that are already near their limits.

The actual performance factor is player behavior, not the crossplay layer. Xbox Game Pass brought a large wave of casual players to Palworld, and these players tend to build more bases with more Pals (they are exploring the game for the first time). If your server was tuned for experienced Steam players who play efficiently, expect resource usage to climb as Game Pass players build out.

Hosting for Crossplay

The server requirements are the same as Steam-only, with the caveat that you need outbound HTTPS for Xbox Live auth and slightly more RAM for the authentication overhead.

Space-Node Palworld hosting supports crossplay configuration on all plans. The Pterodactyl panel lets you set bUseAuth and all other PalWorldSettings directly through the config editor. Plans start at sizes appropriate for small crossplay groups and scale to handle larger communities.

For a group of 4 to 8 friends split across Steam and Xbox, an 8 GB plan is the sweet spot. It gives enough headroom for Pal and base growth without paying for resources you will not use.

FAQ

Do Steam and Xbox players see each other's characters the same way? Yes. Character models, Pals, buildings, and items all render identically across platforms. The game state is platform-agnostic.

Can Xbox players use mods? No. Mods are Steam-only. If you install mods on a crossplay server, Xbox players will not be able to connect. Keep the server vanilla if you want crossplay.

Is there input-based matchmaking? No. Controller and keyboard/mouse players are on the same server with the same gameplay. There is no aim assist balancing between input methods on dedicated servers.

Can I switch a Steam-only server to crossplay without losing data? Yes, with caveats. The save format is compatible. You need to install the crossplay-compatible server binary, enable bUseAuth, and restart. Existing Steam players will need to complete the Microsoft account linking on their next connection.

Why do Xbox players complain about lag that Steam players do not notice? Usually one of two things: the Xbox client handles certain networking differently (packet prioritization), or the Xbox player's home network is introducing latency that the Steam player's wired connection does not have. Server-side, there is no platform-specific lag.