Ask any Palworld community the same question and it comes up weekly: "can my friend on Xbox play with me on Steam?" Yes, they can. Getting there is fiddlier than it should be, though, and a wrong server setup means one platform simply cannot connect.
This is the full setup: how to get Steam and Xbox/Game Pass players on one server, what still does not work, and where people usually go wrong.
How Palworld Crossplay Works
Palworld has one dedicated server (SteamCMD app 2394010, Windows or Linux). Pocketpair's server docs say it is cross-play enabled by default for the Steam version, Xbox and the Microsoft Store PC version, the Mac version and the PS5 version. Its CrossplayPlatforms setting decides which of those can connect, and the default is (Steam,Xbox,PS5,Mac).
The catch is how people get in. A plain dedicated server is joined with an IP address and port number. Pocketpair's docs say Xbox and PS5 players can only join a server deployed as a community server, which is the same dedicated server started with the -publiclobby argument, so it shows up in the in-game server list.
Requirements
Hardware
Crossplay does not change the hardware. Pocketpair's requirements page recommends 4 cores or more, lists 16GB of memory, adds "Recommended for larger than 32GB", and says 8GB "is also bootable, but increases the possibility of server crashes due to out of memory." It also recommends a fast SSD, because low-performance storage may corrupt saved data.
| Server | RAM | CPU |
|---|---|---|
| A few friends, fresh world | 8 GB (boots, higher out-of-memory risk) | 4 cores or more |
| Small community or a growing world | 16 GB | 4 cores or more |
| Full lobby (the cap is 32 players) | 32 GB or more | 4 cores or more, fast single-thread |
RAM follows the number of captured Pals and built bases more than raw player count. Four active players with 50+ Pals each and a pile of bases can chew through as much memory as a dozen casual players.
Network
Crossplay uses the same ports as any Palworld server:
| Port | Protocol | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| 8211 | UDP | Game traffic |
| 27015 | UDP | Steam query |
| 25575 | TCP | RCON (optional) |
Setting Up a Crossplay Server
Step 1: Install the Server
Crossplay runs on the normal dedicated server, installed through SteamCMD. There is no separate crossplay build:
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",CrossplayPlatforms=(Steam,Xbox,PS5,Mac))
The setting that decides who can connect is CrossplayPlatforms. Pocketpair lists its default as (Steam,Xbox,PS5,Mac), so a fresh config already lets all four platforms in. Only narrow it if you want to keep a platform out. Pocketpair also notes that edits to DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini do nothing; the server reads PalWorldSettings.ini.
Step 3: Make It a Community Server
If anyone in the group plays on Xbox or PS5, the server has to run as a community server. On your own machine that is one extra argument at startup, -publiclobby (see Step 4). A group that only plays on Steam can skip this and join by IP address and port.
Pocketpair's community server page adds one catch for home hosting: if your router does not support Hairpin NAT, you cannot connect to a community server hosted inside the same network.
Step 4: Start the Server
cd /home/steam/palworld
./PalServer.sh -publiclobby
Older guides add -useperfthreads -NoAsyncLoadingThread -UseMultithreadForDS to this line. Pocketpair's arguments page now says that in v1.0 and later, leaving those unset may improve performance, so start without them.
Common Crossplay Issues
"Session Not Found" on Xbox
The classic. Almost always one of these:
- Not a community server: the server was started without
-publiclobby, so Xbox and PS5 players cannot join it - Ports not forwarded: Xbox players come in through the same game port (UDP 8211 by default) as everyone else
- Server not findable: console players find community servers in the server list, so set
ServerNameto something people can actually search for
Steam Players Cannot Connect
Steam players who connected fine before but cannot now:
- Check that
CrossplayPlatformsstill includes Steam - Check that everyone, server included, is on the same game version. After a patch, update the server too
- If they look for the server in the in-game list, it has to run with
-publiclobby. Otherwise they join with the IP address and port
Platform-Specific Bugs
A few things just behave differently per platform:
- Text chat: Xbox players type on a virtual keyboard, slowly. Plenty of servers just run Discord alongside the game
- Voice chat: works across platforms, quality is inconsistent, and push-to-talk behaves differently on controller versus keyboard
- Inventory management: controller navigation is slower than a mouse. On PvP servers where inventory speed matters, that gap shows
Performance on Crossplay Servers
Crossplay itself does not change what the server needs. Player behavior moves the needle. Game Pass dumped a huge wave of new players into Palworld, and first-time players build more bases and catch more Pals. A server tuned for efficient veteran Steam players will watch its resource usage climb as Game Pass players settle in.
Hosting for Crossplay
Same requirements as a Steam-only server.
On Space-Node Palworld hosting, CrossplayPlatforms and every other PalWorldSettings value can be set straight from the config editor in the Pterodactyl panel. Plans scale from small friend groups up to proper communities.
A mixed group of 4 to 8 across Steam and Xbox can start on an 8 GB plan while the world is fresh. Pocketpair warns that 8GB raises the risk of out-of-memory crashes, so plan to move to 16GB as bases and Pals pile up.
Xbox and PS5 players can only join a community server, so if console players are part of your group, check with us in live chat before you order.
FAQ
Do Steam and Xbox players see each other's characters the same way? Yes. Characters, Pals, buildings and items render identically on both platforms. Game state is platform-agnostic.
Can Xbox players use mods? Not in any supported way. Pocketpair's mod documentation says server-side mods currently work only on the Windows edition of the dedicated server. Our Palworld servers run the Linux edition, so server-side mods are not supported on them. Keep the server vanilla if crossplay matters.
Is there input-based matchmaking? No. Controller and keyboard/mouse share the same servers with the same rules, and dedicated servers do no aim assist balancing between them.
Can I switch a Steam-only server to crossplay without losing data?
Yes. It is the same server and the same save. Restart it with -publiclobby and check that CrossplayPlatforms lists the platforms you want.
Why do Xbox players complain about lag that Steam players do not notice? Two usual suspects: the Xbox client prioritizes packets differently, or the Xbox player is on Wi-Fi at home while the Steam players are wired. Nothing about the server treats platforms differently.