Palworld took the gaming world by storm and its dedicated server demand spiked accordingly. The server is more resource-intensive than its "Pokémon with guns" aesthetic suggests.
Hardware Requirements
Pocketpair publishes the official numbers on its requirements page (version 1.0.4):
| Item | Pocketpair's wording |
|---|---|
| CPU | 4 Core + (Recommended) |
| Memory | 16GB. Recommended for larger than 32GB. 8GB is also bootable, but increases the possibility of server crashes due to out of memory. |
| Network | UDP Port 8211 (Default, Changeable) |
| Storage | Recommended for faster SSD. Low-performance storage may corrupt saved data |
| OS | Windows 64bit, Linux 64bit (Ubuntu, AlmaLinux etc...) |
The Japanese version of that page words the 32GB line as 32GB or more recommended for stable operation. In practice: 8GB will start a server for a couple of friends on a fresh world, with a real risk of out-of-memory crashes as it grows. 16GB is the figure Pocketpair lists, and a full lobby or a long-running world with lots of bases wants 32GB or more. A dedicated server holds at most 32 players, so extra RAM buys headroom for the world, not extra slots.
Installation via SteamCMD
# Install SteamCMD
sudo apt install lib32gcc-s1 steamcmd
# Create a dedicated user
sudo adduser palworld
su - palworld
# Download Palworld server (App ID: 2394010)
steamcmd +login anonymous +force_install_dir /home/palworld/server +app_update 2394010 +quit
Starting the Server
#!/bin/bash
/home/palworld/server/PalServer.sh \
EpicApp=PalServer \
-port=8211 \
-players=16
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.
PalWorldSettings.ini
Server configuration is in Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/PalWorldSettings.ini:
[/Script/Pal.PalGameWorldSettings]
OptionSettings=(
ServerPlayerMaxNum=16,
ServerName="Your Server Name",
ServerPassword="your_password",
AdminPassword="admin_password",
bUseAuth=True,
DayTimeSpeedRate=1.0,
NightTimeSpeedRate=1.0,
ExpRate=1.5,
PalCaptureRate=1.0
)
With AdminPassword set, you log in as admin in chat. Our Palworld admin commands guide shows how and lists every command Pocketpair documents. If bases vanish while their guild is offline, read our 72-hour guild reset guide.
Moving a world your group already played in co-op? Our co-op world to dedicated server guide covers the save folder, DedicatedServerName and the host character fix.
Updating the Server
# Update Palworld server files
steamcmd +login anonymous +force_install_dir /home/palworld/server +app_update 2394010 +quit
sudo systemctl restart palworld
Set up a daily cron job for automatic updates to keep pace with game client versions:
# crontab -e
0 4 * * * /usr/bin/steamcmd +login anonymous +force_install_dir /home/palworld/server +app_update 2394010 +quit && systemctl restart palworld
Host your Palworld server on Space-Node dedicated Palworld hosting. Plans from 8GB to 48GB, from EUR 10.20/mo, up to 32 players, NVMe SSD and DDoS protection included.