Palworld dedicated server: crossplay, settings and RAM
Published on 3 October 2026
Palworld left early access on 10 July 2026, and with version 1.0 its dedicated servers have grown up. Your own server keeps your world online even when you’re offline, so your friends can carry on with their Pals and their base. The essentials in brief: dedicated servers support crossplay for Steam, Xbox, PlayStation 5 and Mac by default, the official server guide recommends 16 GB of memory, and most settings live in a single file. Here’s how it all works.
Why a dedicated server?
In a regular co-op world, one player is the host. When they stop playing, the world stops for everyone. On a dedicated server the world runs independently of the players. Everyone can log in whenever they like, and up to 32 players can play at once, provided your server has enough memory.
Crossplay: who can join?
According to Pocketpair’s official server guide, dedicated servers support crossplay by default for:
- the Steam version;
- Xbox Series and the PC version from the Microsoft Store;
- the macOS version;
- the PlayStation 5 version.
The setting is called CrossplayPlatforms, with a default value of (Steam,Xbox,PS5,Mac). If you only want PC players, for example, you remove platforms from that list.
One important point for console players: according to the server guide, players on Xbox or PS5 can only join a community server, a server that’s listed in the game’s server list. Our Palworld servers start as community servers, so that’s already taken care of.
Connecting to your server
- On PC, enter your server’s IP address and port below the server list. You’ll find both in the game panel.
- On Xbox and PS5, choose Community server in the server list and search for your server by name.
So give your server a recognisable name, and set a password if you want to keep it to your own group.
How much memory do you need?
The official server guide lists a processor with at least 4 cores and 16 GB of memory, and recommends more for heavier servers. A server with 8 GB will start, but according to the same guide it’s more likely to crash from running out of memory. That’s why our Palworld plans start at 8 GB.
Our advice: with a small group and a relaxed pace, you can start with 8 GB. As your world grows, you build big bases or more people join, go for 16 GB or more. A scheduled restart, for example at night through Schedules in the panel, keeps memory use in check.
Your own Palworld server? At CakeHosting one starts at €8.95 a month, VAT included, and you can cancel monthly. See the Palworld plans.
Changing settings
The most important settings are in the game panel under Startup:
- Server Name: the name shown in the server list.
- Server Password: the password needed to join. Leave it empty and your server is open.
- Admin Password: the admin password. We generate one automatically for a new server; you’ll see it under Startup.
- Max Players: up to 32.
- bEnableInvaderEnemy: turns raids on your base on or off.
Everything else lives in Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/PalWorldSettings.ini. That’s where you adjust the experience rate (ExpRate), the capture rate (PalCaptureRate), what you lose when you die (DeathPenalty) and the crossplay platforms, among other things. Always stop your server before editing this file, or your changes may be lost.
You become an admin inside the game: type /AdminPassword in chat, followed by your admin password. You can then kick or ban players and save the world, among other things.
Managing players and protecting your world
As an admin you can use chat commands such as /ShowPlayers to see who’s online, /KickPlayer and /BanPlayer with a player’s ID, and /Save to save the world straight away. The full list is in the official server guide.
In PalWorldSettings.ini you can also switch on Palworld’s built-in world backups with bIsUseBackupSaveData. According to the server guide this puts a little more load on the disk. Keep making your own backups in the game panel as well.
Common mistakes
- Editing the settings file while the server is running. Your changes get overwritten. Stop the server first.
- Special characters in a password. Use only letters, numbers, hyphens and underscores for the server and admin passwords. The panel doesn’t accept other characters.
- Console players can’t find the server. Have them search for the exact server name in the community server list, and check that their platform is in
CrossplayPlatforms. - Nobody can join after a Palworld update. Your server updates itself when it starts, so a restart is usually all it takes.
Mods on your server
We’ll be straight with you: according to the official server guide, server-side mods currently only work on the Windows edition of the dedicated server. Our Palworld servers run on Linux. So for now, plan on a server without mods. If that changes, we’ll update this article.
Backups
Your world lives in the Pal/Saved/SaveGames folder. Make a backup in the game panel before changing settings or after a big Palworld update. See Create and restore a backup.
