Palworld Crossplay Server Setup: Steam, Xbox, PS5, and Mac

Crossplay was Palworld’s most requested feature for nearly a year after launch. Steam players couldn’t join Xbox servers, Game Pass users were locked out of the Steam ecosystem, and PS5 was an island. If your friend group spanned multiple platforms, you were out of luck.

v0.5.0 changed that. As of March 2025, Palworld supports full crossplay across Steam, Xbox, PS5, and Mac - all on the same dedicated server. But “it works” and “it’s easy to set up” are two different statements, and the gap between them is where most of the frustration lives.

Platform compatibility

Everyone can play with everyone. Before v0.5.0, Steam and Xbox ran on completely separate networks. The Microsoft Store/Game Pass PC version could talk to Xbox consoles (shared Xbox Live infrastructure), but that was it. Steam and PS5 were isolated.

v0.5.0 introduced a unified server binary that speaks to all platforms. The server configuration gained a CrossplayPlatforms setting - enabled by default with all four platforms:

CrossplayPlatforms=(Steam,Xbox,PS5,Mac)

The update also brought dedicated server support to PS5 and Mac for the first time.

Dedicated servers vs. community servers

This is the concept that trips people up. Palworld has two server modes:

Dedicated servers run on a specific IP and port. PC players (Steam, Mac, MS Store) connect by entering the IP address directly.

Community servers are dedicated servers that register on Palworld’s in-game server list. They show up in the server browser across all platforms.

The catch: Xbox and PS5 players can only join community servers. Console versions of Palworld have no way to enter a server IP address. They browse the in-game list and join from there. If your server isn’t registered as a community server, console players cannot see it or connect to it.

Self-hosted crossplay setup

If you’re running your own server and need to configure crossplay manually, here’s the checklist.

1. Verify CrossplayPlatforms

Open PalWorldSettings.ini (in Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/ on Linux or Pal/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/ on Windows). Find or add:

CrossplayPlatforms=(Steam,Xbox,PS5,Mac)

If this setting is missing or doesn’t include all platforms, players on excluded platforms can’t connect.

2. Enable community server mode

Add the -publiclobby flag to your startup arguments. This registers your server on the in-game list. You’ll also need:

ServerName="Your Server Name"
PublicIP="your.public.ip"
PublicPort=8211

ServerName is what players see in the browser. PublicIP and PublicPort tell the master list how to direct players to you.

3. Open the right ports

• 8211 UDP - game traffic
• 27015 UDP - Steam query (required for server list visibility)

Behind a home router? You’ll need port forwarding rules. On a VPS, check your firewall.

4. Keep versions in sync

Every Palworld update needs to be applied to your server before updated clients can connect. Console updates sometimes lag behind Steam by a day or two due to platform certification. During that window, some players may see “incompatible version” until the slower platform catches up.

Platform-specific notes

Steam has the most flexibility - players can join by IP (direct connect) or through the server browser. Community server mode isn’t required if everyone is on PC, but there’s no downside to enabling it.

Xbox console and Game Pass PC players join exclusively through the in-game community server list. No direct connect option exists. This applies to the Microsoft Store PC version too.

PS5 players also join through the community server list only. PS5 dedicated server support was added in v0.5.0, making it the newest platform. Early v0.5.x patches fixed several PS5-specific bugs - keep your server updated.

Mac support was added alongside v0.5.0. Mac players connect the same way Steam players do - direct connect or server browser.

Common crossplay issues

Console friends can’t find the server

Check three things:

1. Is -publiclobby in your startup arguments?
2. Are PublicIP and PublicPort set correctly?
3. Is port 27015 UDP open?

The in-game browser only displays the first 200 search results. Have your players search by the exact server name rather than scrolling. See our connection guide for more details on the server list limitation.

”Incompatible version” error

The server version doesn’t match the client. Restart your server to pull the latest update. On WinterNode, auto-updates are enabled by default, so a restart applies the newest version automatically.

When console updates lag behind Steam (or vice versa), there’s a short window where cross-platform play breaks. This resolves once both platforms are on the same version.

Players connected but can’t interact

If players are on the same server but can’t see each other, they may have joined different worlds. Palworld servers can host multiple worlds - make sure everyone joins the same one.

The easy path

Everything above - community server registration, crossplay settings, port forwarding, version management - is what self-hosting requires. On managed hosting, it’s handled for you.

On WinterNode, crossplay is enabled by default with all four platforms active. Your server is registered as a community server automatically. Auto-updates keep versions current. Console and PC players find your server in the in-game browser and join. No configuration needed.

Palworld plans start at $1.99/GB with no CPU limits and automated backups every 12 hours. Get your Palworld server →