Palworld Crossplay 2026: PC, Xbox, PS5 & Mac Setup

Is Palworld Crossplay in 2026? PC, Xbox, PS5 & Mac Setup

Last updated: September 17, 2026. Every setting name and default below was read out of the shipped Palworld dedicated server, Steam buildid 25247047, not from documentation.

Crossplay Compatibility Chart (2026)

What the shipped server actually contains

This is the part a yes-or-no answer cannot give you. These values were read straight out of DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini in the Palworld dedicated server we run, Steam buildid 25247047, so they are the defaults your server starts from before you change anything.

The Crossplay Timeline (How We Got Here)

• January 19, 2024: Palworld launches in Early Access on Steam and Xbox Series X/S + Game Pass. Crossplay between Xbox ecosystem clients only; Steam clients on a separate pool.
• v0.5.0 (March 19, 2025): The "Crossplay Update". Steam clients can now connect to Xbox/Game Pass servers and vice versa. Global Palbox feature for cross-platform pal transfer.
• 1.0 Release (July 10, 2026): Palworld left Early Access. PlayStation 5 launched alongside, and the current server documentation lists Steam, Xbox, PS5, and Mac in the crossplay platform set.
• v1.0.1 (July 15, 2026): First post-release hotfix (build 1.100.619) - shipped same-day on PC, Xbox and PS5, fixing platform-specific issues (Xbox fast-travel freeze, a PS5 save error) without touching the save format. See the 1.0 guide's v1.0.1 section for the full list.
• July 30, 2026: "Dawn of Palpagos" launches - the first booster set of the physical Palworld trading card game. Despite the name, it is not game DLC; no paid game DLC is announced.

Step-by-Step: Crossplay Dedicated Server Setup

You want a single Palworld dedicated server that PC (Steam), PS5, Xbox, or Mac players can all connect to. The community keeps asking "best dedicated server for crossplay?" - the answer is less about the host and more about getting these eight things right. Run through this list before opening the server to your group.

1. Use a current dedicated-server build

Start with the current Palworld dedicated-server files and keep the server and every client on the same version. Older instructions that send Steam users to a crossplay_beta branch are obsolete. If you run a managed Palworld dedicated server, ask the host which build and platform set it is running before troubleshooting a mixed-platform join.

2. Set the right ports in PalWorldSettings.ini

# PalWorldSettings.ini OptionSettings
CrossplayPlatforms=(Steam,Xbox,PS5,Mac)
PublicIP=<your-public-ip>
PublicPort=8211
RCONEnabled=True
RCONPort=25575

The default listening port is 8211/UDP. Forward the server's listening port through your router; on a managed host it is open by default. PublicPort describes the external port used for a community listing and does not itself change the listening port. Console and PC clients use the same server address and port.

3. Enable all crossplay platforms in config

CrossplayPlatforms=(Steam,Xbox,PS5,Mac)

The CrossplayPlatforms list controls which client platforms the server accepts. Setting all four enables full crossplay. To restrict (e.g., a Steam-PC-only event server), remove platforms from the list. Most communities run the full list.

4. Verify the server is publicly listed (or make it password-only)

bShowPlayerList=True
ServerPassword=""
ServerDescription="Crossplay PvE - All platforms welcome"

Community listing needs two things. The first is the -publiclobby startup flag, which is a real switch in the current server binary. The second is PublicIP and PublicPort set to what players outside your network actually reach: they ship empty and 8211 respectively, and an empty PublicIP is the usual reason a self-hosted server never shows in the list even with the flag on. A password can still protect the server, and the description shows in the browser and signals to mixed-platform players that they are welcome.

5. Player direct-connect addresses

Public listing is nice but direct connect is what everyone actually uses, because each platform handles the server browser slightly differently. Tell your players:

• Open the dedicated-server connection form below the server list.
• Enter your.public.ip and 8211 (or the port configured for your server).
• For a community server, select the community-server list and search for the server name.
• Managed host with domain: replace IP with your-server.host.com:8211

6. Test from each platform before opening to your community

Before announcing, connect from each platform you have available:

• A Steam PC client
• A PS5 (if you have one)
• An Xbox Series X|S (if you have one)
• A Game Pass for PC client (if you have one - Game Pass for PC is the same build as Xbox, but the discovery path is different)

Each platform handles authentication slightly differently. If one fails to connect, fix it before going public. Your future support load drops dramatically.

7. Communicate the per-platform character split

Characters are bound to the platform account (Steam ID, Microsoft/Xbox account, PSN ID). If a player joins your server from Steam and again from Xbox Game Pass, they have two completely separate characters on the same world. This catches new crossplay servers out constantly.

On PC there is a way back from that, because the save is a file you actually hold. If a player switches platform for good - the usual case is a Game Pass player who buys the game on Steam - their old character is still in the world save under their old ID, and the free Palworld Save Converter can rebind it to their new one, in your browser with nothing uploaded: level, tech points, unlocked recipes, map and fast-travel unlocks, Paldeck, inventory, party Pals and palbox travel with the character. Two honest limits: it never re-serialises the save, so the character's stored platform value is left as it was, and we have not yet verified a Game Pass to Steam move on a live server - keep the original save and tell us if it does not work. Console saves are not exposed as files (PS5 in particular gives no file access), so this is a PC-only option.

Document this in your Discord pin:

• Each platform login = one character on this server
• If you want to swap from Steam to Xbox, your Steam character stays behind
• Pals stored in shared chests are world-state, accessible to any character on the server (so chest-based handoff still works)

See the friends-forced-to-make-new-character article for the recovery flow when a player accidentally orphans a character.

8. Crossplay-specific known issues to communicate up front

• Console clients can time out during world load on large worlds. Workaround: have them connect during low-traffic hours when the server has spare CPU. Increasing the Connection Timeout in client settings also helps.
• Voice chat is platform-specific. No cross-platform voice. Use Discord for unified comms.
• Console mod support is limited. A heavily-modded server will reject console clients. If crossplay matters, run vanilla or only the lightest QoL .pak mods (cosmetic, UI). Pure-server-side mods are fine.
• A listing can lag after a restart. Refresh the community-server browser first; if the server still does not appear, use the IP-and-port flow, confirm -publiclobby is on the start line, and check that PublicIP and PublicPort match what players outside your network actually reach.

The Steam vs Game Pass Character Question (Most-Asked Issue)

The single most common confusion on a crossplay Palworld server is "I bought Palworld on Steam, my friend got it on Game Pass, can we play together?" The answer is yes, and the trap is that they think it means "shared character." It does not.

How it actually works:

1. Both players join the same dedicated server using the same direct-IP address.
2. Each player creates a character on their first login. The character belongs to that platform account.
3. Steam-bought player owns "Character A" on the server. Game-Pass player owns "Character B" on the server.
4. Both characters exist in the same world, walk the same map, can trade pals via chests, and progress independently.

If a player tries to switch platforms mid-campaign (e.g., started on Steam, now wants to play on PS5), the new platform creates a new character. The old character stays orphaned in the world. There is no merge tool.

Common Crossplay Troubleshooting

"I cannot see the server in my browser"

Check, in order:

1. Is the server using a current dedicated-server build and the expected CrossplayPlatforms value? The key in the settings file is CrossplayPlatforms and nothing else. You will still see AllowConnectPlatform quoted in older guides, and the reason it lingers is that the platform values are internally an enum the game still calls EPalAllowConnectPlatform. The enum is current; the settings key of that name is not. Do not stack both.
2. Is the firewall open on UDP/8211? Test with a port checker.
3. Has the community listing lagged? Restart or refresh the browser; if it still does not appear, use direct IP and check -publiclobby, PublicIP and PublicPort.
4. Did the player select the right region filter in the in-game browser? "All regions" should be set.

"My friend on Xbox cannot join my Steam server"

Check that CrossplayPlatforms includes both platforms, that the server and client versions match, and that the server is using the current configuration format. If the listing is the problem, have the Xbox player use the dedicated-server IP-and-port form.

"PS5 player times out during world load"

Large worlds (lots of bases, lots of pals) take longer to stream to PS5 clients than to PC. Increase the client's connection timeout, or restart the server during low player count so the streaming is faster.

"PC and Xbox players see different game versions"

Palworld updates roll to platforms slightly asynchronously (Xbox via Microsoft Store, Steam via Steam, PSN via Sony certification). For 12-48 hours after a major patch, mismatched versions can appear. The server runs whichever version was installed when it started; clients on older versions cannot join until they update.

After any patch, compare the version shown by the server and every client. Steam, Xbox, PlayStation, and Mac can update on different schedules; a client that is ahead of the server cannot join until the server is updated too.

For deeper troubleshooting see the crossplay troubleshooting article.

Does Palworld Have Cross-Progression (Cross-Save)?

No. Palworld has crossplay but not cross-progression: characters, inventory and pals are tied to the platform account they were created on. The same person playing on Steam and on Xbox has two separate characters, even on the same server - there is no way to carry a Steam character to PS5 or Game Pass, and 1.0 did not change this. The closest workaround is server-side: on your own dedicated server, everyone's progress lives in the world save regardless of platform, so switching platforms means re-levelling a character while your guild's base, tames and storage stay shared. (Moving the world itself between machines is a different topic - see the save upload guide.)

What's NOT Crossplay (Still)

A few things to set expectations:

• Voice chat: behavior can vary by platform and server build (Discord is the reliable fallback)
• Mods: .pak mods work on PC; console clients ignore or reject mods. Server-side balance and rate mods are fine.
• Friend lists: Steam friends list shows only Steam friends; Xbox friends list shows Xbox; you cannot send a cross-platform invite. Use direct IP or in-game invites once they are on the server.
• Save transfer: Characters stay on the platform they were created on. No cross-progression save transfer between Steam, Xbox, PS5, and Mac single-player worlds.

Related Palworld Server Guides

• Crossplay troubleshooting
• Dedicated server setup in 10 simple steps
• Connection fixes
• Dedicated server requirements
• Friends forced to make a new character (fix)
• Server settings reference
• How to join a Palworld server on Xbox (and the admin setup that makes it visible)

Want a Palworld host with current crossplay settings and all four documented platforms enabled? See Palworld plans. Daily backups, instant setup, and 4 region options. PS5 + Xbox + Steam-PC + Mac all welcome on the same server.

If a crossplay session drops with a timeout, the cause is almost always the server side: see Palworld connection timed out on a dedicated server.