Check that the machine is suitable
Pocketpair lists a 4-core-plus CPU recommendation, 16 GB memory with more than 32 GB recommended, an SSD, and a reachable UDP port (8211 by default). Its documentation warns that an 8 GB server can start but is more exposed to out-of-memory crashes. Those are server requirements, not a promise of capacity for your particular world.
If you also play on the same PC, the game client competes with the server for resources. Decide who will maintain updates and backups before inviting a group. Renting may simplify networking, but you still need access to the world files and a restore process.
References: Pocketpair: server requirements
Install and perform the first launch
In Steam, enable Tools in the Library filter, find Palworld Dedicated Server and install it. Start the dedicated-server option once so it creates its folders, then stop it before editing configuration. This is the simplest route for a first Windows host.
For administrators already using SteamCMD, the official download command is below. It installs the server tool, not the paid game client. Use your chosen installation directory; do not paste an example path over a different live server.
steamcmd +login anonymous +app_update 2394010 validate +quitReferences: Pocketpair: deploy a dedicated server
Edit the active configuration, not the template
For a new installation only, copy DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini from the PalServer directory to Pal/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/PalWorldSettings.ini. If that destination already contains your settings, back it up and edit it instead of overwriting it. Editing the Default file alone does not configure the running world.
Within the supplied settings structure, set a recognizable ServerName, a private ServerPassword and a different AdminPassword. Keep RCON and the REST API disabled unless you have a reason to operate them securely. Do not forward their ports as part of ordinary player access. Leave gameplay multipliers at defaults until the first connection and save are proven.
The official 1.0.4 reference uses CrossplayPlatforms for permitted platforms; the older AllowConnectPlatform parameter is not available there. PublicPort describes a community-server address and does not change the listening port. Follow the documentation for your installed version rather than copying an old all-in-one configuration.
References: Pocketpair: configuration parameters
Choose the entrance before changing ports
The 1.0.4 About server page defines a community server as a dedicated server registered in the game's list. It explicitly requires community deployment for Xbox/PS5 entry. A successful direct connection from Steam PC does not verify that listing or prove a console friend can find it. The client platform and the server's operating system are separate facts.
For a new Windows server launched through Steam, choose Open and start as a community server when that is your group's branch. For a SteamCMD installation, run the command below from the existing server directory. Stop the old process first; do not start a second copy against the same world. The flag registers a listing; it does not grant game ownership, replace firewall rules or prove reachability.
- Ask the group which client platforms they will actually use. Record client/server builds before inviting anyone.
- For Xbox/PS5 entry, choose the community startup mode. Use a recognizable ServerName and a private game password; keep AdminPassword different.
- Inspect CrossplayPlatforms in the active configuration. The checked default lists Steam, Xbox, PS5 and Mac; do not replace a deliberate restriction with a broader list just to copy an example.
- Restart the single server process. On the intended client, open the server list, select Community server and look for the agreed name.
- Record listing visibility separately from joining. If the name is visible but joining fails, investigate admission/build/password/network state rather than treating discovery as a passed connection test.
| Observed state | What is established | What is still unproven |
|---|---|---|
| Server process starts | The executable launched | The correct world, public reachability or console listing |
| Steam PC joins by direct address | That client can reach that address | Xbox/PS5 community discovery or another network's access |
| Community server name appears | That client can discover the listing | Admission, password acceptance and a completed game session |
| Player joins and later reconnects after a controlled restart | A particular join/persistence check succeeded | Every platform, future update or backup restoration |
PalServer.exe -publiclobbyReferences: Pocketpair: server types and platform entry · Pocketpair: Configure for community server · Pocketpair: connect to a server · Pocketpair: configuration parameters
Test in layers before troubleshooting the internet
For the Steam PC direct-connect baseline, use the IP-and-port field below the server list. A client on the same Windows host can try 127.0.0.1:8211; another PC on the LAN needs the server machine's local address. These are proposed address checks, not a GamerWin server or proof of support for the same UI on every platform.
Only after local access works, map the required game UDP port to the server machine using your router/firewall's documented controls. Reserve that local address. Do not disable the whole firewall, use a router DMZ or expose RCON/REST to make a game test pass. External direct-connect clients need the public address; community clients need the appropriate listing plus reachable game traffic.
Pocketpair separately warns about routers without Hairpin NAT: a community server hosted on the same network may not be reachable through that path. A successful local-address test and a failed same-LAN community join therefore do not isolate an ISP fault. Ask an authorized friend on another network to check the intended entrance and record the two results separately.
| Result | Most useful next check |
|---|---|
| Cannot connect on the host itself | Server process, selected port and client/server version agreement. |
| Host works; another local device fails | Local firewall rule, correct local address and network isolation. |
| Local network works; friends cannot join | Correct game UDP mapping, upstream router/public-address availability, and the external client's actual entrance. |
| Some platforms connect and others do not | Community listing for Xbox/PS5, CrossplayPlatforms, actual builds and password; not just a general cross-play badge. |
| Local direct entry works; same-LAN community entry fails | Documented Hairpin NAT limitation; compare an authorized external-network test before changing unrelated settings. |
| Connection works, progress disappears after restart | World save location, write permissions and whether the same world is being loaded. |
References: Pocketpair: connect to a server · Pocketpair: server requirements · Pocketpair: configuration parameters · Pocketpair: Configure for community server
Make a restore plan and a buying decision
Stop the server cleanly before a manual copy, retain the relevant Saved data and configuration, and keep a dated copy away from the server disk. Test restoring to a separate instance before relying on the backup. A successful file copy is not the same as a usable restoration.
For a rented plan, ask for the CPU allocation and memory limit, the exact region, backup retention, download access to saves, renewal price and cancellation terms. '32 slots' describes an admission limit, not measured performance. A host that will not explain world export makes leaving more difficult. We have not benchmarked or ranked providers; these are procurement questions, not endorsements.
Before you play
- First launch completed; active configuration backed up.
- Different game and admin passwords set.
- Steam PC local entry checked before internet access; Xbox/PS5 community branch distinguished.
- Listing visibility, admission and save persistence recorded separately.
- Only required game access exposed.
- A separate restore test and world-export plan documented.
Frequently asked questions
Will changing PublicPort open the port?
No. Pocketpair notes that it does not change the listening port. Router/firewall configuration is a separate step.
Steam PC connects by IP, but an Xbox friend cannot find the world. Must they rebuy the game?
Do not jump to a purchase. Pocketpair's 1.0.4 guide requires community deployment for Xbox/PS5; check that listing, the actual permitted platforms and builds first. Direct entry from one PC does not validate every platform's entrance.
Do I have to rent a server?
No. Self-hosting is reasonable if someone can maintain a reachable machine and backups. Compare total responsibility as well as price.
Sources & revision notes
Editorial revision: October 27, 2026; not a gameplay test date. The reference notes identify source limits and version differences.
- Pocketpair: server requirements (Official)
Official 1.0.4 requirements read October 27, 2026: server CPU/RAM/storage and UDP 8211. Requirements are not measured capacity, and a locally running client adds load.
- Pocketpair: deploy a dedicated server (Official)
Official 1.0.4 deployment page read October 27, 2026: Steam Tools, SteamCMD app 2394010 and Windows executable. No game server was installed or launched by GamerWin.
- Pocketpair: configuration parameters (Official)
Official 1.0.4 reference read October 27, 2026 for active INI location, CrossplayPlatforms, obsolete AllowConnectPlatform and PublicPort. The page's documented defaults are not a reading of your server.
- Pocketpair: connect to a server (Official)
Official connection page read October 27, 2026. Separates direct IP:port from the Community server list; the proposed test matrix has not been executed against a game world.
- Pocketpair: server types and platform entry (Official)
Official 1.0.4 page read October 27, 2026 for community-list definition and the explicit Xbox/PS5 deployment requirement. Not proof that a specific server is accessible.
- Pocketpair: Configure for community server (Official)
Official 1.0.4 page read October 27, 2026: Steam community startup, -publiclobby and same-network Hairpin NAT warning. This guide proposes bounded checks; it does not change the reader's network or certify the setup.
October 27, 2026: separated Steam PC direct entry from Xbox/PS5 community deployment, added the documented startup flag and listing/admission/persistence acceptance matrix, and corrected the overly broad address-only join sequence. Added Hairpin NAT and credential/network boundaries. Official documents were read; no connection or server test was performed.
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