To host a Palworld world that friends can join without your game client staying open, run the separate Dedicated Server tool on a suitable Windows or Linux machine. Install it through Steam for the simplest Windows setup, or use SteamCMD for command-line installation on Windows or Linux. Start the server, edit its active settings file, allow and forward its UDP port (8211 by default), then give friends your public IP address and port.
Choose how and where to host
A dedicated server runs separately from the Palworld game client, so you do not need to keep the game open for the world to remain available. You do need to keep the server process and host machine running, and make the server reachable to players outside your local network.
| Option | Best fit | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Windows with Steam | First-time hosts who want the simplest documented setup | Pocketpair describes this as the easy route for people without game-server setup experience. Find the Dedicated Server tool in Steam’s Library. |
| SteamCMD on Windows or Linux | Hosts comfortable with command-line installation and management | Pocketpair documents SteamCMD installation for both operating systems. |
| Official Docker option | Advanced users who already manage containers | Pocketpair offers Docker instructions, but labels this route for advanced users. Its guidance cautions against Docker Desktop on Windows and macOS because storage performance can raise malfunction or save-corruption risks. |
Pocketpair’s version 0.5.0 requirements page lists Windows 64-bit or Linux 64-bit, recommends a four-core CPU and 16 GB of memory, and says more than 32 GB is recommended for larger deployments. It says an 8 GB system can boot the server but has increased risk of out-of-memory crashes. These are Pocketpair’s published requirements, not independently tested guarantees for a particular player count or workload. The page recommends faster SSD storage and warns that low-performance storage may corrupt saved data; it does not require buying a new drive if your existing host is suitable. See Pocketpair’s requirements page.
Install and start the dedicated server
Windows with Steam
- In Steam, open Library and make sure the library filter includes Tools.
- Search for
Palworld Dedicated Serverand download it. - Launch the tool and choose the dedicated-server play option when prompted.
SteamCMD on Windows or Linux
- Install or open SteamCMD, then run:
steamcmd +login anonymous +app_update 2394010 validate +quit - After the download completes, change to the server’s
PalServerinstallation directory. - On Windows, run
PalServer.exe. On Linux, run./PalServer.sh.
Pocketpair’s dedicated server deployment guide documents these installation routes. Its current getting-started pages identify version 1.0.4; exact requirements and settings details cited below come from older, versioned documentation where noted.
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Configure the server and world
Edit the active settings file
Start the server once before configuring it so it creates the required folders. Then copy DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini into the active location and edit PalWorldSettings.ini there. Changing only the default template will not apply the settings to your running world.
- Windows:
Pal/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/PalWorldSettings.ini - Linux:
Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/PalWorldSettings.ini
The active configuration can hold options such as the server name, server password, admin password, player limit, and world-balance values. Consult Pocketpair’s version 0.6.8 server configuration reference for setting names and accepted values.
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Choose startup arguments deliberately
Pocketpair’s version 0.6.8 argument reference lists -port=8211 for the listening port and -players=32 to change the maximum number of participants. The reference also gives -useperfthreads -NoAsyncLoadingThread -UseMultithreadForDS as an example for performance on multithreaded CPUs; these flags are optional, not prerequisites for starting a server. See the server argument reference.
Allow friends to reach the server
The default game port is UDP 8211, and Pocketpair’s requirements page says it can be changed. The host firewall must allow traffic on the chosen UDP port, and the router must forward that same port to the server machine. Pocketpair summarizes the requirement this way: “Separate Windows firewall settings and router settings are required.” If you change the listen port with -port, update both the firewall rule and router forwarding to match. -publicport is for the externally advertised community-server port; it does not change the server’s listening port. The port and forwarding guidance is on Pocketpair’s requirements page and in its argument reference.
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Forwarding makes the server reachable from outside your home network, but it does not itself tell friends where to connect. Give them the public IP address of your network and the server’s chosen port. Do not assume a local address such as 192.168.x.x will work for friends connecting over the internet.
Choose how friends will join
Private server: direct IP and port
For a private server, friends enter the server IP address and port in the field below the in-game server list. This is the direct-connect route; you do not need to publish the server in the community listing. Follow Pocketpair’s join a dedicated server guide.
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Publicly listed server: community list
If you want people to find the server in the in-game community list, start it with -publiclobby. Friends then select Community server and choose your server from the displayed list. Pocketpair says private hosts can skip this step. A router without Hairpin NAT may prevent the host or other people on the same local network from joining a listed community server from inside that network; use the appropriate direct-connect route or connect from outside the LAN if that issue applies. See the argument reference and community server guide.
Friends on different platforms
Pocketpair’s version 0.6.8 configuration reference lists CrossplayPlatforms with the default (Steam,Xbox,PS5,Mac). Check that your server is current, that the active setting includes your friends’ platforms, and that everyone is using the correct join flow. An older Pocketpair 0.5.0 page said PS5 cross-play was unavailable at that time, so that dated statement should not be treated as current compatibility guidance. See the configuration reference and Pocketpair getting-started guide.
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Back up saves and maintain the server
The configuration reference describes bIsUseBackupSaveData; enabling it creates a backup directory with periodic saves. For additional protection, keep backups somewhere separate from the active server data so a damaged save or host failure does not take out both copies.
For Pocketpair’s Docker setup, the repository’s sample Compose configuration uses docker compose up -d to start, docker compose down to stop, and docker compose logs to view logs. The first startup generates save and configuration files under ./Saved. Before updating, the repository advises backing up data, stopping the server, changing the image tag to match the game version, and restarting. Follow the official Docker repository for its Compose details.
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