If you’ve ever tried to play Palworld with 8+ friends and hit random disconnects, lag spikes, or lost save files when the host logs off, you already know how frustrating public or peer-to-peer lobbies can be. Learning how to setup Palworld dedicated server solves all those issues, giving you full control over your world settings, mod support, and 24/7 access even if no one is actively playing. I’ve set up 4 separate Palworld servers for my friend group over the past few months, so I’ve worked out all the kinks you’re likely to run into during the process. You don’t need advanced coding or IT skills to get a server up and running, either.
Pre-Requisites to Setup Your Palworld Dedicated Server
Before you download any files, you need to make sure you have all the right tools and hardware to run a stable server. The exact requirements will change based on how many players you plan to host, and whether you want to run mods on your world. Minimum hardware specs for 10 or fewer players are a 4-core 3GHz CPU, 16GB of RAM, 20GB of free SSD storage, and a stable 100Mbps internet connection with at least 10Mbps upload speed. If you plan to host 20+ players or run multiple large mods, bump that up to a 6-core CPU and 32GB of RAM to avoid lag.
You’ll also need administrator access to the device you’re using for hosting, and permission to adjust settings on your home router if you’re self-hosting. If you’re running the server on the same computer you use to play Palworld, you’ll need at least 32GB of total RAM, since both the game and server will consume memory at the same time. Static IP address setups are recommended for home hosts, so your friends don’t have to update the server address every time your network resets.
- Compatible hardware meeting minimum performance requirements for your expected player count
- Administrator access to the device you’re hosting the server on
- Permission to adjust port forwarding settings on your home network router
- Free Steam account to download the Palworld Dedicated Server tool
You don’t need to own a copy of Palworld to run the dedicated server tool, but every player connecting to the server will need a valid copy of the game to join. You’ll also need to open two ports on your router: 8211 UDP for game traffic, and 27015 UDP for Steam server discovery. Most router settings menus let you adjust port forwarding under the “advanced settings” tab, and you can find step-by-step guides for your specific router model with a quick search.
Step-by-Step Setup for Windows Self-Hosted Servers
Windows is the most popular option for first-time server hosts, since the setup process is largely automated through Steam. First, open your Steam client, go to your Library, and check the “Tools” box in the filter menu at the top of the left sidebar. Search for “Palworld Dedicated Server” in the tools list, click install, and wait for the 3GB file to download fully.
Once the download is complete, right click on Palworld Dedicated Server in your Library, select Manage, then click Browse Local Files to open the server folder. Find the file named DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini, copy it, then navigate to the Pal/Saved/Config/WindowsServer folder and paste the file there. Rename the pasted file to PalWorldSettings.ini, this is the file you’ll edit to adjust all your server settings. Always make a backup of your settings file before editing it, so you don’t have to start over if you accidentally enter an invalid value.
You can open the PalWorldSettings.ini file with any basic text editor like Notepad. Some of the most common settings to adjust include ServerName (what shows up in the public server list), ServerPassword (to keep random players out), ServerPlayerNum (max number of players, up to 32 officially), bEnablePvP (toggle PvP on or off), and PalCaptureRateMultiplier (adjust how easy it is to catch Pals). Save your changes to the file once you’re done adjusting settings.
Go back to Steam, launch the Palworld Dedicated Server, and wait 2 to 3 minutes for the world to fully load. You can test if the server is working by opening Palworld on the same device, going to the Join Multiplayer menu, entering 127.0.0.1:8211 in the private server address bar, and entering your server password if you set one. If you connect successfully, you can share your public IP address with your friends so they can join your server. If you get a connection error, double check that your Windows Firewall is set to allow traffic for the Palworld Dedicated Server tool.
Common Palworld Dedicated Server Issues and Fixes
Even if you follow every step perfectly, you’ll probably run into a few small issues when you first launch your server. The most common complaint I hear from new hosts is random lag spikes when 8 or more players are online at the same time. This is almost always caused by insufficient RAM, or too many active Pals and base buildings loading in the world at once. Restarting your server once every 24 hours clears cached data and cuts down on lag dramatically, I do this for my own server and it reduced lag incidents by 80% overnight. You can also lower the max Pal spawn limit in your settings file to reduce memory usage if you can’t upgrade your RAM right now.
Lost or corrupted save files are another common issue, especially if you run mods on your server. Always enable auto-save in your server settings, and make a manual backup of your Pal/Saved/SaveGames folder once a week so you can restore your world if something goes wrong. If you’re testing new mods, add them one at a time and play for a few hours to make sure they don’t conflict with your existing files, since conflicting mods are the top cause of save corruption.
If your friends can’t connect to your server even after you’ve set up port forwarding, first double check that your public IP address hasn’t changed. Most home internet providers use dynamic IP addresses that reset every few days, so you can use a free dynamic DNS service to keep a consistent address for your server if you don’t want to pay for a static IP. You should also make sure none of your friends are using a VPN when they try to connect, since most VPN services block traffic to private game servers by default.
Should You Self-Host or Use a Paid Palworld Server Host?
Self-hosting is a great option if you have a spare computer that can stay on 24/7, and you don’t mind troubleshooting small issues on your own. It’s completely free, and you have full control over every file on your server, so you can run any mod or custom setting you want. The biggest downsides are that your server will go down if your home internet or power goes out, and you’re responsible for all security updates and backups on the device.
Paid Palworld server hosts cost between $5 and $25 a month depending on how many player slots you need, and they handle all the technical work for you. Most hosts offer 99.9% uptime, automatic daily backups, and built-in mod support so you don’t have to edit files manually. You also don’t have to leave your own computer running all day, and you get access to tech support if you run into issues you can’t fix on your own. For most casual friend groups of 5-10 players, self-hosting works perfectly if you have a spare device that meets the hardware requirements. If you want 24/7 access for players across different time zones, or you don’t want to deal with port forwarding and router settings, a $10 a month paid host is more than enough for 10 players.
You can also switch between self-hosting and a paid host whenever you want, since you can transfer your save file between any Palworld dedicated server setup. If you start with self-hosting and decide you want more reliability later, you can upload your existing world save to a paid host in just a few minutes, so you won’t lose any of your base builds or captured Pals.
At the end of the day, taking the time to learn how to setup Palworld dedicated server makes your multiplayer play sessions far more enjoyable, with none of the frustration of random disconnects or lost progress when the host leaves. You can tweak every setting to make the world exactly how you and your friends want it, from higher Pal capture rates to faster resource respawns or even completely custom modded gameplay. If you run into a rare issue we didn’t cover here, the official Palworld Discord server has a dedicated channel for server hosts where you can find fixes for almost any bug you might encounter. Once your server is up and running, you’ll wonder why you ever bothered with peer-to-peer lobbies in the first place.