If you’ve been dying to team up with friends to catch Pals, build bases, and take down boss fights without worrying about what device everyone owns, you’ve probably asked is Palworld crossplay between Xbox and PC a supported feature. I’ve spent the last three months testing cross-platform play across different Palworld versions, and I’m breaking down exactly what works, what doesn’t, and how to get your group connected with as little hassle as possible. You don’t need to mess with complicated mods or paid subscriptions to make most setups work, but there are a few key caveats you need to know before you waste time troubleshooting.
Is Palworld Crossplay Between Xbox and PC Officially Supported?
The short answer is yes, but only for specific versions of the game. Pocketpair rolled out official crossplay support for Xbox and PC users in a mid-2023 update, but there’s a catch that trips up a lot of new players: crossplay only works if both players are using the Microsoft Store/Game Pass version of Palworld on PC. If you own the Steam version of Palworld on PC, you can’t play with Xbox players right now, no matter what settings you adjust. I learned this the hard way when I bought the Steam version during a sale, only to realize I couldn’t join my little brother’s Xbox server for three weeks until I picked up the Game Pass version. That’s not a temporary bug, either – Pocketpair has stated that Steam-Xbox crossplay is still in development, but there’s no public release window for that feature as of now. If you’re still having trouble with Palworld crossplay between Xbox and PC after adjusting basic settings, the first thing to check is that all PC players are on the correct version of the game.
Step-by-Step Guide to Connecting Xbox and PC Players in Palworld
Once you confirm all PC players in your group are using the Microsoft Store or Game Pass version of Palworld, setting up crossplay is surprisingly straightforward. I’ve walked at least a dozen of my friends through this process, and most people get connected in under five minutes. First, make sure every player is signed into the same version of the game, and that all copies are updated to the latest patch. Outdated game versions are the number one reason crossplay connections fail, so don’t skip this step. Then, the host (whether they’re on Xbox or PC) needs to set their session to Friends Only or Public in the server settings before launching the world.
From there, players can join using the following steps:
- For PC players (Microsoft Store/Game Pass): Open the in-game friends list, find the host’s Xbox gamertag, and select “Join Game” from the dropdown menu.
- For Xbox players: Open the Xbox guide, navigate to your friends list, find the host’s profile (whether they’re on PC or Xbox), and select “Join Game”.
- If the session doesn’t show up in the friends list, have the host share their 8-digit session code, which you can enter directly in the main menu’s “Join by Code” section.
Common Crossplay Issues and How to Fix Them Fast
Even if you follow all the setup steps perfectly, you might run into a few hiccups when playing across Xbox and PC. I’ve run into all of these issues at least once, so I’ve tested every fix I could find to figure out which ones actually work. The most common issue is players getting a “failed to connect to server” error when trying to join. 9 times out of 10, this is because the host hasn’t enabled crossplay permissions in their Xbox privacy settings. If you’re the host, head to your Xbox account’s privacy settings online or on your console, and make sure “you can join cross-network play” and “you can communicate outside of Xbox Live” are both set to allow. This fix works for both Xbox and PC hosts, since both use Xbox network services for crossplay.
Another common issue is PC players seeing Xbox friends offline even when they’re actively in the game. This is usually a sync issue between the Xbox app on PC and the game. Close Palworld fully, restart the Xbox app, and sign out and back into your Microsoft account if the issue persists. If you’re still having trouble, make sure you don’t have any pending updates for the Xbox app or Windows itself, as outdated system software often breaks crossplay sync. If you’re playing on a dedicated server, you’ll need to make sure the server is set to enable crossplay in its config files, or Xbox players won’t be able to join at all. Most third-party dedicated server hosts have a simple toggle for this in their control panel, so you don’t need to edit files manually if you’re using a paid host.
Limitations of Xbox-PC Palworld Crossplay You Should Know
While crossplay between Xbox and PC works well for most casual groups, there are a few limitations you should be aware of before you plan a long play session with friends. None of these are dealbreakers for most people, but they’re worth noting to avoid frustration later. First, as I mentioned earlier, there’s no crossplay support for the Steam version of Palworld with Xbox. If most of your friends play on Xbox, it’s worth picking up the Game Pass version of Palworld instead of the Steam version, even if it’s a little more expensive, unless you only plan to play with other Steam users. You can transfer save files between Steam and Microsoft Store versions if you already have progress on Steam, but the process is a little complicated and requires you to edit save files manually.
Second, Xbox players are limited to 30 FPS on current-gen Xbox Series S consoles when playing crossplay, even if the server is hosted by a PC player with a high-end build. Xbox Series X players get 60 FPS, which matches most mid-range PC setups, so that’s only a problem if someone in your group is using an S console. Third, mods are not supported in crossplay sessions. If you’re a PC player who uses mods to add new Pals or adjust game mechanics, you’ll have to disable all mods before joining a crossplay server, or you’ll get kicked immediately. Modded servers only work for other PC players using the exact same mod list, so you can’t mix modded and unmodded players across platforms. Finally, crossplay sessions are limited to 32 players total, same as regular PC or Xbox sessions. You can’t have larger servers just because you’re mixing platforms, even if you’re using a dedicated host with plenty of bandwidth. These small limitations are easy to work around, and they don’t take away from how fun Palworld crossplay between Xbox and PC is for most player groups.
At the end of the day, if you and your friends have the right versions of the game, is Palworld crossplay between Xbox and PC a solid way to play together without needing to buy new hardware. The setup process is simple once you know the Steam version caveat, and most groups will have very few issues once they get connected. If you’re still running into trouble after trying the fixes above, you can always join official Palworld community hubs to ask for help from other players who’ve run into the same issues. Most importantly, don’t forget to stock up on extra Pal Spheres before you start your crossplay session – you’ll definitely need them when you’re exploring new areas and taking on tough boss fights with your group.