[Guide] How to Play Palworld Together on Steam and Xbox

Yes, Steam and Xbox Series players can play Palworld together on a community server that allows both platforms. Choose a server, confirm its platform permissions, then join the same entry in the in-game server list.

Pocketpair’s official server documentation for version 1.0.4 requires a community server for Xbox access. This is a dedicated server registered in the game’s server list. The procedure below covers that setup, which is separate from co-op sessions hosted through the game client.

Choose a server everyone can join

Servers support Steam, Xbox Series, Windows Microsoft Store, macOS and PS5 by default. An administrator can restrict that compatibility, however, so support for your platform does not guarantee admission to every server. Before arranging a session, get the server’s name and confirm that it accepts everyone’s platforms.

For a Steam and Xbox Series group, there are two requirements to check: the server must be published as a community server, and its configuration must allow Steam and Xbox. If you are joining an existing server, ask its administrator to confirm both. You only need the setup instructions below if you administer the server yourself.

Check Xbox One compatibility separately. Pocketpair names Xbox Series in the server documentation without separately confirming Xbox One. That distinction matters if your group includes someone using the older console.

Group size also affects your choice. The Palworld Steam page advertises up to 4 players in online co-op and up to 32 on a dedicated server. Treat those as advertised limits rather than a promise that a particular server has room for everyone. For a larger gathering, ask the administrator how many slots are available before directing the group there.

Set platform permissions and publish your server

These steps assume your dedicated server is already installed. Allowing Xbox connections and publishing the server in the community list are separate parts of the setup: changing platform permissions alone does not make it a community server.

1. Open PalWorldSettings.ini. This is the file used to change server settings on Windows or Linux. Editing DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini does not apply those changes.
2. Check CrossplayPlatforms. Its default value is (Steam,Xbox,PS5,Mac). Make sure Steam and Xbox are included for your Steam and Xbox Series group. A custom configuration may have removed either entry.
3. Replace reliance on the older parameter. In the documentation version linked above, AllowConnectPlatform is unavailable and has been replaced by CrossplayPlatforms. Use the latter to control which platforms can connect.
4. Launch in community server mode. Use the -publiclobby option. When launching through Steam, you can instead select Open and start as a community server.
5. Check access from both platforms. Have a Steam player and an Xbox Series player find the server in the community list and try joining it. The result to verify is that both can enter the same world.

The official configuration documentation covers the settings and configuration file; the community server deployment procedure explains the launch options. When editing an existing platform list, preserve the entries other members of your group need. Replacing the whole list just to add Xbox could remove access for friends already using another platform.

A dedicated server also changes who needs to stay connected. It hosts the world without requiring the host to keep their Palworld client open, so access no longer depends on that person’s gaming session. This is useful when friends play at different times, but the server itself must remain running. Dedicated hosting does not guarantee permanent availability.

Join through the community server list

Once the server is ready, everyone should select the same server entry. Pocketpair’s official connection procedure uses the English menu label Community server.

1. Get the name of the community server your group has agreed to use.
2. Open the server list and select Community server on the left.
3. Find the server, then click its entry to join.
4. Have your friend on the other platform select that same server.

Before troubleshooting a missing entry, confirm what your friends are actually hosting. A co-op session running through someone’s game client is a different setup from the community server described here. Searching the community list is the appropriate route when the group has agreed to use a community server.

What to check when a connection fails

Start with the point where the process stops. A server missing from the list, a platform being unable to join and a configuration change having no effect call for different checks. Work through the relevant setting, then retry before changing another part of the setup.

• The server is missing on Xbox: ask the administrator to check that it was launched in community mode. Pocketpair requires a community server for Xbox access; installing a dedicated server alone does not meet that requirement.
• A player on one platform cannot join: check CrossplayPlatforms. A custom list can restrict access even though Palworld servers support crossplay by default.
• A settings change appears to do nothing: confirm that the administrator edited PalWorldSettings.ini. Changes made only to DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini do not apply.
• You are joining a server hosted on your own network: check whether the router supports Hairpin NAT. Pocketpair warns in its community server deployment documentation that a router without this support prevents that local connection.

The Hairpin NAT restriction is particularly relevant when the person hosting the server tries to join it from the same network. A failure in that situation does not, by itself, establish a compatibility problem between Steam and Xbox. Check this network condition when it matches your setup rather than treating it as an explanation for every connection error.

After correcting the relevant issue, find the community server again and try joining from Steam and Xbox Series. Confirm that both players reach the same world before gathering the rest of the group. This gives you a clear result to check instead of relying on the server merely appearing in the list.

If your goal is to continue an existing save after switching platforms, check the applicable save-transfer options separately. Server crossplay establishes which players can connect together; it does not establish whether their saves transfer or sync between Steam and Xbox.

For a shared Steam and Xbox Series world, choose a community server that accepts both platforms and have everyone join its listing. If you run the server, check its platform permissions and community launch mode, then confirm access from both platforms before arranging the session.

For related reading, see the Palworld crossplay page and more gaming coverage on JEU.VIDEO.