Palworld Crossplay: PC, Xbox, PS5 and Mac Compatible

Yes, Palworld has crossplay between Steam, Xbox, PS5 and Mac since the v0.5.0 update in March 2025. The CrossplayPlatforms server setting controls the allowed platforms, with a default value of (Steam,Xbox,PS5,Mac). For a dedicated server to be visible to console players, you have to publish it as a community server using the -publiclobby option. Progress is not automatically transferred between worlds. Here is the complete configuration so you don't leave a friend out in the cold.

Key takeaways

• Palworld has officially had crossplay between Steam, Xbox, PS5 and Mac since the v0.5.0 update announced by Pocketpair in March 2025.
• Two modes coexist: hosted co-op (quick, but the host has to be online) and the dedicated server (persistent, but requires real configuration).
• A private dedicated server doesn't show up in the in-game list for Xbox and PS5 players. You have to publish it as a community server using the -publiclobby launch option.
• Crossplay doesn't mean cross-save: a character created in one world doesn't transfer elsewhere, only moving Pals between worlds is possible, via the Global Palbox.

Palworld crossplay: what Pocketpair really announced

The confusion around Palworld crossplay comes from a mix-up between two distinct things. On one side, the compatibility between platforms, confirmed by Pocketpair when it rolled out version v0.5.0 in March 2025. On the other, the server configuration that makes this compatibility usable day to day, documented in the official Palworld Server Guide.

The compatibility covers four platforms: Steam, Xbox (Series X/S and backward-compatible Xbox One), Microsoft Store PC (same connection family as Xbox), PlayStation 5 and Mac. That's the foundation. What players then discover is that raw compatibility isn't enough: without a suitable server setting, a PS5 player can perfectly well launch Palworld without ever seeing their friends' private server appear in their in-game list.

The blocking factor comes down to two precise places in the server configuration: the CrossplayPlatforms setting in PalWorldSettings.ini and the -publiclobby launch option. Understanding these two points eliminates 90% of the blockers encountered in practice.

Hosted co-op or dedicated server: the real choice to make before inviting

First of all, a question of format. Palworld offers two ways to play with others, with completely different use cases.

Hosted co-op is the quick solution. One player opens their world in solo, turns on multiplayer in the options, and sends an invite code to their friends. The world stays accessible as long as the host is online, and disappears as soon as they close the game. It's perfect for an evening with friends, a one-off session, a first crossplay test. Its limit: nobody can connect when the host isn't there.

The dedicated server requires initial preparation but runs independently. Players connect directly to the server (by address and port on Steam and Mac, through the community server list on Xbox and PS5). It's the format to go for with an active guild, a shared base built over several weeks, a group with staggered schedules.

The password plays no role in crossplay. It filters access (only those who know it can join), but has no effect on which platforms are allowed to connect. A password on a crossplay server stays crossplay, as long as CrossplayPlatforms is set correctly.

Setting up CrossplayPlatforms without messing up

The dedicated server's configuration lives in one file: PalWorldSettings.ini. Pocketpair is explicit on a point that's often overlooked: the DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini file shipped by default must not be edited directly. Changes made there aren't applied. The right file to open is the one generated after the server's first launch, in the active configuration folder.

Here is the clean procedure in 6 steps.

1. After installing the dedicated server, launch it once and then stop it. This step generates the active configuration file.
2. Locate that file using the official Pocketpair documentation (the typical path is Pal/Saved/Config/ with a system subfolder, WindowsServer or LinuxServer depending on the host).
3. Save a copy of the active file before any change. A simple copy renamed PalWorldSettings.ini.bak is enough.
4. Open the active file in a text editor. At minimum, set ServerName (name visible in game), ServerDescription, ServerPassword if the group is closed, and ServerPlayerMaxNum (32 by default).
5. Check the line CrossplayPlatforms=(Steam,Xbox,PS5,Mac). This is the default value, which allows all four platforms. Only remove a platform if you explicitly want to block a type of player.
6. If Xbox or PS5 players need to join, add the -publiclobby option to the server's launch line (see the next section). Restart the server, look for its name in the in-game list from each platform, and get one player per platform in before launching into long-term progression.

A costly mistake: cutting CrossplayPlatforms down to three platforms because you think the default value only includes Steam and Xbox. The official documentation is clear, the default value does cover all four platforms. Removing a platform from the list immediately blocks access for the players concerned, with no explicit error message on the client side (the server simply doesn't show up in their list).

Our take

Don't set up a dedicated server on the very day of the group's first session. The configuration back-and-forth easily takes an hour the first time, between the initial launch to generate the file, updating the settings, and the per-platform tests. Get the server sorted the day before, with at least one friend on each platform type in the group to validate access. A multi-platform session that starts at 8 p.m. with a server set up at 7:45 p.m. invariably ends with a friend on PS5 who can't find the server and a group that switches to something else.

Community server: the key to getting Xbox and PS5 to see the server

The CrossplayPlatforms setting allows platforms to connect. It doesn't make the server visible, though. On Steam and Mac, a player can join by IP address and port, which sidesteps the visibility question. On Xbox and PS5, the console interface doesn't offer this direct connection mode: the server has to appear in an in-game list accessible from the multiplayer menu.

This list only contains servers published as a community server. It's the -publiclobby launch option that switches a dedicated server into this mode. Add it to the server's startup command line (in a start.bat script on Windows, in the systemd service on Linux, or in your host's interface if you use a provider). The official Pocketpair documentation for publishing a community server details the exact procedure depending on the deployment environment.

A private server (not published as a community server) remains useful for a closed group where everyone plays on Steam or Mac: it doesn't show up anywhere in the public list, and invitations go through direct sharing of the address. As soon as a console player joins the group, the community format becomes mandatory. The password remains usable in both cases: a community server can be locked with a password, in which case it appears in the list with a dedicated icon and refuses connections without the right code.

For those who prefer joining an existing server rather than setting one up, our Palworld server directory lists active community servers with their description, player count and house rules. A good starting point for finding a community that matches the play style you're after before investing time in a home-made server configuration.

Global Palbox: moving Pals between worlds

The March 2025 crossplay update introduced a feature often glossed over in guides: the Global Palbox, which lets you export and import Pals between different worlds. It's the only form of continuity between worlds: no character cross-save, no progression transfer, only Pals.

In practice, on a server that enables the feature, a player can send a Pal captured in that world to a global storage tied to their account, then retrieve it in another world that also enables the feature. This mechanic is particularly useful for players who alternate between a solo session (to calmly capture rare Pals) and a guild server (to use them as a group).

Activation happens at the server level, through the Global Palbox import and export options in PalWorldSettings.ini. By default, these options aren't systematically active: the server administrator has to explicitly allow them. Without this activation, a player who sends a Pal to their Global Palbox from another world won't be able to retrieve it on this server.

A point not to overlook before enabling import: the Global Palbox bypasses the world's difficulty. A player who captured a legendary Pal on a server with a boosted spawn rate can import it onto a vanilla server, which potentially breaks the group's balance. Some administrators prefer to enable only export (Pals can leave but not arrive), or to disable the feature entirely on servers with competitive progression.

Our advice

Enable automatic backups via the bIsUseBackupSaveData=True option in PalWorldSettings.ini. It generates periodic backup copies of the world, with a small additional disk load. This precaution is worth its weight in gold before a major Palworld update, a mod change or a Pal transfer via the Global Palbox. A shared guild base lost to save corruption after a patch is a collective trauma that breaks a group for months.

Troubleshooting a friend who can't join

A connection failure on a crossplay server can almost always be identified in five minutes if you follow a precise order. Resist the urge to delete everything and start over.

1. Ask for the blocked player's exact platform. "PC" isn't enough: Steam and Microsoft Store don't join the same way (see the table above). A Microsoft Store player blocked on a Steam-only server has nothing to do with a network problem.
2. Check the game version. The whole group must be on the same version. A Pocketpair update released the day before can desync a player who hasn't relaunched the launcher. On Xbox and PS5, the update is automatic but can be delayed by a network queue.
3. Remove mods on the player side. Pocketpair explicitly warns that a mod incompatible with the current version can crash the game or prevent the connection. A test to do first before blaming the server.
4. Confirm CrossplayPlatforms on the server side. The line must contain the blocked player's platform. A server configured as (Steam,Xbox,Mac) silently rejects PS5 players.
5. For Xbox and PS5, check the community server launch. Without -publiclobby, the server doesn't appear in the consoles' in-game list, whatever the crossplay setting.
6. Test the password with an already connected player. A forgotten capital letter or an extra space is enough to block access. Copy-paste the password into a private chat channel rather than dictating it out loud.
7. Only after these checks, look at the network: port open on the firewall, NAT forwarding on the router, security rules at the host.

The little-known angle: Xbox and Microsoft Store, the trap that catches half of all groups

A source of confusion keeps coming up in multi-platform groups and deserves a separate explanation: the distinction between Steam and Microsoft Store on PC.

On paper, a PC player is a PC player. In practice, the Steam version of Palworld and the Microsoft Store version go through two completely distinct connection systems. The Steam version uses Steamworks for authentication and matchmaking. The Microsoft Store version uses Xbox Live Services, exactly like a player on an Xbox console.

In practice, this means a Microsoft Store PC player isn't in the same connection family as a Steam PC player. They're treated by the server as an Xbox player. If they try to join a private dedicated server by direct IP address (a common method among Steam players), the connection fails. They have to go through the in-game community list, like a player on an Xbox console.

This trap regularly causes situations where a group sets up a server for "Steam PC and Xbox friends", and ends up with a friend on Microsoft Store PC unable to join. The solution is simple but poorly documented: enable -publiclobby and have them search for the server in the community list, exactly like console players. The CrossplayPlatforms setting treats Xbox and Microsoft Store PC as a single entry (Xbox) since they use the same Xbox Live foundation.

A recently observed case: a guild of 12 players loses an entire evening debugging the connection of a single friend on Windows PC, before understanding that he had bought Palworld through Xbox Game Pass PC (so Microsoft Store), and not through Steam. Once the server was relaunched as a community server, access took 30 seconds.

FAQ

Is Palworld really crossplay between Steam, Xbox, PS5 and Mac?

Yes. Pocketpair officially announced crossplay between these four platforms in March 2025, with the v0.5.0 update. The official dedicated server documentation confirms the CrossplayPlatforms setting and its default value that allows all four.

Why can't my PS5 friend find my dedicated server?

Nine times out of ten, the server isn't published as a community server. Add the -publiclobby launch option to the startup line, restart the server, and look for its exact name in the community list from the PS5. Also check that CrossplayPlatforms does contain PS5.

Do you need a dedicated server to play as a duo?

No. Hosted co-op is more than enough for two to four players connecting at the same time. The dedicated server becomes relevant for a group of 4+ people with different schedules, or to keep a persistent world accessible without the host.

Does the password block crossplay?

No. The password filters which players are allowed to connect, it has no effect on the accepted platforms. A crossplay server with a password stays accessible to all four platforms, each player just has to enter the correct code.

Can you transfer a character from one world to another?

No. Palworld doesn't offer cross-save between worlds. A character created in one world stays in that world. Only the Global Palbox lets you move captured Pals between different worlds, provided import and export are enabled on the servers concerned.

Can mods prevent a crossplay connection?

Yes. Pocketpair explicitly states that a mod incompatible with the current version of the game can crash the client or block the connection. For the first crossplay test, disable all mods on the player side. Once the group is stable on the server, reintroduce mods one by one if needed.

Where can I find the official configuration after an update?

The Palworld Server Guide documentation is updated with every major version and serves as the reference for all server settings. The news.palworldgame.com portal centralizes update announcements, including warnings about incompatible mods. Check both before any server change following a major patch.