Palworld crossplay: how Xbox and PC play together

The most common Palworld question in any friend group: “I’m on Xbox, you’re on Steam, can we play?” The short answer is yes. For up to four people the host just switches Crossplay on in World Settings and shares the invite code. For a bigger group, or one that wants the world up while the host is offline, the answer is a dedicated server with crossplay switched on, and that is what this guide sets up.

What Palworld crossplay actually supports#

Palworld’s crossplay update opened both co-op sessions and dedicated servers to players coming from Steam, Xbox (including PC Game Pass), PlayStation 5 and Mac. A single server can have all of them in the same world at once. The full picture, pairing by pairing, is in is Palworld crossplay? every platform pairing.

What a co-op session does not do: hold more than four players, or stay up when the host closes the game. And a console can’t run a dedicated server at all.

So the rule is simple. Mixed platforms with more than four people, or with anyone who wants to play while the host is away, need a dedicated server. If you don’t have one yet, start with how to host a Palworld server and come back here for the crossplay part.

Turn crossplay on in the server settings#

Crossplay is a single setting in PalWorldSettings.ini. On a rented server you’ll find the same thing as a toggle or a text field in the control panel.

1. Open the settings file

   On your own server: PalServer/Pal/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/PalWorldSettings.ini. Stop the server before editing; changes only apply on restart.

2. List the platforms you want to allow

   Inside OptionSettings=(...), add or edit:

   CrossplayPlatforms=(Steam,Xbox,PS5,Mac),

   Remove any platform you want to keep out. Most groups leave all four. Our free Palworld server settings generator writes this line with the rest of the file if you’d rather tick boxes.

3. Restart and confirm

   Start the server. In the console output you should see the enabled platforms listed near the top. If the line is ignored, check for a missing comma before or after it, or run the file through our settings checker to see why the setting isn’t applying.

How console friends join#

Console players don’t type an IP the way Steam players do. They use the in-game server browser:

1. Make the server discoverable

   Xbox and PS5 can only join a server that appears in the Community server list. Start the server with the -publiclobby launch argument (on a rented server this is the “community server” or “public listing” toggle in the panel) and keep ServerPassword set so the listing stays private in practice.

2. Search by name

   From the title screen: Join Multiplayer Game → Community Servers, search the server name, select it, enter the password.

3. Favourite it

   Mark the server as a favourite so nobody has to search again tomorrow.

Things that look like crossplay bugs but aren’t#

• “Server not found” on console. The listing takes a few minutes to appear after the server starts. Restart the search, not the server.
• Friend joined but can’t see me. Check you’re in the same world, not two servers with the same name. Names are not unique on the community list; the password and player count help tell them apart.
• Xbox player has a different name. Console players show their platform gamertag. That’s expected.
• Voice chat. Palworld doesn’t ship cross-platform voice. Use Discord; the Xbox app works on console.

If you’d rather not touch the .ini#

A rented Palworld server with crossplay on is a single checkbox. You get the same result as everything above, minus the port forwarding, minus the PC that has to stay on, and with the version update applied for you when it lands.

Quick answers

Can Xbox and PC play Palworld together?

Yes. In a co-op session the host turns Crossplay on in World Settings and shares the invite code; for a group of more than four, or one that plays while the host is offline, a dedicated server started as a community server does it.

Is Palworld crossplay between Steam and Game Pass on PC?

Yes. Both are covered by the dedicated server crossplay setting; the Game Pass version behaves like the Xbox one.

Why does my friend get a version mismatch error?

The platforms receive patches at slightly different times. Everyone, including the server, must be on the same version. Wait for the slower store to catch up or check for updates manually.

Does crossplay cost extra?

No. It is a setting on the server. Console players need their normal online subscription for multiplayer, the same as any other game.