Dedicated Server for Palworld: Complete Hardware Requirements and Hosting Configuration

Palworld exploded onto the gaming scene as one of the most resource-intensive survival games to host on dedicated hardware. With its open world, hundreds of Pals with individual AI behaviors, base building mechanics, and persistent multiplayer progression, a standard shared hosting plan will buckle under the combined CPU and RAM load. Running a dedicated server on bare-metal dedicated hosting gives you exclusive access to every resource — no noisy neighbors stealing CPU cycles during peak hours.

If you are evaluating Palworld hosting options in 2026, compare dedicated server providers on our comparison table to find hardware that matches Palworlds unique demands.

Why Palworld Needs Bare-Metal Dedicated Hardware

Palworld runs on Unreal Engine 5 and simulates a massive open world where every Pal has its own AI state machine, pathfinding calculations, and interaction logic. The server must track thousands of entity positions, base structures, item states, and player inventories simultaneously. Unlike many survival games, Palworlds workload scales non-linearly with player count because Pals continue their AI routines even when players are offline in their bases.

A VPS introduces hypervisor overhead and resource contention that directly impacts Palworld server performance. During peak hours when multiple bases have active Pals working, the CPU load can spike to 90%+ even on high-end dedicated processors. Bare-metal eliminates this variability entirely.

Palworld Dedicated Server Hardware Requirements (2026 Updated)

The key to running a smooth Palworld server is a balance of high single-core clock speed for game tick processing and sufficient cores for AI workload distribution. Palworlds engine benefits from both — unlike some games that are purely single-thread bound.

CPU Requirements

Player Count	Minimum CPU	Recommended CPU	Game Config
1–8 players	4 cores @ 3.5 GHz	6 cores @ 4.5 GHz (Ryzen 5 7600X / EPYC 4244P)	Vanilla, standard rates
8–16 players	6 cores @ 4.0 GHz	8 cores @ 5.0 GHz (Ryzen 7 7800X3D / EPYC 4344P)	Medium bases, 2x rates
16–32 players	8 cores @ 4.0 GHz	12+ cores @ 5.0 GHz (Ryzen 9 7950X / EPYC 4484PX)	Large bases, mods, high spawn

For servers with mods that add new Pals, custom items, or enhanced AI behaviors, allocate at least 8 cores. Mods can increase CPU load by 25–40% depending on complexity. The 3D V-Cache on Ryzen 7 7800X3D processors provides a noticeable advantage for Palworlds AI workload.

RAM Requirements

Palworld loads the entire world and all Pal data into RAM. The memory footprint grows significantly as players build bases and capture more Pals. Palworld is known for memory leaks that compound over days of uptime, so over-provisioning RAM is strongly recommended.

Scenario	Minimum RAM	Recommended RAM	RAM Type
Vanilla, 1–8 players	12 GB	16 GB	DDR4/DDR5
Vanilla, 8–16 players	16 GB	24 GB	DDR5 ECC recommended
Modded, 8–16 players	24 GB	32 GB	DDR5 ECC
16–32 players, heavy mods	32 GB	48–64 GB	DDR5 ECC

Important note: Palworld servers accumulate RAM usage over time. A server that starts at 8 GB usage will grow to 14–18 GB after 48 hours of uptime. Plan for memory growth and schedule periodic restarts to clear accumulated allocations.

Storage Requirements

Palworld writes save data frequently — every 30 seconds by default for world saves, and every 5 minutes for player data. This places high demands on write endurance and IOPS. An NVMe Gen 4 drive is the minimum standard for 2026.

• Minimum (1–8 players): 500 GB NVMe Gen 3+
• Recommended (8–16 players): 1 TB NVMe Gen 4
• High-capacity (16–32 players, modded): 2 TB NVMe Gen 4 — mods and backup rotations add up fast

Pro tip: Configure Palworld saves to write to a separate NVMe partition or secondary drive. This prevents save-write I/O from competing with world streaming and reduces the chance of save corruption during high-load periods.

Network Requirements

Palworld uses approximately 4–8 Mbps for 8–16 players during normal gameplay. Base interactions and Pal spawning increase bandwidth usage to 10–20 Mbps during peak activity.

• Port speed: 1 Gbps is sufficient for up to 24 players. 10 Gbps recommended for 30+ players or multi-instance setups.
• Bandwidth cap: Unmetered or at least 10 TB/month. A 16-player 24/7 server uses 3–6 TB monthly.
• DDoS protection: Essential — Palworld servers are frequent targets. Ensure at least 500 Gbps mitigation.
• Latency: Choose a data center within 500 miles of your player base. Central US (Dallas, Kansas City) provides best coverage for North America.

See the full hardware specs on our comparison page to find a provider offering the CPU and RAM configuration your Palworld server needs.

Step-by-Step Palworld Dedicated Server Setup

1. Provision Your Server

Order a dedicated server matching your player count from the tables above. Choose Ubuntu 24.04 LTS for lower overhead and better resource efficiency compared to Windows Server — expect 15–20% more available RAM for Palworld.

2. Install SteamCMD and Download Palworld

sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y steamcmd
mkdir -p ~/palworld-server
steamcmd +force_install_dir ~/palworld-server +login anonymous +app_update 2394010 validate +quit

The Steam app ID for Palworld dedicated server is 2394010. Always use the validate flag on initial install to ensure file integrity.

3. Configure PalWorldSettings.ini

Navigate to ~/palworld-server/Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/ and edit PalWorldSettings.ini. Key settings for 2026 performance:

Setting	Description	Recommended Value	Performance Impact
ServerPlayerMaxNum	Max concurrent players	8–32 (match hardware)	Directly affects CPU + RAM
PalSpawnNumRate	Pal spawn multiplier	1.0–1.5	Higher values increase CPU load
DropItemMaxNum	Max dropped items on ground	100 (default 300)	Reduces memory for item tracking
AutoSaveSpan	Seconds between auto-saves	60 (default 30)	Longer intervals reduce save-related stutter
bAutoSaveEnable	Toggle auto-save	True	Keep enabled; disable only for troubleshooting

4. Firewall and Ports

• UDP 8211 — Primary game port (default)
• UDP 27015 — Steam query port
• TCP 25575 — RCON admin port (password-protect in production)

5. Launch the Server

cd ~/palworld-server
./PalServer.sh -useperfthreads -NoAsyncLoadingThread -UseMultithreadForDS

The startup flags above are critical for 2026 performance: -useperfthreads enables improved thread management, and -UseMultithreadForDS distributes workload across available cores.

Performance Optimization Tips for Palworld

• Schedule daily server restarts at 4:00 AM: Palworld servers have known memory leaks. A daily restart prevents 48-hour RAM creep from degrading performance.
• Reduce DropItemMaxNum to 100: Fewer dropped items means less memory overhead for entity tracking on the ground.
• Set AutoSaveSpan to 60 seconds instead of the default 30. This reduces save-related stutter with minimal risk of data loss.
• Use Linux instead of Windows: Palworld uses 15–20% less RAM on Ubuntu compared to Windows Server, leaving more for Pals and players.
• Limit base count per guild: Each active base spawns Pals that perform AI routines. Fewer bases per guild means fewer simultaneous AI calculations.
• Implement automated backups: Use a cron job to back up ~/palworld-server/Pal/Saved/ every 4 hours. Keep at least 7 days of backups.

Recommended Palworld Server Builds for 2026

Build	Use Case	CPU	RAM	Storage	Network	Est. Cost/Month
Starter	1–8 players, small bases	Ryzen 5 7600X (6c/12t)	16 GB DDR5	500 GB NVMe	1 Gbps unmetered	$50–80
Standard	8–16 players, mods	Ryzen 7 7800X3D (8c/16t)	32 GB DDR5 ECC	1 TB NVMe Gen4	1 Gbps + DDoS	$80–130
High Performance	16–32 players, heavy mods	Ryzen 9 7950X (16c/32t)	48–64 GB DDR5 ECC	2 TB NVMe Gen4	10 Gbps + DDoS	$150–280

Browse our dedicated server comparison table to filter providers by CPU, RAM, and bandwidth. For the best value on Palworld-optimized hardware, check InterServers dedicated hosting plans with DDoS protection included in every plan.

With the right bare-metal server matched to your player count and mod setup, your Palworld community will enjoy lag-free catching, building, and exploring across the Palapagos Islands.