Valheim Crossplay Explained: Every Platform, Servers and Saves

Yes: since Valheim 1.0 launched on 9 September 2026, crossplay works between every version of the game, from Steam and the Microsoft Store to Xbox, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2. You link up with a join code from the host's pause menu or through a dedicated server started with the -crossplay argument. What does not travel is your save, which only moves between Xbox and the Microsoft Store.

This guide is built on Iron Gate's 1.0 FAQ, its Crossplay FAQ, the official dedicated server guide and the Steam patch notes up to patch 1.0.20 (15 October 2026), checked on 26 October 2026. We have not tested connections ourselves, so anything the official documents do not cover is marked as such.

The question comes up constantly. Valheim peaked at 129,594 concurrent players in Steam's daily most-played chart read on 26 October 2026, still inside the top 25, and r/valheim has had a steady run of crossplay help threads since launch, from Switch 2 and PS5 status checks to dedicated server problems.

Which platforms can play Valheim together?

Iron Gate's 1.0 FAQ answers the headline question in one line: Valheim supports crossplay between all platforms. The release date announcement in June added PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2 to a roster that already covered PC, Linux, Mac, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. Where the platforms differ is hosting and saves.

The Switch 2 version adds touch-screen menus, HD Rumble 2 and gyro aiming, according to Coffee Stain's announcement reported by Gematsu, none of which changes how it connects. A world holds 1 to 10 players whatever the mix of platforms in it.

How do you join a friend on another platform?

The simplest route is the join code, which Iron Gate's Crossplay FAQ describes in four steps:

1. The host starts a world through the game, or runs a dedicated server with crossplay enabled.
2. The host opens the pause menu, where the join code is shown, and clicks it to copy it.
3. The host sends the code to the friend.
4. The friend opens Join Game, presses Add server and pastes the code.

One caveat on sourcing: that FAQ was first written in September 2022 for the Microsoft Store and Xbox versions, and Iron Gate re-published it in February 2025, before the PS5 and Switch 2 versions existed. The studio has not published a separate walkthrough for either console, so menu names there may differ from the PC wording above.

How do you set up a crossplay dedicated server?

A dedicated server keeps the world online when the host logs off. On Steam it is a free tool: tick Tools in the Steam Library, install Valheim Dedicated Server, then edit start_headless_server.bat (start_server.sh on Linux) before running it. The official guide recommends editing a copy, because Steam resets the original file with every update.

The argument that matters for mixed groups is -crossplay. Without it, the server runs on the Steam backend and only Steam players can see and join it. With it, the server runs on the crossplay backend, PlayFab, and players from any platform can connect.

To control who gets in, the server reads three text files in its save folder: adminlist.txt, bannedlist.txt and permittedlist.txt. Each takes one Platform User ID per line in the case-sensitive format [Platform]_[User ID], which you can find in the server log or the in-game F2 panel. Adding anyone to permittedlist.txt locks out everyone not on it, so list every player you want to let in.

Stop the server with Ctrl+C in its command window. Iron Gate warns that closing the window with the X may leave it running in the background.

Can you host a dedicated server on Xbox, PS5 or Switch 2?

Not on Xbox. The Crossplay FAQ says a dedicated server cannot be set up on the console, but an Xbox can join one as normal if both the console and the server have crossplay enabled. If the crossplay option is missing on Xbox, Iron Gate points to the console's parental control settings.

Iron Gate's documents say nothing about dedicated servers on PS5 or Switch 2. The join-code route starts from a world hosted through the game, and nothing in the 1.0 FAQ limits which platform can host it; for an always-online world, a PC server running -crossplay is the documented option. Microsoft Store owners on Windows get the server too: run StartHeadlessServer.bat from C:\XboxGames\Valheim\Content\Server after reading the manual in that folder.

Does your Valheim save carry over between platforms?

Mostly not. The 1.0 FAQ says Xbox players can reach their saves from a PC if they launch the game from the Microsoft Store, and the Crossplay FAQ confirms that buying on one of those two gives you the other. Beyond that pairing there is no cross-platform save sync, and a Steam copy cannot be launched through the Microsoft Store.

Pick the host with that in mind: the world lives with whoever hosts it, and Iron Gate documents no way to move saves to or from PS5 or Switch 2.

Can you use mods on a crossplay server?

Not officially. Iron Gate's 1.0 FAQ says Valheim has no official mod support on PC, so there is none on consoles either, and no Steam Workshop. Any mod that every player must install therefore leaves PS5, Switch 2 and Xbox players out of a mixed group. PC-only groups can still use community mods, which Iron Gate says it cannot guarantee will work after an update.

Two patches since launch matter here. Hotfixes 1.0.10 and 1.0.12 added a devcommand that lets players opt back into achievements after using devcommands or mods, and patch 1.0.20 reset the cheated flag on items and build pieces that a bug in the initial 1.0 release had marked wrongly.

Why does crossplay break after a Valheim patch?

Because every platform has to run the same version, and patches do not land everywhere at once: several 1.0 patch notes say internal restrictions mean a few days before a patch reaches all platforms. Most were built so crossplay kept working during the rollout, and when one was not, Iron Gate said so. Patch 1.0.20 on 15 October warned that a Mac App Store delay would stop crossplay between that version and everyone else until it caught up, and the 1.0.12 hotfix apologised for a Switch 2 delay that had broken compatibility.

If a friend suddenly cannot join, check three things in this order: that everyone is on the same patch, that the latest patch notes do not flag a delayed platform, and, on a dedicated server, that -crossplay is still in your startup file, since Steam resets the original .bat on updates.

What to read next

Our Valheim hub collects every guide on the game as it lands. If your group is weighing a second survival game, our Enshrouded dedicated server guide covers the same hosting questions for Keen Games' survival RPG, and the Enshrouded beginner guide explains what to know before your first session.