Yes, Valheim is fully cross-platform since version 1.0. A player on PC can share a world with friends on Xbox, PS5 and Nintendo Switch 2. Below you’ll find which platforms are covered, how to join a friend with a join code, how to set up a dedicated server that everyone can reach, and what crossplay doesn’t solve: moving saves between platforms and mods.
Is Valheim cross-platform? The short answer
It is. Iron Gate promised full crossplay between all platforms when it announced the release date, and version 1.0 delivered it on 9 September 2026. You can play together on:
- PC: Steam (Windows, Linux, Mac), Humble (Windows, Linux, Mac) and the Microsoft Store (Windows)
- Mac: Mac App Store
- Xbox: Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S
- PlayStation 5
- Nintendo Switch 2 only. Valheim was not released on the original Switch.
A world holds 1 to 10 players, and servers have the same cap of 10. A bigger clan won’t fit into one world, whatever platforms its members are on.
How to join a friend on another platform
The easiest route is a join code. No server, no IP addresses, just a code you can drop into your group chat.
- The host loads the world and opens the pause menu.
- They copy the Join code and send it to everyone else.
- Friends open Join Game from the main menu and click Add server.
- Paste the code and connect.
This works across platforms: the host on Steam, one friend on PS5, another on Switch 2. The catch is that the world only runs while the host is playing. Once they log off, the session ends for everyone. If you want the world to stay up without them, you need a dedicated server.
A dedicated server for every platform
The dedicated server is a separate app called Valheim Dedicated Server. On Steam you find it in your library once you tick Tools. Iron Gate doesn’t run official servers, so you host it yourself or rent one.
For crossplay, one parameter makes the difference: -crossplay.
| Backend | Who can join | Ports |
|---|---|---|
With -crossplay (PlayFab) | Players on every platform | No port forwarding needed, traffic goes through a relay |
| Without it (Steam) | Steam players only | You must forward ports, 2456–2457 by default |
On a crossplay server, players connect via the public IP and port, a join code or the server list, not a local IP. The port then only tells apart several servers running on the same IP.
If you own the Microsoft Store version, start the server with StartHeadlessServer.bat in C:XboxGamesValheimContentServer. Our dedicated server guide covers the full setup, from installation to admin rights, and Iron Gate’s own server guide has the official steps.
Xbox and dedicated servers
You can’t run a dedicated server on Xbox. You can join one from Xbox, as long as crossplay is enabled on both the server and the console. If it still won’t connect, check the console’s parental controls, which may need adjusting.
Xbox, Microsoft Store and PC
Xbox and PC share a special link in Valheim. A copy bought on the Microsoft Store also runs on Xbox, and vice versa. The versions are identical and update the same way. The Xbox and Microsoft Store ports are handled by the external studios Piktiv and Fishlabs.
Steam and the Microsoft Store are separate storefronts, though. You can’t launch a Steam copy through the Microsoft Store or the other way round. If you play on Steam, there is no need to buy the Xbox version for crossplay; you can play together anyway.
Is Valheim on Game Pass?
No. Valheim left the Xbox Game Pass catalogue on 30 September 2024. On xbox.com it is now listed as cloud playable with Game Pass Essential, Premium or Ultimate, but only if you buy the game. Without your own copy, Game Pass won’t get you in.
PS5 and Switch 2 in crossplay
PS5 and Switch 2 connect the same way as everyone else: through a join code or to a server running with -crossplay. Just expect updates to arrive a little later.
Right at the 1.0 launch, the Switch 2 patch was delayed and the platforms were briefly out of sync. On 11 September the studio announced that all platforms were compatible for crossplay again. The later patches 1.0.14 to 1.0.16 reach all platforms a few days apart, and crossplay keeps working in the meantime.
What the console versions offer and what they lack compared to PC is covered in our guide to Valheim on consoles.
What crossplay doesn’t cover: saves and mods
Playing together doesn’t mean sharing saves. Valheim has no cross-save between platforms. The only exception is Xbox and PC when you run the PC version from the Microsoft Store. A Steam world can’t be moved to PS5 or Switch 2.
If you want console players in a world you already have, host it on your PC or on a crossplay-enabled dedicated server and let them join.
Mods are the other limit. There are none on consoles, Iron Gate doesn’t officially support mods on PC either, and 1.0 has no Steam Workshop. If you’re planning a shared world with console players, go for the unmodded game.
If your group is starting fresh, the studio recommends a new world for 1.0, because an old world only gets the new content in areas you haven’t explored yet. More on that in our 1.0 update overview, and the road north is covered in the Deep North guide. The official answers are collected in the Crossplay FAQ, and more guides wait in our Valheim hub.
FAQ
Yes. Since 1.0, crossplay works across all platforms, PC and PS5 included. Join through a join code or on a dedicated server with crossplay enabled.
Yes. Switch 2 is part of crossplay just like every other platform. Note that the game is only out on Nintendo Switch 2, not on the original Switch.
No. Valheim has no cross-save; the only exception is Xbox and the Microsoft Store PC version. You can host your Steam world on PC and let console players join it.
No. A server started with crossplay runs on the PlayFab backend and traffic goes through a relay. You only forward ports 2456–2457 for a server on the Steam backend.
No, it left the catalogue on 30 September 2024. With a Game Pass subscription you can play it in the cloud, but only if you own the game.
Information verified on 26 September 2026.