Valheim has quietly had crossplay for years — but almost every "how do I play with my friend on Xbox?" thread on r/valheim still ends in confusion, because the game hides the feature behind a single checkbox and a copy-paste Join code that nobody points you to. With 1.0 landing on September 9, 2026 and bringing the first-ever PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2 versions plus "full crossplay between all the platforms," the number of people trying to figure this out is about to spike. This guide is the exact, no-fluff version: what works today, what changes at 1.0, and the click-by-click steps to get a mixed PC-and-console group into the same world.
Everything below applies to the live default branch, patch 0.221.12 (released February 19, 2026). Valheim is still in Early Access today; the PS5 and Switch 2 versions and the expanded crossplay described here go live with 1.0 on September 9, 2026. Where a detail is a 1.0 change rather than something live now, it is flagged.
Key takeaways (the short version)
- Yes, Valheim is crossplay. Right now that covers Steam (PC/Linux/Mac), the Microsoft Store, and Xbox consoles. At 1.0 it expands to include PS5 and Switch 2, which Iron Gate describes as "full crossplay between all the platforms."
- Crossplay is opt-in per session. You (or your server) must tick a Crossplay box when starting the game. Leave it off and you are on the Steam-only backend, invisible to console friends.
- The magic is the Join code. Any crossplay host — a player hosting from their own game or a dedicated server — gets a Join code in the pause menu. Friends paste it under Join Game → Add server. No IP, no port forwarding.
- Up to 10 players can share a world (the game is built "for 1-10 players").
- Crossplay and mods don't mix. Community testing is consistent that BepInEx mods do not load on the crossplay backend — you pick modded or cross-platform, not both.
Is Valheim crossplay, and which platforms?
Yes. Valheim added crossplay alongside its Xbox launch on March 14, 2023, which connected Xbox and PC players for the first time. Since then, anyone on Steam, the Microsoft Store, or Xbox can play together in the same world, regardless of which store they bought the game from.
Here is the current and post-1.0 picture:
| Platform | Crossplay today (0.221.12) | At 1.0 (Sept 9, 2026) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam (Windows / Linux / Mac) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | |
| Microsoft Store (PC) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | |
| **Xbox One / Series X\ | S** | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| PlayStation 5 | ❌ Not available | ✅ New — first PS5 release | |
| Nintendo Switch 2 | ❌ Not available | ✅ New — first Switch 2 release |
Iron Gate's own release announcement is short but explicit on the crossplay promise: the 1.0 update brings "full crossplay between all the platforms, so that you can play with your friends" (valheimgame.com, "Valheim Has A Release Date!"). That is the single biggest reason to sort your setup out now — a lot of PS5 and Switch 2 players are about to buy Valheim on day one with zero existing guides written for them.
One important nuance from the official Crossplay FAQ: the storefronts are still separate installs. If you own it on Steam, you cannot launch the Microsoft Store copy and vice versa — "These are two separate platforms. You can still play with your friends from different platforms though!" You buy once per ecosystem; crossplay is about playing together, not sharing a single purchase across stores.
How do I turn on crossplay when hosting from my own game?
This is the path most small groups actually use — no dedicated server, one person hosts from their session while the others join. It works from PC or console.
- From the main menu, choose Start Game and select (or create) your character.
- Select the world you want to host.
- Before you launch in, make sure the Crossplay option is enabled. If you host a session that others join, it must be on the crossplay backend for console friends to see you.
- Load into the world. Open the pause menu (Esc / the menu button).
- You'll see a Join code. Per Iron Gate: "When you start a server through the game or by hosting a dedicated server, you'll be able to see a 'Join code' by entering the pause menu. Copy the code by simply clicking on it and send it to your friend!"
- Your friend opens Join Game, presses Add server, and pastes the code — "Your friend will then have to head over to the 'Join Game' section, press 'Add server' and paste the code."
That's the whole flow. The Join code is a relay address, which is why it works across platforms and behind routers without any port-forwarding on the players' end. The catch with player-hosted worlds is the usual one: the world only exists while the host is online. If you want a persistent world that's up 24/7, you want a dedicated server.
How do I set up a crossplay dedicated server?
A dedicated server is a separate, always-on copy of the world. The Valheim Dedicated Server is a free Steam Tool (enable Tools in your Steam library dropdown and install "Valheim Dedicated Server"), and it's the right call for any group that plays on different schedules.
The one flag that matters for cross-platform play is `-crossplay`. It switches the server from the default Steam backend to the crossplay (PlayFab) backend. The difference is the crux of nearly every server support question:
| Steam backend (default) | Crossplay backend (`-crossplay`) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who can join | Steam users only | Any platform (PC, Xbox, PS5/Switch 2 at 1.0) |
| Port forwarding | Required (2456–2457, port and port+1) | Not required — uses relay servers |
| How friends connect | Server browser / direct IP | Join code (shown alongside the IP) |
| BepInEx mods | Supported | Not supported |
A minimal crossplay launch line looks like this:
``` valheim_server -name "My Server" -port 2456 -world "Dedicated" -password "Secret" -crossplay ```
A few hard-won operational notes:
- The password must be at least 5 characters and cannot contain the server name, or the server refuses to start.
- On Linux, edit a copy of `start_server.sh`. Iron Gate's own guide warns the original script is overwritten every time Steam updates the tool — copy it, edit the copy, launch the copy.
- Xbox players can't host a dedicated server, but they can join one. Straight from the official FAQ: "You can't set up a dedicated server on an Xbox. However, you can join a dedicated server from an Xbox console just as normal, provided that both your Xbox and the server have crossplay enabled."
If you'd rather not run hardware yourself, third-party hosts will rent you a Valheim server with a crossplay toggle in their control panel. We don't sell or endorse any of them — just make sure the "crossplay" switch is on and treat the official dedicated-server guide as the source of truth for flags and ports.
How many players can play together?
Valheim is built "for 1-10 players" (Steam store description). Ten is the practical ceiling for a single world whether you're hosting from your own game or from a dedicated server. In practice, large groups hit performance limits — instanced enemies, dropped items, and heavy bases tax the host long before you hit the player number — so a well-specced dedicated server matters more the closer you get to a full lobby.
Can I switch platforms and keep my character?
Be careful here, because "crossplay" and "cross-progression" are not the same thing.
- Within the Microsoft ecosystem, yes. If you buy on the Microsoft Store you can also play on Xbox and vice versa — "Yes, and vice versa!" per the official FAQ — because it's one purchase across Microsoft platforms.
- Between different ecosystems (e.g. Steam ↔ Xbox ↔ PlayStation), your purchase does not transfer. You buy the game per ecosystem. You can still play together, but your saved characters and worlds live where you play them.
- Character and world files are local. On Windows (Steam), they're stored under `%USERPROFILE%/AppData/LocalLow/IronGate/Valheim`. You can back these up, and moving a character between your own PCs is as simple as copying the files — but there is no automatic cloud cross-save spanning different storefronts.
Iron Gate has not published cross-save/cross-progression details for the new PS5 and Switch 2 versions, so don't assume your Steam character will appear on a PlayStation at 1.0. Treat that as unconfirmed until launch day.
Why can't I find the crossplay option?
This is the most common failure, and the official answer is refreshingly specific: parental controls. From the Crossplay FAQ — "If you can't find the option to enable crossplay, you might need to adjust your parental control settings." On Xbox especially, family/child account restrictions on "communicate with others" or "join multiplayer games" will hide or block the crossplay toggle. Check the account's Xbox family settings first before assuming the feature is broken.
Other quick checks if a console friend can't see your world:
- The host isn't on the crossplay backend. A Steam player who launched without crossplay is invisible to console players. Restart the session with crossplay enabled.
- You're sharing the wrong thing. Console friends need the Join code, not your Steam IP. The code is in the pause menu.
- The world isn't up. For player-hosted worlds, the host has to be in-game. If you need it always available, move to a dedicated server.
Does crossplay break mods?
Effectively, yes — and this is worth understanding before 1.0, when a lot of players want a fresh modded run. Valheim's mod stack is BepInEx (loader) plus Thunderstore for distribution. The consistent community finding is that BepInEx hooks Valheim's Steam networking path, while the crossplay backend routes multiplayer through PlayFab instead — so with crossplay on, BepInEx mods do not load. The practical rule: run modded servers with crossplay off (Steam-only), and keep crossplay servers vanilla. Save files are compatible either way, so you can flip a world between the two, but you can't have both at once.
Note that Iron Gate has not published an official statement on this, so treat it as community-verified rather than gospel — but it's been the reliable behavior through the current patch, and it's why "my mods stopped working when I turned on crossplay" is such a common thread. It also matters for 1.0: as one r/valheim player put it ahead of launch, there's a "99.99% chance every mod will be broken" on day one anyway, so a vanilla crossplay run is the smoother way to play with a mixed group at release.
FAQ
Is Valheim crossplay between PC and Xbox? Yes. Crossplay between Steam/Microsoft Store PC players and Xbox consoles has worked since Valheim's Xbox launch on March 14, 2023. The host just needs to enable crossplay, then share the Join code from the pause menu.
Is Valheim crossplay with PS5? Not yet. There has never been a PlayStation version of Valheim. The PS5 release arrives with 1.0 on September 9, 2026, and Iron Gate says 1.0 brings "full crossplay between all the platforms," which will include PS5. Until then, PlayStation crossplay is not possible.
Do I need to pay for crossplay or a dedicated server? No. Crossplay is a free feature of the base game, and the Valheim Dedicated Server tool is a free download on Steam. You only pay if you choose to rent server hardware from a third-party host.
How do my friends join my crossplay world? Open the pause menu to reveal your Join code, click it to copy, and send it to your friend. They go to Join Game → Add server and paste the code. This works across every supported platform and doesn't require port forwarding.
Can Xbox or PlayStation players host a dedicated server? No — you can't set up a dedicated server on a console. Consoles can join a dedicated server (with crossplay enabled on both sides), but the server itself has to run on a PC or rented host.
Will my crossplay setup carry over to 1.0? Your existing world, character, and dedicated-server setup keep working through 1.0. The main change is that PS5 and Switch 2 players can join the party. Iron Gate hasn't confirmed whether a Deep North world needs any server-side steps, so back up your world file before September 9 to be safe.
Where to go next
Got the group together? Line up your progression and your first shared boss fights with the rest of our Valheim coverage.
More Valheim guides:
- Valheim Boss Order: All 7 Forsaken and How to Beat Them — the exact kill order to progress your shared world.
- Valheim Ashlands Guide: How to Survive the Ashlands (and Beat Fader) — the hardest content in the game right now, built for co-op.
- Valheim 1.0 and the Deep North: Do You Need a New World? — what happens to your save and server when 1.0 lands.
