Palworld System Requirements
Official Palworld minimum + recommended PC system requirements, plus console support. Numbers sourced from Pocketpair's Steam listing — verifiable, not estimated.
Minimum
| OS | Windows 10 (64-bit) |
| Processor (Intel) | Core i5-3570K 3.4 GHz (4 cores) |
| Processor (AMD) | Ryzen 5 1600 3.2 GHz (6 cores) |
| Memory | 16 GB RAM |
| Graphics (NVIDIA) | GeForce GTX 1050 (2 GB VRAM) |
| Graphics (AMD) | Radeon RX 580 (4 GB VRAM) |
| DirectX | Version 11 |
| Storage | 40 GB available space (SSD strongly preferred) |
Recommended
| OS | Windows 10 / 11 (64-bit) |
| Processor (Intel) | Core i9-9900K 3.6 GHz (8 cores) |
| Processor (AMD) | Ryzen 7 5800X 3.8 GHz (8 cores) |
| Memory | 32 GB RAM |
| Graphics (NVIDIA) | GeForce RTX 2070 (8 GB VRAM) |
| Graphics (AMD) | Radeon RX 5700 XT (8 GB VRAM) |
| DirectX | Version 12 |
| Storage | 40 GB SSD |
Platform availability
| Platform | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| PC (Steam) | Full release | Mouse + keyboard or controller; cloud save via Steam |
| Xbox Series X|S | Available | Game Pass included; cross-save with PC via Xbox app |
| Xbox One | Available | Performance limited at 1080p / 30 fps target |
| PlayStation 5 | Available | Up to 4K / 60 fps Quality + Performance modes |
| Mac | Native (Apple Silicon) | M-series chips supported; Intel Macs not supported |
| Steam Deck | Playable (unverified) | Runs at ~30 fps medium settings; battery ~2 h. Use FSR for headroom |
| Nintendo Switch | Not available | Nintendo lawsuit context — Switch port not planned |
Expected frame rates
Aggregated community benchmarks per GPU tier and resolution. Single-base, low-Pal-density gameplay; multiplayer or maxed base load typically drops these 15-25%.
| Hardware tier | 1080p Low | 1080p High | 1440p | 4K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum (GTX 1050 / RX 580) | 45-55 | 30-40 | Not recommended | Not recommended |
| Mid-range (GTX 1660 / RX 5600) | 75-90 | 55-70 | 40-50 | Not recommended |
| Recommended (RTX 2070 / RX 5700 XT) | 120+ | 80-100 | 55-70 | 30-40 |
| High-end (RTX 4070 / RX 7800 XT) | 144+ | 120+ | 90-110 | 60-80 |
Frame rates in "fps". "Not recommended" means the configuration runs but stays under 30 fps in busy areas.
Top settings for more FPS
- →Enable DLSS or FSR. Both upscalers ship in Palworld. DLSS Quality / FSR Quality typically adds 25-40% to frame rate at imperceptible quality cost. The single biggest uplift on hardware that just misses the recommended tier.
- →Drop Shadow Quality to Medium. The step from Ultra to Medium saves 10-15% with minimal visual loss; Low introduces aliased shadows that read as a regression.
- →Reduce View Distance one tier. Palworld's open biomes load aggressively at max view distance. Dropping one step (Ultra → High) saves 8-12% and is barely visible without comparison screenshots.
- →Cap Pal-base population. 15-20 Pals per base is the comfort zone. 50+ at one base drops frame rates 20-30% even on high-end GPUs.
- →Disable Motion Blur. Free FPS on lower-tier GPUs and most players prefer the cleaner image.
Dedicated server requirements
If you want a persistent world that stays online when you're not playing, or you want to host more than 4 co-op players, you'll run the official Palworld dedicated server (free, Steam app ID 2394010 — separate from the game client). It runs on Linux or Windows Server and has its own spec sheet, distinct from the client PC.
| Players | Up to 32 concurrent (P2P co-op capped at 4) |
| CPU | 4 vCPU minimum, 8 vCPU recommended |
| RAM | 16 GB minimum, 24-32 GB recommended for 16+ players |
| Storage | 10 GB for server install + save data |
| OS | Linux (Ubuntu 20.04+) or Windows Server 2019+ |
| Network | 100 Mbps up/down; static IP or DDNS |
| Ports | UDP 8211 (game), TCP 27015 (Steam query) |
Alternative without port forwarding: Use Radmin VPN or Hamachi to join the host's LAN virtually — no router config needed, at the cost of latency. Suitable for small co-op groups; not recommended for 16+ player worlds.
What affects performance
- →Pal count at base. Each Pal assigned to your base runs an AI loop. 15-20 Pals at one base is fine; 50+ noticeably impacts frame rate, especially on minimum-spec hardware.
- →Region density. The Sakurajima and Feybreak DLC regions render denser foliage and more NPCs than the base Palpagos Islands. Expect a 10-20% FPS drop in those zones.
- →Multiplayer load. Hosting a co-op session uses noticeably more RAM than a single-player save. 32 GB is the comfortable amount for hosting; 16 GB works but you may see hitches.
- →SSD vs HDD. Palworld streams world chunks aggressively. An HDD will technically run the game but produces visible texture pop-in. An SSD is the practical baseline for the recommended experience.
Technical reference
| Release date | January 19, 2024 (Steam Early Access) |
| Game engine | Unreal Engine 5 |
| FOV slider | Yes — in-game options, range 70-120° |
| Ultrawide support | Yes (21:9 native; 32:9 requires console toggle) |
| VR support | Not supported |
| Controller support | Full Xbox / PlayStation / Steam Input layouts |
| Multiplayer types | P2P co-op (4 players), dedicated server (32), PvP raids |
| Save location | %LOCALAPPDATA%\Pal\Saved\SaveGames\ |
| Cloud save | Yes — Steam Cloud + Xbox sync |
Storage and download size
Palworld's base install requires roughly 40 GB of free space. Each DLC adds a few additional GB on top — figure on ~55 GB total with all current DLC installed (Sakurajima, Feybreak, Tides of Terraria). Patch updates run between 1-5 GB; major content patches can be larger. See the patch tracker for what shipped in each version.