Is Valheim Cross Platform? Steam, Xbox, PS5 & Switch 2 (2026)
Last verified: September 10, 2026, against Iron Gate’s official 1.0 FAQ. Valheim 1.0 launched on 9 September 2026 and crossplay now covers every platform.
Yes. Valheim supports full crossplay between PC (Steam, Microsoft Store, Game Pass), Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2. PS5 and Switch 2 arrived with the 1.0 launch on 9 September 2026. PlayStation 4 is not available and has not been announced.
- Which platforms can play together, and the one save-sync exception
- How to host or join a cross-platform Valheim server
- Fixes for the version-mismatch errors people hit after the 1.0 update
Is Valheim cross platform right now?
Yes, on every platform it ships on. Steam (Windows and Linux), Microsoft Store on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2 players can all join the same world. PS5 and Switch 2 arrived with the 1.0 launch on 9 September 2026, and Iron Gate’s FAQ answers the question directly: “Yes, Valheim will support crossplay between all platforms.” There is no PlayStation 4 version and none has been announced.
Crossplay is not cross-save
This is the distinction most platform questions actually turn on, and Iron Gate is specific about it: “If you are playing on an Xbox, you will be able to access your saves from a PC, provided that you launch the game from the Microsoft store. Beyond this, there will be no cross platform sync for your save files.”
So one exception exists, Xbox to the Microsoft Store PC build, and nothing else. A PS5 or Switch 2 player cannot carry a local single-player world onto PC. A dedicated server sidesteps the whole problem, because the world lives on the server and each player only keeps their own character locally. That is the usual reason a group spread across consoles and PC ends up renting one.
Platform support matrix (September 2026)
| Platform | Available? | Crossplay? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| PC Steam (Windows/Linux) | Yes | Yes | Original release Feb 2021; modding via BepInEx. |
| PC Microsoft Store / Game Pass | Yes | Yes | The only PC route that syncs saves with Xbox. |
| Mac App Store | Yes | Yes | Storefront listing added at 1.0. |
| Xbox Series X|S | Yes | Yes | Released 2023; no BepInEx mods. |
| Xbox One | Yes | Yes | Released 2023; same crossplay pool. |
| PlayStation 5 | Yes | Yes | Launched with 1.0 on 9 Sep 2026; port by Piktiv. |
| Nintendo Switch 2 | Yes | Yes | Launched with 1.0 on 9 Sep 2026. |
| PlayStation 4 | No | N/A | Not announced. |
| Mobile (iOS / Android) | No | N/A | Not announced. |
How to enable Valheim crossplay
- Update Valheim on every device so everyone is on the same build. After 1.0 that means 1.0.7 everywhere.
- Host creates a world with Crossplay enabled on the world creation screen.
- Share the join code or IP and port; guests enter it from Join Game → Join IP.
- On a dedicated server, set
-crossplayin your startup script or panel. - For a mixed-platform group, prefer the game’s built-in world modifiers over mods, since console clients cannot load a mod loader at all.
Hosting tips for stable cross-platform sessions
- Use a dedicated server to avoid console sleep timeouts and host-handoff downtime.
- Open the required ports (2456-2458 UDP by default) and forward them to your host.
- Keep everyone on the same build. This is the single most common cause of a failed join after a game update.
- Back up your worlds. Note that 1.0 changed the format: a world is now a folder rather than a
.dband.fwlpair, and your old files stay in place untouched beside it. - For mixed PC and console parties, host on PC if you want any server-side configuration at all.
Quick fixes if crossplay is not working
- Incompatible version after the 1.0 update: the error names both builds, for example server 0.221.12 against client 1.0.7. Restart the server so it pulls the update, then confirm every platform has updated too.
- Firewall or NAT: allow Valheim through the firewall and make sure UPnP or port forwarding is on.
- Mod conflicts: remove the mod loader rather than disabling plugins, then retry vanilla.
- Join code errors: regenerate a new join code from the host and retry.
- Crossplay flag missing: confirm
-crossplayis set on the dedicated server. - Connection fails on the same LAN: the console client may be hitting the router internally instead of the WAN address. Try connecting from outside the network, or use the server’s hostname instead of its IP.
- World was created without crossplay: crossplay is a per-world flag set at creation, so it has to be set on a new world rather than toggled later.
- Players refused rather than mismatched: Linux server admins reported after 1.0 that entries in
permittedlist.txtneeded a platform prefix. Community-reported and not documented by Iron Gate, but worth checking if your allow list stopped working.
FAQ
Does Valheim support cross-save? Only between Xbox and the Microsoft Store PC build. Iron Gate states there is no cross platform sync for save files beyond that. Use a dedicated server so the world lives in one place and each player keeps their own character file.
Can console players join a modded Steam server? Not if the mods require a client install, which most BepInEx mods do. Console platforms do not allow the DLL injection a mod loader needs. The game’s native world modifiers are the crossplay-safe way to change resource rates, raids, portals and combat difficulty.
Is Valheim on PS4? No, and it has not been announced. PlayStation 5 is the only PlayStation version.
Where are the official notes? The Valheim Steam news feed and Iron Gate’s official news carry the patch details.
Need hands-off hosting for your crossplay world? See our Valheim server hosting plans and keep your PC, Xbox, PS5 and Switch 2 crew raiding without downtime.