Valheim Crossplay Guide: How PC, Xbox, PS5 & Switch 2 Players Can Play Together

Valheim 1.0 launches on September 9, 2026, and the full release expands the game’s co-op reach considerably. PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2 join the existing PC and Xbox versions, while Iron Gate confirms that all supported platforms can share the same multiplayer worlds.

That makes Valheim much easier to recommend to a mixed-platform group. Your friend on PS5 no longer needs to own an Xbox or gaming PC just because everyone else decided the Viking longhouse must be 14 stories tall.

There are still a few details worth understanding, though. Crossplay and cross-save are not the same thing, dedicated servers need the correct backend, and a 10-player limit still applies.

Which platforms support Valheim crossplay?

Valheim 1.0 supports full crossplay between every officially supported platform.

That includes:

• Windows PC through Steam;
• Windows PC through the Microsoft Store;
• Linux;
• Mac;
• Xbox One;
• Xbox Series X|S;
• PlayStation 5;
• Nintendo Switch 2.

Iron Gate explicitly confirmed full crossplay when announcing the September 9 release and repeated the same information in its dedicated Valheim 1.0 FAQ.

In practical terms, this means a group does not need to coordinate which platform everyone buys Valheim on just to play together.

One player can be on Steam, another on Xbox, another on PS5, and another on Switch 2, and they can still enter the same Valheim world.

How do you join friends on another platform in Valheim?

The simplest method is the join code.

Iron Gate’s official crossplay instructions work like this:

This is especially useful for cross-platform groups because it avoids relying on platform-specific friend lists.

Your Xbox friend does not need to become your Steam friend. Your PS5 player does not need to somehow appear in a Nintendo friend list. The join code points everyone toward the same Valheim session.

How do normal hosted worlds work?

You do not need a dedicated server just to play Valheim with friends.

Valheim allows a player to host a world as a normal multiplayer session. In that setup, the world exists with the host.

The advantage is simplicity. Pick the world, start the server, invite your friends, and play.

The limitation is equally simple: if the host is not running the world, everybody else cannot continue playing in that hosted session.

That makes normal hosting perfectly suitable for a small group that always plays together.

If your group has different schedules and wants the world available even when its original owner is asleep, working, or doing something deeply suspicious like playing another survival game, a dedicated server makes more sense.

How does Valheim dedicated-server crossplay work?

A dedicated server runs separately from a player’s normal game session, allowing the world to remain available independently of one person’s playtime.

Iron Gate’s official dedicated-server documentation uses the -crossplay launch argument to run a server through the crossplay backend.

That distinction matters for mixed-platform groups.

Iron Gate also notes that a server using the crossplay backend does not require the same router port-forwarding setup normally associated with the Steam backend.

Crossplay servers can be reached through the server list, a public IP address and port, or a join code. Local IP and loopback connections are not supported through the crossplay backend.

Can an Xbox host a dedicated Valheim server?

No. Iron Gate says an Xbox console cannot itself run a dedicated Valheim server.

An Xbox player can still join a compatible dedicated server normally, including a crossplay-enabled one.

The same general distinction is useful for console groups: playing on a server and physically running the dedicated-server application are different things.

Does Valheim have cross-save or cross-progression?

This is where Valheim is much more limited.

Full crossplay does not mean full cross-save.

Iron Gate confirms one official cross-platform save route: players using Xbox can access their saves on a PC when launching the Microsoft Store version of Valheim.

Outside that Microsoft ecosystem, Valheim 1.0 does not provide general automatic cross-platform synchronization for save files.

So:

• Xbox ↔ Microsoft Store PC save access: yes;
• Steam ↔ PS5 automatic save sync: no;
• Steam ↔ Switch 2 automatic save sync: no;
• PS5 ↔ Xbox automatic save sync: no;
• general “play anywhere and continue the same local save” support: no.

This does not stop you from joining the same shared server from different platforms. It simply means you should not confuse multiplayer compatibility with automatic portability of local saves.

How many players can play Valheim together?

Valheim servers are capped at 10 players.

Iron Gate describes the game as co-op designed around a few friends rather than an MMO, even though the maximum server population allows a reasonably large Viking group.

The limit applies to the session rather than giving each platform its own quota.

So a 10-player crossplay server could theoretically contain a mixture of Steam, Microsoft Store, Xbox, PS5, Switch 2, Mac, or Linux players as long as everybody is connecting through the compatible crossplay setup.

Does Valheim have cross-platform voice chat?

Valheim includes text chat, but Iron Gate does not provide built-in voice communication as the main way to talk with your group.

The developer recommends using external communication software for voice.

For a cross-platform group, this is worth arranging before everybody enters the same server. Valheim becomes much easier when somebody can quickly say:

“There is a troll behind you.”

This message has considerably less tactical value after the troll has finished explaining itself.

Use whatever voice solution works across the devices in your group rather than assuming Valheim itself will handle cross-platform party chat.

What should you do if Valheim crossplay is not working?

If friends on different platforms cannot connect, start with the boring checks before dismantling the entire server.

1. Make sure everyone is running the same current game version

Crossplay depends on compatible versions.

If one platform has not finished downloading an update or somebody is running a test build, connection problems are much more likely.

2. Check that crossplay is actually enabled

For a dedicated server, make sure it is running through the crossplay backend rather than the Steam-only backend.

For hosted games, check the relevant multiplayer and crossplay settings when creating the session.

3. Try the join code

If the server does not appear where expected, the join-code method is usually the cleanest way to bypass platform-specific discovery problems.

4. Check passwords carefully

This sounds ridiculous until five Vikings spend 15 minutes blaming Nintendo, Microsoft, Sony, Valve, and Odin before discovering somebody typed the password incorrectly.

5. Check parental or online-play restrictions

Iron Gate specifically notes that Xbox parental-control settings can interfere with access to crossplay options.

Console platform privacy, multiplayer, subscription, or family settings may also affect the ability to use online multiplayer, depending on the platform account.

6. Restart before rebuilding anything

Restart the game, confirm the server is visible again, generate/check the current join information, and try another connection before changing advanced configuration.

What is the best Valheim setup for a mixed-platform group?

The best option depends almost entirely on how your group plays.

For most mixed-platform groups that expect to play Valheim for weeks or months, a persistent crossplay-enabled dedicated server is the most flexible arrangement.

For a couple of friends playing every Friday night, normal hosting is probably enough.

Do not turn server administration into the first boss fight unless your group actually needs it.

Build your crossplay Viking crew with Valheim

Valheim 1.0 makes the multiplayer pitch considerably simpler: if your friends are on supported platforms, platform choice no longer needs to divide the group.

More Valheim and crossplay reading on G2A News

• Valheim’s Upcoming Full-release Update Also Involves the Pricing – a broader look at Valheim 1.0, saves, achievements, platforms, and the Deep North.
• Best Crossplay Games to Play With Friends – more games for groups split across different systems.
• Games Like Valheim – co-op survival, crafting, exploration, and sandbox alternatives.
• Valheim Console Commands Guide – useful for server hosts and players experimenting with devcommands.

Valheim 1.0 crossplay FAQ

Can PS5 and PC play Valheim together?

Yes. Valheim 1.0 supports full crossplay, so PS5 players can join players on Steam, Microsoft Store PC, Mac, Linux, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch 2.

Can Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox play Valheim together?

Yes. Nintendo Switch 2 is included in Valheim 1.0’s full crossplay support.

Can Steam and Xbox players play Valheim together?

Yes. Steam and Xbox crossplay has been supported for years and continues in Valheim 1.0.

Does Valheim support cross-save between PS5, Xbox, Switch 2, and Steam?

No general cross-platform save synchronization is available. Iron Gate specifically supports save access between Xbox and the Microsoft Store PC version, but not automatic save syncing across the wider platform lineup.

One Viking world, many platforms

Valheim’s multiplayer setup is much easier to understand in 1.0 than the platform list makes it look.

If the question is “can we play together?”, the answer is usually yes.

Steam, Microsoft Store, Mac, Linux, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS5, and Nintendo Switch 2 all belong to the same crossplay ecosystem.

The bigger decision is how you want to host that world.

If everybody plays at the same time, let one person host and use the join code.

If people come and go throughout the week, use a crossplay-enabled dedicated server.

Just remember that full crossplay does not magically turn into full cross-save. Your Viking can meet friends across platform borders much more easily than your local save file can follow you across them.

Which, frankly, is still a pretty good deal if the alternative is telling the PlayStation player they cannot join the longship because everybody else bought the wrong box.