TL;DR<\/p>
- Early Access saves transfer automatically to 1.0 \u2014 no forced wipe, but Pocketpair recommends starting fresh<\/li>
- Back up your save folder before updating and remove all mods to avoid crashes<\/li>
- Use the Global Palbox to move your best Pals into a new 1.0 world<\/li>
- Dedicated servers require the -publiclobby flag for console players to join<\/li>
- Crossplay is enabled by default via the CrossplayPlatforms setting in PalWorldSettings.ini<\/li><\/ul><\/div>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"title","heading":"What Is Palworld 1.0 Save Transfer","tag":"h2"},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","text":"\n\n
Pocketpair has officially confirmed that Palworld 1.0 does not wipe save data. Your existing Early Access character, bases, Pals, and world progress all carry over when the full release launches. The game automatically converts your save files upon first launch of the 1.0 client \u2014 no manual intervention required for the basic transfer.<\/p>\n\n
However, starting a new character is recommended by the developers but is completely optional. Because 1.0 includes major mechanic overhauls and reworked progression, starting fresh lets you experience the new content as designed. This includes the new Sunreach sky island and World Tree regions<\/a>, reworked Tower Boss battles, and the completely revamped tech tree progression.<\/p>\n\n
The Global Palbox lets you transfer tamed Pals between your old Early Access worlds and new 1.0 worlds. You can move your best breeders, your perfect-IV Pals, and your favorite companions into the new world. This can dramatically speed up your opening hours in 1.0.<\/p>\n\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"title","heading":"How to Back Up and Prepare Your Early Access Save","tag":"h2"},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","text":"\n\n
Before updating to 1.0, securing your save data is essential. It is highly recommended to manually back up your local save folder before initiating the update. Navigate to your AppData folder (%USERPROFILE%AppDataLocalPalSavedSaveGames) and copy the contents to a safe location. This gives you a fallback if anything goes wrong during migration.<\/p>\n\n
Mods present the biggest risk to a clean transition. Old mod files from before the 1.0 update are a common cause of crashes, corrupted saves, and quest issues. Simply disabling mods isn't enough. Leftover mod files and loaders can still launch with the game, so you'll need to remove them manually. To fix crashing issues, you must completely clear out your existing mod folders (typically located in PalBinariesWin64Mods) and verify your game files through Steam.<\/p>\n\n
You must manually delete old mod files from your game directory. Simply disabling them can still cause the game to crash or corrupt your save data upon launching version 1.0. Check with mod authors for explicit 1.0-compatible versions before reinstalling anything.<\/p>\n\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","text":"
![\"Palworld](\"https:\/\/media.rawg.io\/media\/screenshots\/995\/9951a87247280a8838dcd5bd7bc4f512.jpg\")
Palworld \u2014 How to Back Up and Prepare Your Early Access Save<\/figcaption><\/figure>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"title","heading":"Step-by-Step: Save Migration to Palworld 1.0","tag":"h2"},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","text":"\n\n Warning<\/p>
Because this update introduces structural changes to the game map, tech trees, and Pal behaviors, loading a massive, complex late-game save into the new version can occasionally trigger unexpected bugs or rendering glitches. Always test your old save before committing significant time to it.<\/p><\/div>\n\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"steps","intro":"Follow this sequence to get it done fast.","steps":[{"title":"Back up your save folder","description":"Copy %USERPROFILE%AppDataLocalPalSavedSaveGames to an external location before doing anything else","image":null},{"title":"Remove all mods and trainers","description":"Delete the Mods folder in PalBinariesWin64 and any .pak files you added; unsubscribe from Steam Workshop mods and verify game files","image":null},{"title":"Transfer Pals via Global Palbox","description":"Load your Early Access save and deposit every Pal you want to keep into your Palbox. Open the Global Palbox, the shared storage that persists across your save files, and deposit your chosen Pals there.","image":null},{"title":"Allow the 1.0 update to download","description":"Launch Steam, allow the 1.0 patch to download fully, and force a Steam Cloud sync before pressing play","image":null},{"title":"Start a fresh world for 1.0","description":"Start or load your new 1.0 world, then withdraw the transferred Pals from the Global Palbox into that world. Wait until 1.0 goes live before creating any brand-new world so it runs on the full-release version with all the new systems active.","image":null},{"title":"Check legacy base locations","description":"If your base was built on the edge of the map in Early Access, check its structural integrity immediately upon loading 1.0, as some terrain meshes were slightly altered to accommodate the new biomes.","image":null}]},{"acf_fc_layout":"title","heading":"Dedicated Server Setup Methods Compared","tag":"h2"},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","text":"\n\n
Pocketpair gives the dedicated server binary away for free on Steam, for both Windows and Linux. If you've got a box sitting idle with decent single-thread performance and 16 GB of RAM to spare, you can absolutely run it yourself. Palworld's dedicated server runs best with around 16 GB of RAM. Pocketpair recommends it even for small servers, because memory use grows over time.<\/p>\n\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"table","headers":[{"header_text":"Method"},{"header_text":"Speed"},{"header_text":"Effort"},{"header_text":"Best For"}],"rows":[{"cells":[{"cell_text":"Managed Host (G-Portal, Nitrado)"},{"cell_text":"Minutes"},{"cell_text":"Low"},{"cell_text":"Console crossplay, hands-off management"}]},{"cells":[{"cell_text":"Self-Hosted via SteamCMD"},{"cell_text":"30-60 min"},{"cell_text":"High"},{"cell_text":"Full control, PC-only groups"}]},{"cells":[{"cell_text":"VPS Cloud Instance"},{"cell_text":"1-2 hours"},{"cell_text":"Medium"},{"cell_text":"24\/7 uptime on a budget"}]},{"cells":[{"cell_text":"Local Machine Hosting"},{"cell_text":"30 min"},{"cell_text":"Medium"},{"cell_text":"LAN play, testing"}]}],"size":"small"},{"acf_fc_layout":"title","heading":"PC Dedicated Server Setup","tag":"h2"},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","text":"\n\n
Head to Library, then on the left panel, tick: Games\/Software\/and Tools. Then type Palworld in the search box. You will see Palworld Dedicated Server appearing on the left panel. Install it alongside the main game.<\/p>\n\n
For configuration, locate PalWorldSettings.ini inside the server folder. Key settings include ServerName=\"YourServerName\" \u2014 what players see in lists. ServerPassword=\"OptionalPassword\" \u2014 keep empty for public, set for private. AdminPassword=\"StrongAdminPass\" \u2014 enables in-game admin. ServerPlayerMaxNum=32 \u2014 hard cap is 32; reduce if your hardware is modest.<\/p>\n\n
Port forward 8211 (UDP) and 27015 (TCP\/UDP) through your router to allow player connections. Launch with -publiclobby flag to enable cross-play and appear in community server lists. This flag is critical \u2014 without it, console players cannot see or join your server.<\/p>\n\n
If you want to explore the new Awakening and Mutation systems with friends, check our Awakening and Mutation guide<\/a> for what to expect once your server is running.<\/p>\n\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"title","heading":"Xbox and PS5 Server Access","tag":"h2"},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","text":"\n\n
If you want to join the server from the Xbox version or the PS5 version, you need to deploy it as a community server. Console platforms cannot enter IP addresses directly \u2014 Xbox and PS5 players can only join community servers. Console versions of Palworld have no way to enter a server IP address. They browse the in-game list and join from there. If your server isn't registered as a community server, console players cannot see it or connect to it.<\/p>\n\n
PC players can connect to your server by direct IP through the in-game \"Join via IP\" flow. Console players cannot. Xbox and PS5 users can only find your server through the in-game community server browser, which means your server has to be listed as a community server and has to have a recognisable name your friends can actually search for.<\/p>\n\n
For console-only groups, renting from a managed host remains the simplest option. On managed hosts, crossplay is enabled by default with all four platforms active. Your server is registered as a community server automatically. Console and PC players find your server in the in-game browser and join. No configuration needed.<\/p>\n\n
32<\/span>Max players per server<\/span><\/div>16 GB<\/span>Recommended RAM<\/span><\/div>8211<\/span>Default UDP port<\/span><\/div><\/div>\n\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"title","heading":"How to Configure Crossplay Between PC and Consoles","tag":"h2"},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","text":"\n\nPalworld now supports crossplay across PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and Mac. Pocketpair added crossplay in the v0.5.0 update, with the official patch notes stating that cross-play is available across all platforms.<\/p>\n\n
Crossplay for Hosted Co-Op Worlds<\/h3>\n\n
For casual sessions where one player hosts, the process is straightforward. Select the specific saved world file you intend to play from your list. Open up the World Settings menu attached to that specific save. Locate the Cross-Play option and toggle it to the on position. Launch the world normally. Only the host needs to enable or disable crossplay.<\/p>\n\n
Crossplay for Dedicated Servers<\/h3>\n\n
Palworld crossplay lets Steam, Xbox, PlayStation 5 and Mac players share one dedicated server. Control it with the CrossplayPlatforms setting in PalWorldSettings.ini \u2014 the default is (Steam,Xbox,PS5,Mac). The default CrossplayPlatforms value includes Steam, Xbox, PS5 and Mac, so a fresh server allows full crossplay unless you restrict it.<\/p>\n\n
Palworld dedicated server has two distribution channels: the Steam-only build (PC clients only) and the EOS build (cross-platform). For crossplay you must use the EOS-enabled build. If you run a managed Palworld dedicated server, EOS is enabled out of the box; if you self-host via SteamCMD, your launch command must include the EOS authentication parameters.<\/p>\n\n
Tip<\/p>
Palworld updates roll to platforms slightly asynchronously (Xbox via Microsoft Store, Steam via Steam, PSN via Sony certification). For 12-48 hours after a major patch, mismatched versions can appear. The server runs whichever version was installed when it started; clients on older versions cannot join until they update.<\/p><\/div>\n\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"title","heading":"Common Save Compatibility Errors and How to Fix Them","tag":"h2"},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","text":"\n\n
Game Crashes on Load After 1.0 Update<\/h3>\n\n
If Palworld crashes after the 1.0 update, the most common cause is outdated mods. Clear your game's mod folder, verify the integrity of your game files on Steam, and ensure your graphics drivers are fully updated. Only reinstall mods after their creators have updated them for 1.0. Install and test them one at a time.<\/p>\n\n
Base Structures Missing or Floating<\/h3>\n\n
If your base was built on the edge of the map in Early Access, check its structural integrity immediately upon loading 1.0, as some terrain meshes were slightly altered to accommodate the new biomes. Edge-of-map bases near the new World Tree and Sunreach zones are most at risk. If structural issues occur, you may need to rebuild affected sections.<\/p>\n\n
Server Players Cannot Connect<\/h3>\n\n
Work through this checklist in order: confirm port forwarding is correct, confirm the connecting player has the right password, confirm your server version matches the client version (Steam auto-updates the client, which breaks things if your server falls behind), and try Direct Connect with the IP and port instead of browsing the server list.<\/p>\n\n