How to Join a Minecraft Server on Xbox, Switch 2 and PS5 (2026)

Minecraft on Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch has a Servers tab, but no Add Server button. You can play on the featured servers Mojang lists, and that's it. That hasn't changed with the new Switch 2 Edition, which launched on 27 October 2026 with Vibrant Visuals and runs Bedrock 26.60, the same version as every other console.

You can still get onto your own server, or a friend's. This guide covers the three ways that work on consoles right now, the exact settings for each console, and what has to be true on the server side for console players to get in, including Java servers with Bedrock crossplay.

The short version

• Phones, tablets and Windows can add any server directly: Play → Servers → Add Server, then enter the address and port.
• Xbox, PlayStation, Switch and Switch 2 can't. The usual workaround is BedrockConnect: change your console's DNS, join a featured server, and BedrockConnect's own server list opens instead, where you can type in any address and port.
• BedrockConnect added Bedrock 26.60 support on 27 October 2026. As of 29 October there is one unconfirmed report that the DNS method doesn't reach it from the Switch 2 Edition. Details below.
• The server has to be current too. A Java server with crossplay needs Geyser build 1273 or newer for 26.60 players, and Bedrock now has its own port, not the Java one.
• Realms works on every console with no workaround, but it can't run Java crossplay, plugins or mods.

Which devices can add a server directly

If one person in your group is on a phone or PC, test the server from there first. If it works on a phone but not a console, the server is fine and the problem is the console route.

Before you start: what you need

1. The server's Bedrock address and port. For a Java server with crossplay, that's the Bedrock address. Since NetherNet replaced RakNet in Bedrock 26.60, Bedrock can't share the Java port, so most crossplay servers now give Bedrock a port of its own. Using the Java port is the most common reason a console player can't connect. See our NetherNet error guide for why.
2. Minecraft updated. Consoles update automatically. A server running Geyser older than build 1273 (Geyser 2.12.1) can't accept Bedrock 26.60 players at all.
3. The console's online subscription. Minecraft's help centre lists Xbox Game Pass Core (or higher), PlayStation Plus or Nintendo Switch Online for online multiplayer on console, plus a signed-in Microsoft account.

Method 1: BedrockConnect (the DNS method)

BedrockConnect is a free, open-source server list that's been around since 2019. It isn't made by Mojang. When you point your console's DNS at it, joining certain featured servers opens BedrockConnect's menu instead. From there you can type any server address and save it to a list.

The DNS addresses

These are the addresses published in the BedrockConnect project as of 29 October 2026. Only use addresses from that page. The project says it has no official mobile app, and anything in an app store using its name isn't connected to it.

Nintendo Switch 2 and Switch

From Nintendo's own instructions:

1. On the HOME Menu, open System Settings (on Switch 2, Settings) → Internet → Internet Settings.
2. Under Saved Networks, select your network.
3. Select Change Settings, scroll down to DNS Settings and choose Manual.
4. Select Primary DNS, hold B to clear it, and enter 104.238.130.180. Do the same for Secondary DNS with 8.8.8.8.
5. Select Save, then Connect to This Network.

The change only applies to that one saved network. If you take the console somewhere else, set it again on that network.

Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One

1. Press the Xbox button → Profile & system → Settings.
2. Go to General → Network settings → Advanced settings → DNS settings → Manual.
3. Enter 104.238.130.180 as primary and 8.8.8.8 as secondary.

PlayStation 5

1. Go to Settings → Network → Settings → Set Up Internet Connection.
2. Pick your connection, then Advanced Settings → DNS Settings → Manual.
3. Enter 45.55.68.52 as primary and 8.8.8.8 as secondary, then OK.

Then, in Minecraft

1. Open Play → Servers.
2. Join one of the featured servers BedrockConnect can redirect: The Hive, Lifeboat, Mineville, Galaxite or Enchanted.
3. Instead of that server, the BedrockConnect menu opens. Choose Connect to a Server.
4. Enter the server's address and its Bedrock port. Turn on Add to server list if you want it saved for next time.
5. Join. BedrockConnect hands you over to your server and steps out of the way.

To undo it later, set the console's DNS back to Automatic.

Is it working on Switch 2 Edition?

BedrockConnect released version 1.72.0 on 27 October 2026, the same day Bedrock 26.60 shipped. It adds 26.60 support and switches its own connections to NetherNet. On 29 October, a player opened an issue reporting that the DNS method doesn't reach BedrockConnect from the Switch 2 Edition, showing a "can't connect to multiplayer services" error, even though the same settings worked on the original Switch Edition. That's one report, with no reply yet. If you hit it, check the project's status page, try one of the other DNS-enabled instances listed in the project, or use a phone or PC until it's resolved. We'll update this guide when there's an answer.

Method 2: join through the Friends tab

Consoles can join a friend's game from the Friends tab, so the other route is to make the server look like a friend's game.

• BedrockConnect used to run public "friend" bot accounts for this. They're switched off until further notice, per the project.
• Server owners can run MCXboxBroadcast, a Geyser extension that shows the server as a joinable session in the Friends tab of the account it signs in with. Its own authors warn it emulates parts of the game client in a way that may or may not be against Microsoft's terms, and recommend a spare account. Weigh that before you use it.

Method 3: Realms

Realms is Mojang's own subscription hosting, and it's the only option that works on consoles with no workaround, because it appears natively in the game. The trade-offs are real, though: a Bedrock Realm can't take Java players, can't run Java plugins or mods, and you can't move it between regions or pick its hardware. If your group is all Bedrock and wants zero setup, it's a fair choice. If anyone plays Java or you want mods, you need a server.

Joining a Java server from a console (crossplay)

A Java server can accept console players through Geyser, which translates between Bedrock and Java, and Floodgate, which lets Bedrock players in with their Microsoft account so they don't need to buy Java. From the console side it's exactly the same as Method 1: BedrockConnect, then the server's Bedrock address and port.

On the server side, three things have to line up:

1. Geyser build 1273 or newer. That's the first build with Bedrock 26.60 support.
2. A Bedrock port of its own, open for TCP and UDP. NetherNet's first step is a TCP request, and the Java server already owns TCP on the Java port.
3. The server on Geyser's Java version, or ViaVersion installed. Geyser speaks one Java version at a time, currently 26.3. On a Paper server running an older version, Geyser starts, the server shows up, and every Bedrock player is disconnected on join. The console says "Your server software does not support the Java version that Geyser requires (26.3). Please install ViaVersion". Installing ViaVersion fixes it. On Fabric and NeoForge, Geyser only supports the newest Minecraft, so the server has to update.

That third one caught us. On 29 October we found Paper servers running 1.21 and 1.21.11 that showed exactly that warning, plus Paper 26.2 servers stuck on a Geyser build too old for 26.60.

Troubleshooting

What we do for console players

On our Minecraft crossplay hosting, one switch in the dashboard installs Geyser and Floodgate for your server software, gives Bedrock its own port and writes the NetherNet config. On a Paper server running an older Minecraft version, it also installs ViaVersion. After the restart we send a real Bedrock ping and read the console for Geyser's Java-version warning, so "crossplay is on" means console players can actually get in. The dashboard shows the Bedrock address next to the Java one, with a copy button, ready to type into BedrockConnect. Crossplay is included on every Minecraft server plan at no extra cost.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you join servers on Minecraft Switch 2 Edition?

Yes, but not with an Add Server button. Like every console version, Switch 2 Edition only lists featured servers. Use BedrockConnect's DNS method to reach any other server. As of 29 October 2026 there's one unconfirmed report of the DNS method failing on Switch 2 Edition, so test it before game night.

How do I add a server on Minecraft Xbox?

Xbox has no Add Server button. Set your console's DNS to 104.238.130.180 (secondary 8.8.8.8) under Settings → General → Network settings → Advanced settings → DNS settings, then in Minecraft join a featured server such as The Hive or Lifeboat. BedrockConnect's menu opens, and you can enter any server's address and port there.

Is BedrockConnect safe to use?

It's free, open source and has been widely used since 2019, but it's a community project, not Mojang's. Only use the DNS addresses listed on its GitHub page. While it's set, your console looks up web addresses through that server, so set your DNS back to Automatic when you don't need it.

Do I need Nintendo Switch Online or PlayStation Plus to play on a server?

For online multiplayer on console, yes. Minecraft's help centre lists Xbox Game Pass Core (or higher), PlayStation Plus or Nintendo Switch Online, along with a Microsoft account.

Can Switch, Xbox and PlayStation players join a Java server?

Yes, if the Java server runs Geyser (and usually Floodgate). Console players connect through BedrockConnect to the server's Bedrock address and port. For Bedrock 26.60 the server needs Geyser build 1273 or newer, Bedrock on its own port, and either Geyser's Java version (26.3) or ViaVersion.

Why can't I join my server after the latest update?

Bedrock 26.60 (27 October 2026) changed how Bedrock connects to servers. Older Geyser builds and servers still sharing the Java port stopped working. Our NetherNet error guide walks through every cause.