Valheim 1.0 launched on PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2 on 9 September 2026 with full crossplay, and the question filling every Valheim Discord since is the same one: "My friend is on PS5 — how do they get onto our server?" The answer is short, but two details trip up almost everyone: the server has to be started a specific way, and the join code your console friends need changes every time the server restarts.
The one thing the server must do
A Valheim dedicated server normally registers itself with Steam's networking, which console players cannot reach. To let them in, the server has to be launched with the -crossplay flag. That switches the server onto the PlayFab crossplay backend, which every platform — PC, Xbox, PlayStation and Switch 2 — can talk to.
Without that flag the server is invisible to consoles. There is no in-game setting a console player can change to fix it; it is entirely on the server side. If you rent from a host, look for a crossplay toggle in the panel (on Connect servers it's on by default). If you run your own, add -crossplay to the launch line — the full setup is in the Valheim dedicated server guide.
How you know it worked
On a crossplay server the console prints a specific sequence when the world finishes loading:
Opened PlayFab server
Session "Odin's Rest" registered with join code 665832
Session "Odin's Rest" with join code 665832 and IP 203.0.113.10:2456 is active with 0 player(s)
That six-digit number is what console players need. If you never see registered with join code, the server isn't running with crossplay and nobody on a console will find it.
| Platform | Route in |
|---|
| PlayStation 5 | Join Game → Join Code, enter the six digits |
| Nintendo Switch 2 | Join Game → Join Code, enter the six digits |
| Xbox | Join Game → Join Code, enter the six digits |
| PC (Steam, Microsoft Store, Mac) | Join Code works, or Join IP with the server's address and port |
Console players join with the code — host guides are unanimous that the console builds offer the join-code route rather than an IP field — which is also why a private server still works for them: the code is the invitation.
Everyone is then asked for the server password. Same password for every platform.
One more thing groups are moving to dedicated servers for: the world runs whether or not the PC player who used to host it is online. Moving that existing world is two files — how to move a Valheim world to a dedicated server.
The join code changes on every restart
This is the part that generates the "it worked yesterday" messages. The code is issued fresh each time the server boots — after a crash, after a scheduled restart, after the restart that installs a game update. The IP and port stay the same forever; the code does not.
Practical habits that stop the complaints:
- Post the code in a pinned Discord message and edit it after every restart.
- If you schedule a nightly restart, tell the group what time it happens.
- PC players in the group can use Join IP instead and never think about codes.
What console players need on their side
- Console settings that allow crossplay. Privacy and parental controls on every console have to permit online play with other platforms. On Xbox that is the "allow play with people outside Xbox" privacy setting. On PS5, host support pages report that the join screen has a "PlayStation Network Only" toggle that hides join-code servers until it is switched off. No server setting can change any of these.
- The same game version as the server. Consoles sometimes get a patch a few hours after Steam. If one platform suddenly can't join after an update, that gap is the reason; the server owner can hold the server on the old version until everyone has caught up.
- A friends list is not required. Join codes work between strangers, so treat the code like the password.
Admin rights for console players
Admin, permitted and banned lists identify Steam players by SteamID64. Console players don't have one. Press F2 in-game on PC (or open the player list on console) to read a player's platform ID, and put that in adminlist.txt or permittedlist.txt instead. Adding a SteamID for a PS5 player does nothing.
Do mods break crossplay?
Yes, in practice. Mods are installed on PC clients and the server; console players can't install anything. A server running gameplay mods either rejects console players or breaks for them, so a mixed PC-and-console group needs a vanilla server. That's also the safe choice at 1.0 — see why Valheim mods broke after 1.0.
Troubleshooting checklist
- Console shows
registered with join code? If not, crossplay is off or the server hasn't finished booting.
- Sharing the newest code? Check the console; the old one died at the last restart.
- Everyone on the same game version? Look for a version error on the joining player's screen.
- Console privacy and parental settings allow crossplay? On PS5, is the "PlayStation Network Only" toggle off?
- Still nothing — wait a minute and try again. The crossplay backend occasionally takes a moment to publish a fresh session.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can PS5 players join a Valheim dedicated server?
Yes, as of 1.0 — if the server runs with crossplay enabled. They join with the six-digit join code printed in the server console.
Can Switch 2 players join a PC-hosted Valheim server?
Yes. Same rule: crossplay on, join by code, and the console's own settings allowing crossplay.
Why does the Valheim join code keep changing?
It's generated at every boot. Any restart — crash, update, schedule — produces a new one. The IP and port never change.
Can console players join by IP?
Console players use the join code. Iron Gate's server guide lists IP and port, join code and the server list as ways onto a crossplay server, but the IP field is something host guides only describe on the PC build — give console friends the code.
Not measurably. The crossplay registration is a handful of network calls at boot; the world simulation is the same either way. Leave it on unless you specifically want a Steam-only server.
Every Connect Valheim server starts with crossplay on and prints its join code in your panel console, so the PS5 and Switch 2 half of your group is in from the first boot.