To disable PCU limits on an existing Space Engineers dedicated-server world, stop the server, back up the save, open Saves/<WorldName>/Sandbox_config.sbc, change BlockLimitsEnabled to NONE, save the file, and restart the server. With that value set to NONE, the game ignores the shared PCU cap, MaxGridSize, and MaxBlocksPerPlayer.
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What the PCU limit controls
PCU (Performance Cost Units) limits restrict how much hardware a player, faction, or server can place. The limit is intended to keep simulation and rendering loads manageable as grids become larger and more complex. In configuration terms, the master switch is BlockLimitsEnabled.
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Set that switch to NONE to turn block-limit enforcement off. This is different from raising TotalPCU: a higher numeric cap still leaves the limit system active, while NONE disables the limit categories governed by the setting.
Before you edit the save
- Use a server backup. Copy the entire world save somewhere outside the live save directory before changing any file.
- Stop the server completely. Do not edit the file while the dedicated server is running; a shutdown or autosave can overwrite your change.
- Confirm that you are editing the existing world’s file. The relevant path is
Saves/<WorldName>/Sandbox_config.sbc. - Check the actual value in the file. Published defaults conflict: the community-maintained wiki lists
NONEas the default, while hosting guides commonly show saves usingGLOBALLY. Your file is authoritative for that world. - Record the current game version. Configuration keys and defaults can change between releases, so recheck the setting after an update.
Disable the limit on an existing dedicated-server world
- Stop the dedicated server. Use the server’s normal stop action and wait until its process has exited. If the host provides a console, wait for the shutdown confirmation rather than immediately closing the panel.
- Back up the save. Copy
Saves/<WorldName>/, or download the world through your host’s file manager. Keep the backup under a separate name so it cannot be confused with the live copy. - Open the world’s configuration file. Browse to
Saves/<WorldName>/Sandbox_config.sbcand open it in a plain-text editor. Preserve the file’s encoding and XML structure. - Find the block-limit entry. Search for
BlockLimitsEnabled. Replace its current value withNONE, keeping the existing element format. A typical entry looks like this:
<BlockLimitsEnabled>NONE</BlockLimitsEnabled>- Save the file. Make sure the editor did not add a second extension such as
.txtand that the edited file remains in the world directory. - Restart the server. Start the dedicated server normally and wait until the world has finished loading.
- Check the setting in game. Join the world and build a test grid that would have exceeded the old PCU allowance. The server should allow placement that was previously blocked by the PCU limit.
- Watch the server while testing. Large grids can reduce simulation speed or increase server load even though the limit is disabled. Test gradually rather than spawning the largest possible build immediately.
What the four BlockLimitsEnabled modes mean
The setting determines how the limit pool is allocated. The table describes the modes used by the game’s configuration and the effect relevant to PCU management.
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| Value | How the limit is pooled | Are MaxGridSize and MaxBlocksPerPlayer enforced? | When it makes sense |
|---|---|---|---|
NONE |
No block-limit pool; limit enforcement is disabled. | No. Both settings are ignored while this value is active. | Private or trusted servers where administrators accept the performance risk of unrestricted construction. |
GLOBALLY |
One shared pool for everyone on the server. | Yes, subject to the configured values. | Communities that want a single server-wide budget. |
PER_FACTION |
Each faction shares its own pool. | Yes, subject to the configured values. | Servers that want factions to manage their own construction budget. |
PER_PLAYER |
Each player receives a separate pool. | Yes, subject to the configured values. | Servers that want individual building budgets rather than a shared pool. |
Choose only one mode in the file. Do not add multiple BlockLimitsEnabled elements to try to combine behaviors; an ambiguous configuration can leave the server using an unexpected value.
Settings that become irrelevant when the value is NONE
MaxGridSize
MaxGridSize limits the size of a grid when block-limit enforcement is active. The wiki lists a default of 50000 and documents 0 as unlimited. However, when BlockLimitsEnabled is NONE, this setting is ignored, so changing it is unnecessary for the purpose of removing PCU limits.
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MaxBlocksPerPlayer
MaxBlocksPerPlayer controls a per-player block allowance when the selected limit mode uses those restrictions. A value of 0 means no limit in configurations where the setting is evaluated. It is also ignored while BlockLimitsEnabled is NONE.
TotalPCU
TotalPCU is a numeric cap used by the active limit system. Third-party configuration lists disagree about its default, citing both 500000 and 600000; neither figure is confirmed here by a primary Keen Software House document. If the server is set to NONE, editing this number does not provide an additional benefit because the limit system is already disabled.
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Save-file priority and configuration files
For an existing world, the current guidance identifies that world’s Sandbox_config.sbc as the file to edit. A separate dedicated-server configuration is often used to seed settings when a new world is created, which means changing it may not alter a world that already exists.
File priority for dedicated servers is less consistently documented than the world-file rule. An older community discussion claims that administrators may need to inspect SpaceEngineers-Dedicated.cfg, Sandbox.sbc, and Sandbox_config.sbc. That claim is not confirmed by a fetched official page, so treat it as a troubleshooting branch rather than a universal requirement.
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If the change does not take effect
- Stop the server again and confirm that the edited file is inside the exact save directory loaded by the server.
- Reopen the file and verify that the value is spelled exactly
NONEand has not been reverted by an editor or management panel. - Check whether the host’s control panel writes a separate world or configuration copy during startup.
- As a diagnostic step, inspect
SpaceEngineers-Dedicated.cfgandSandbox.sbcfor anotherBlockLimitsEnabledentry, while retaining a backup before changing anything. - Restart and test again. If the server still behaves as though a limit is active, restore the backup and consult documentation for the exact game build and server software you are running.
Dedicated servers versus console worlds
The unrestricted behavior described here applies to a dedicated-server configuration. On console worlds, selecting NONE reverts to GLOBALLY instead of leaving all limits disabled. Do not assume that a console save will honor the same value as a PC dedicated server.
How to verify that PCU enforcement is off
- Configuration check: after stopping the server and saving the file, confirm that the active world file contains
<BlockLimitsEnabled>NONE</BlockLimitsEnabled>. - Behavior check: build a grid larger than the previous shared allowance or continue adding blocks to a test grid that previously triggered the limit.
- Operational check: observe simulation speed, server load, and player latency while the test grid is active. Disabling a limit removes an admission control; it does not make the simulation free to process unlimited blocks.
- Persistence check: stop and start the server once more, then verify that the value remains
NONE. A hosting panel that regenerates files may overwrite manual edits.
Performance and administration trade-offs
Removing PCU limits can make very large builds possible, but it also removes a protection against uncontrolled growth. Third-party hosting guidance warns that large grids can hurt performance; it does not provide an official Keen performance threshold or a universal block count at which slowdown begins. Hardware, scripts, mods, concurrent players, and grid complexity all affect the result.
For a small private server, unrestricted building may be an acceptable choice. For a public server, consider keeping a pooled mode and explaining the construction budget to players. If you do use NONE, establish an administrative response before problems occur: take regular backups, ask players to report simulation slowdowns, and be prepared to remove or restrict exceptionally large grids.
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To restore enforcement, stop the server, back up the current save, and change BlockLimitsEnabled to the mode you want: GLOBALLY, PER_FACTION, or PER_PLAYER. Once a limiting mode is active again, review TotalPCU, MaxGridSize, and MaxBlocksPerPlayer because those values will be evaluated. Restart the server and test with a controlled build; existing grids that exceed a newly selected allowance may require administrative cleanup or restructuring.
Quick Recap
Common mistakes
- Editing the wrong file: changing a template or global configuration instead of the existing world’s
Sandbox_config.sbchas no effect on that save. - Leaving the server running: the live process can overwrite the manual change during a save.
- Changing only TotalPCU: this raises a number only when a limit mode is active; it does not disable the system.
- Changing MaxGridSize or MaxBlocksPerPlayer while using NONE: those values are ignored in this mode.
- Assuming defaults: published lists disagree, so read the value currently stored in your own save.
- Expecting console behavior: console worlds revert
NONEtoGLOBALLY. - Ignoring performance: a successful build test proves that the cap is off, not that the server can process unlimited construction smoothly.
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