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To let PC and Xbox players share a Space Engineers dedicated server, run the server on Windows (locally or with a rental host), enable both Console Compatibility and EOS networking, open the server’s UDP port, and use Mod.io content instead of Steam Workshop mods. PC players must browse the EOS server list rather than the Steam-only list; console players use the EOS/crossplay browser.
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The server itself always runs on a PC or hosted Windows machine—not directly on an Xbox. The steps below cover hardware, installation, world migration, router and firewall settings, compatible mods, discovery, administration, and the fixes for servers that do not appear.
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How crossplay works
Space Engineers crossplay is built around Keen’s EOS (Epic Online Services) networking layer. A dedicated server can advertise through EOS so Windows PC and Xbox clients use the same discovery path. A server configured only for Steam networking remains a PC-only server, even if an Xbox is on the same home network.
Two settings are therefore mandatory on a mixed server:
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- Console Compatibility: permits console clients to connect.
- Network Type: EOS: places the server on the EOS-compatible browser used by PC and console clients.
Keen Software House described dedicated servers as able to enable EOS networking and Console compatibility in its Community Crossplay announcement published on 2021-05-02. Both settings must be enabled together; turning on only one does not create a working PC/Xbox server.
What you need before installing
A Windows host
The free dedicated-server software runs on Windows. You can use a spare desktop, a rented game-server instance, or a virtual machine that meets the requirements. The machine may run headless: a graphics card is not required because it does not render the game world. It does need a stable connection and enough CPU and memory for the world and player count.
Published hardware and bandwidth guidance
The following figures are Keen’s current Dedicated Servers documentation. The minimum values are a baseline for a small world; the recommended values are for a public server and include a static IP.
| Resource | Minimum published value | Recommended published value |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | 3.2 GHz | 4.5 GHz |
| Logical CPU cores | 3 | 3 |
| Memory | 6 GB RAM | 10 GB RAM |
| Bandwidth | 5 Mbps | Not stated separately; a static IP is recommended for public hosting |
These are server-side requirements, not a promise of a particular simulation speed. Large blueprints, heavy scripts, many active grids, and a high player limit can require more headroom. Watch CPU load, available memory, and simulation performance after players begin building rather than sizing only from the minimum.
Accounts, network access, and a world
- A Steam account is needed to install the server through Steam or SteamCMD.
- For home hosting, administrator access to Windows Firewall and the router is required. Carrier-grade NAT or a provider that blocks inbound traffic can prevent public discovery even when local settings are correct.
- Prepare a new world or identify the existing local world you want to migrate. Back it up before changing an established setup to crossplay.
- Decide on a server name, password, maximum player count, and whether the server will be private, friends-only, or publicly discoverable.
Self-hosting or renting a server
Both approaches use the same EOS and Console Compatibility settings. The decision is mainly about administration and network control.
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| Consideration | Self-hosted Windows PC | Rental host |
|---|---|---|
| Cost pattern | No game-server rental fee, but you provide the hardware, electricity, and internet connection. | Recurring hosting charge; hardware and data-center connectivity are supplied by the host. |
| Installation and updates | You install the dedicated server, apply updates, and decide when to restart. | The panel usually provides an installer and update controls; exact automation varies by provider. |
| Backups and recovery | You create and verify world backups yourself. | Some plans provide scheduled backups, but you should still download an independent copy. |
| Ports and firewall | You configure Windows Firewall, router forwarding, and possibly a static address. | The provider normally exposes the game port, while you control settings in its panel. |
| Performance and player count | Depends on your CPU, RAM, upload capacity, and other workloads on the machine. | Depends on the plan’s allocated CPU/RAM and how busy the data center is. |
| Location and latency | Players connect to your home or office connection. | Choose a data-center region close to most players. |
| Mods and controls | Full access to files and server tools, subject to crossplay compatibility. | Panel support for EOS, console compatibility, mods, and plugins differs by host. |
Keen identifies GTX Gaming as the official host for the Space Engineers PC version and Nitrado as the official host for the Xbox version in its Dedicated Servers documentation. Treat those statements as host-designation information, not as a guarantee that every plan exposes every setting; confirm that a plan offers EOS networking and Console Compatibility before paying.
Install the dedicated server
Steam installation
- Open Steam and select Library.
- Change the library filter to Tools.
- Install Space Engineers Dedicated Server.
- Launch
SpaceEngineersDedicated.exe. In the manager, choose Local/Console and continue to the server-configuration screen. - Enter a server name and select or create a world. Save the configuration before starting the service.
The manager provides the practical controls for a local installation, including networking, world selection, player access, and administration. Run it once interactively so you can confirm the save location and read startup errors before arranging automatic restarts.
SteamCMD installation
If you maintain servers with SteamCMD, Keen documents application ID 298740 for the dedicated server. Install that app into a folder with sufficient free space, then run the resulting SpaceEngineersDedicated.exe and use the same Local/Console configuration process. Keep the installation directory separate from your world-save backup directory so an update or reinstall does not erase your recovery copies.
Configure EOS crossplay
Set the two required networking options
- Open the dedicated server’s configuration editor. On a local installation this is the server manager; on a rented server it is normally a configuration-editor page in the host panel.
- Enable Console Compatibility.
- Set Network Type to EOS, not Steam.
- Save the configuration and restart the server if the manager or panel requests it.
Do not assume that an Xbox-compatible plan has these options enabled by default. Verify the values after every major update or after importing a configuration file.
Set identity, access, and world rules
Configure the server name exactly as you want players to search for it. Set a password while testing or when the world is private, choose the player limit, and review the world options for inventory, assembler, block, and progression rules. These settings are independent of crossplay, but changing them later can affect an established community, so record the initial configuration.
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Migrate an existing world safely
- Stop the current server or local game and make a complete copy of the world folder.
- Locate the existing Space Engineers save in the local save directory.
- Copy the world into the dedicated server’s save location, preserving the folder structure and file names.
- Use the manager or host panel to select that world, then save the server configuration.
- Start the server and confirm that grids, ownership, scripts, and settings load before allowing players to join.
Some host tooling warns that a new crossplay save may be required when switching an existing setup. If the imported world fails to load or behaves unexpectedly, restore the backup, create a fresh EOS-compatible world, and test the migration on a copy rather than risking the live save.
Open the UDP port and firewall
Find the listening port
The Space Engineers wiki documents UDP 27016 as a common default listen port. Use the value shown in your server configuration; a host panel may assign a different port. Forwarding the wrong port is one of the most common reasons a correctly configured server never appears to outside players.
Windows Firewall rule
- Open Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security.
- Create a new Inbound Rule for UDP.
- Specify the server’s configured local port, such as
27016when that is the active value. - Allow the connection on the profiles you actually use, and give the rule a clear name such as Space Engineers EOS UDP.
- Ensure the rule applies to the network profile assigned to the server. A rule limited to Private networks will not help if Windows classifies the connection as Public.
If security software includes its own firewall, allow the dedicated-server executable or create an equivalent UDP rule there as well. Do not disable the firewall globally as a troubleshooting shortcut.
Router port forwarding
- Give the server PC a stable local address, preferably with a DHCP reservation.
- In the router’s port-forwarding page, create a UDP rule from the external port to the same UDP port on the server PC’s local address.
- Save the rule and restart the router only if its interface requires it.
- Check that the server PC is not behind a second router using another private subnet. Double NAT can require forwarding on both devices or bridge mode.
A static public IP is recommended for public hosting in Keen’s server documentation because it prevents the address from changing. If your internet provider uses carrier-grade NAT, you may not receive unsolicited inbound traffic at all; ask the provider for a public address or use a rental host.
Use crossplay-compatible mods
For a mixed PC/console server, select mods hosted on Mod.io and verify that each mod supports the game version and console use. Steam Workshop mods are not supported in the cross-platform configuration. A PC player may be able to load a Workshop item locally, but that does not make it available to Xbox clients.
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Client-side scripts and other PC-specific behavior can also limit console users. Before adding a mod to a live world:
- Check its Mod.io listing for console or crossplay compatibility.
- Read the required dependency list and add dependencies in the order specified by the creator.
- Test on a copy of the world with one PC client and one Xbox client.
- Remove or replace mods that prevent a console from downloading content or joining the session.
Keep a written mod list with version numbers. When a game update breaks a mod, you can identify the responsible item and roll back the world instead of guessing.
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- Start the dedicated server from the manager or host panel and wait for the log to show that the world has loaded and the network listener is active.
- On PC, open the Join Game browser and switch the source from Steam to EOS.
- On Xbox, open the EOS/crossplay-compatible server list.
- Search for the exact server name. If it does not appear immediately, wait for the list to refresh and search again without extra spaces.
- Open the server details, verify the player limit and world information, and enter the password if one is configured.
PC players who remain on the Steam browser will not see an EOS-only crossplay server. Conversely, an EOS server is not a replacement for a separate Steam-only listing; the two discovery paths are distinct.
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Keen documents Dedicated Server Manager, VRage Remote Client, and Remote API as administration options. Use one administration method consistently and protect its credentials.
Promote an online player in Dedicated Server Manager
- Connect the manager to the running server.
- Open Admin Tools.
- Select Chat and Players, then Online.
- Select the player account.
- Choose Promote and confirm the change.
Grant administrator rights only to trusted accounts. Keep a record of who has access, remove former administrators, and avoid exposing remote-management ports directly to the public internet unless the tool and firewall are secured.
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Troubleshoot a server that cannot be found
Xbox cannot see the server, but PC can
- Confirm Console Compatibility is enabled.
- Confirm Network Type is EOS, then restart the server.
- Make sure the Xbox player is browsing the EOS/crossplay list, not a Steam-only list.
- Check that the server uses Mod.io content only; a Workshop dependency can prevent console discovery or joining.
- Verify the UDP port is allowed through Windows Firewall and forwarded to the correct local address.
PC cannot see an EOS server
- Switch the Join Game browser from Steam to EOS.
- Search the exact configured name and allow time for the listing to propagate after startup.
- Check that the server has internet access and that its EOS setting was saved before the last restart.
No platform can see the server
- Read the startup log for a port-in-use, authentication, or world-load error.
- Confirm the configured listen port and use that same value in the firewall and router.
- Check the router’s forwarding target after the server PC receives a new local IP.
- Test from a different internet connection. A local player may connect through an internal address even when outside players are blocked.
- Investigate double NAT or carrier-grade NAT with the internet provider.
Players see the server but cannot join
- Confirm the password exactly, including capitalization.
- Compare the server’s mod list with the client’s downloaded Mod.io content and dependencies.
- Temporarily test with no mods on a copy of the world. If that works, add mods back one at a time.
- Check that the player limit has not been reached and that the world is not still loading.
The world will not load after enabling crossplay
Stop the server, restore the pre-change backup, and test the world in a separate copy. If the host panel reports that a new crossplay save is needed, create that save and move content gradually rather than deleting the original. Preserve the old folder until every important grid and setting has been verified.
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Backups and updates
Stop the server before copying a world so files are not changing during the backup. Keep multiple dated copies on storage separate from the server machine and periodically restore one to a test instance. Apply game and mod updates during a planned maintenance window, then check EOS settings, port values, and the mod list before reopening the server.
Performance and capacity
Use the published 3.2 GHz/three-logical-core/6 GB minimum only as a starting point. Track simulation behavior with the real player count and building activity. If the server stutters, reduce unnecessary scripted or physics-heavy content, lower the player limit, or move to a host with more CPU and memory headroom. Increasing bandwidth alone will not fix CPU-bound simulation.
Security and player access
- Use a non-obvious password for private worlds and change it when someone who knew it leaves.
- Keep Windows and the dedicated-server software updated.
- Limit remote administration to trusted addresses or a VPN where practical.
- Review the online-player and administrator lists regularly.
- Never test risky configuration changes on the only copy of a valuable world.
Crossplay setup checklist
- Windows PC or rental instance meets the server requirements.
- Dedicated Server installed through Steam Tools or SteamCMD app ID
298740. - Server and world names configured.
- Console Compatibility enabled.
- Network Type set to EOS.
- World copied and backed up if migrating.
- Configured UDP listen port identified;
27016is a common default. - Windows Firewall and router forwarding point to the server PC.
- Mods sourced from Mod.io and tested with a console client.
- PC players use the EOS browser; Xbox players use the EOS/crossplay list.
- At least one backup and one administrator account tested.
The Bottom Line
A working PC/Xbox Space Engineers server is a Windows dedicated server with both Console Compatibility and EOS networking enabled, a reachable UDP port, and Mod.io-compatible content. Configure those elements first, then test discovery from the EOS browser on both platforms.
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