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Short answer: Keen Software House lists 6 GB of RAM, a 3.2 GHz CPU with 3 logical cores, and 5 Mbps of bandwidth as the minimum for a Space Engineers dedicated server. Its recommended baseline is 10 GB of RAM and a 4.5 GHz CPU with 3 logical cores. Those are server-process baselines, not guarantees for a particular player count, world size, or mod load. You can run the server on your own Windows PC or rent hosting; the right choice depends on how much administration and always-on availability you need.
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Official Space Engineers dedicated-server requirements
Keen’s figures apply to the dedicated server, the separate process that simulates a world for connected players. They are not the requirements for the Space Engineers game client that you run to play. Keen does not map these numbers to a guaranteed player count, simulation speed, world size, or number of mods, so treat them as baseline specifications when evaluating a machine or a hosting plan.
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| Resource | Minimum published by Keen | Recommended by Keen | What the figure means |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | 3.2 GHz, 3 logical cores | 4.5 GHz, 3 logical cores | Clock speed and logical-core count; no particular processor model is specified. |
| RAM | 6 GB | 10 GB | Memory allocated to the dedicated-server workload, not a complete PC-memory recommendation for the operating system and other programs. |
| Bandwidth | 5 Mbps | Not stated | A minimum network figure; Keen gives no recommended bandwidth target. |
| Operating system | Windows prerequisite | Keen’s setup instructions identify Windows and required runtime packages as prerequisites. | |
Keen also recommends a static IP address when the server will be public. A static address makes the endpoint predictable for players and for any port-forwarding rule; it does not increase CPU, memory, or simulation capacity.
How much RAM should you plan for?
6 GB is the published floor
Six gigabytes is Keen’s minimum dedicated-server memory figure. It should be read as “the server software requires at least this baseline under supported conditions,” not as a promise that every six-gigabyte machine will run a busy or heavily modded world smoothly. Windows, monitoring tools, backups, and other services also need memory, so assigning every available gigabyte to the server is unsafe.
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10 GB is the official recommendation
Keen recommends 10 GB for the server. That is the most defensible starting point for a self-hosting build or a rental plan when you have no workload measurements of your own. The recommendation still does not specify a player count or mod allowance. A large world, scripts, frequent autosaves, or many simultaneous players can create a workload that the baseline alone cannot predict.
Buying more memory
A 16 GB desktop RAM kit can be a practical upgrade choice for a self-hosting PC because it leaves room for Windows and normal background services while exceeding the 10 GB server recommendation. It is an optional hardware choice, not Keen’s requirement. Check the motherboard’s supported memory type and capacity, the operating system’s limits, and whether the machine uses desktop or laptop modules before purchasing.
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Keen’s minimum CPU specification is 3.2 GHz and 3 logical cores; its recommended specification is 4.5 GHz and 3 logical cores. These are characteristics rather than a named processor model. Two processors with the same advertised frequency can behave differently because of architecture, sustained boost behavior, thermal limits, or competing workloads.
For a self-hosted system, compare the processor’s sustained single-thread and lightly threaded performance as well as its published clock speed. Do not translate the table into a rule such as “four players require four cores”: Keen supplies no such sizing formula. Extra cores can help the operating system and other tasks, but the cited requirements do not establish how many cores a particular world needs.
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Avoid judging suitability by the game client’s graphics-card recommendations. The server does not render the 3D game world. The community-maintained Space Engineers Wiki.gg guide describes the dedicated process as headless and says it does not need a graphics card. You still need a display adapter or remote-management method that lets you install and administer Windows, but a gaming GPU is not a dedicated-server requirement.
Network and internet requirements
Bandwidth
Keen lists 5 Mbps minimum bandwidth and does not state a recommended value. This is a minimum baseline, not a guaranteed per-player allowance. Your usable capacity is affected by upload and download headroom, other household traffic, network stability, and whether the connection uses carrier-grade NAT or restrictive firewalling.
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For a public server, Keen recommends a static IP address. If your internet provider changes the address periodically, players may lose the endpoint unless you use an appropriate dynamic-DNS arrangement and update it safely. You must also allow the server’s required traffic through Windows Firewall and, on a home router, forward the relevant port to the host PC. Keen’s requirement table does not specify a universal port value in the cited material, so use the port shown by the current server configuration and official setup instructions rather than guessing.
Testing from outside your network
A server that works from the same home network can still be unreachable from the internet. Test with a player on another connection, such as a mobile hotspot, after the process is running. If outside players cannot connect, check the host’s local address, the router’s forwarding target, the Windows Firewall rule, and whether the ISP uses carrier-grade NAT. A static IP alone cannot overcome carrier-grade NAT or a blocked inbound connection.
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What a dedicated server changes
A dedicated server runs as its own server instance rather than inside one player’s game session. That separation lets the world remain available when an individual player closes the game, provided the server machine and network stay online. It also gives the administrator a single place to manage saves, configuration, permissions, updates, and backups.
That is different from a player-hosted world. The community-maintained Wiki.gg guide explains that player hosting simulates the world on the host player’s machine; when that host exits, other players cannot continue in the world. Player hosting can be adequate for an occasional private session, but it does not provide the always-on behavior people normally seek from a dedicated server.
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Self-hosting on your own Windows PC
When self-hosting makes sense
- You already have a Windows desktop that meets or exceeds 10 GB available server memory, the 4.5 GHz/3-logical-core recommended CPU figure, and the 5 Mbps minimum bandwidth.
- You want control over files, updates, configuration, backups, and access permissions.
- You can leave the machine powered on and maintain its operating system, router, firewall, and server software.
Installation path
Keen’s official instructions identify Windows and the required runtime packages as prerequisites. They describe two installation routes: the Steam client’s Tools library or SteamCMD. SteamCMD uses Space Engineers’ server application ID 298740.
- Prepare a supported Windows machine, install current Windows updates, and verify that the account you will use can install software and create firewall rules.
- Install the runtime packages required by Keen’s current dedicated-server instructions.
- Choose either Steam’s Tools library or SteamCMD. If using SteamCMD, select the Space Engineers dedicated-server app with app ID
298740. - Place the server files and save data on storage with adequate free space for the operating system, world files, logs, and backups. Keen’s cited requirements do not state a storage capacity, so size this from your own save history rather than treating a number as official.
- Create or select a world, set the server name and access controls, and configure the network endpoint shown by the current server software.
- Allow the server through Windows Firewall and configure router forwarding if players will connect from the internet. Use a static IP for a public deployment as Keen recommends.
- Start the server without launching the game client on the same account if that would compete for CPU, memory, or bandwidth. Confirm that the world loads and that a second connection can join.
- Schedule backups and updates. Keep at least one backup outside the live save directory so a failed update or corrupted save does not remove every copy.
Self-hosting limitations
The PC must remain powered on, connected, and healthy for the world to remain available. Reboots, sleep mode, Windows updates, power outages, and a changing residential IP can interrupt access. You are also responsible for protecting the administration interface, applying updates, and deciding who can join.
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Renting managed hosting
Rental hosting moves the always-on machine and much of the network administration to a provider. Keen names GTX Gaming as the official host for the PC version and Nitrado as the official host for the Xbox version. These are platform-specific names; do not assume that a PC server plan works for Xbox or that one configuration supports both platforms.
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Choose managed hosting when
- You do not want to keep a personal Windows PC running continuously.
- Your home connection cannot accept inbound connections or has unreliable uptime.
- You prefer a control panel and provider-managed hardware over manual Windows administration.
Choose self-hosting when
- You need direct access to files and configuration and are comfortable maintaining the server.
- You already own suitable hardware and can provide reliable power and connectivity.
- You want to avoid an ongoing hosting bill and accept responsibility for availability.
Platform, cross-play and mod caveats
PC and Xbox hosting are not interchangeable in the cited guidance. Keen identifies a separate official host for each platform, so confirm the platform before selecting software or a provider. The Wiki.gg guide also describes limitations in cross-platform configuration, including the absence of Steam Workshop mods in that setup. Because the guide is community-maintained and implementation details can change, verify current cross-play and mod compatibility before building a world around a particular mod collection.
Do not infer mod capacity from the RAM table. No published figure in the cited material says how many mods a server can run or how much memory each mod consumes. Treat every mod-heavy plan as a workload that needs observation: watch memory use, CPU saturation, simulation behavior, and save times after adding content.
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Storage, graphics and other commonly misunderstood requirements
Storage
Keen’s listed table specifies CPU, RAM, and bandwidth but no storage capacity. You need enough space for the server installation, world saves, logs, updates, and multiple backups. The correct amount depends on how many worlds and historical backups you retain, so it cannot be replaced with an invented “required” number.
Graphics hardware
A dedicated process does not render the game for players. The community guide therefore says a graphics card is unnecessary for the server workload. Players still need appropriate graphics hardware in their own game clients.
Operating-system headroom
The 10 GB recommendation is for the server baseline, not a statement that a machine with exactly 10 GB total RAM has no other needs. Leave memory and CPU headroom for Windows, security software, file compression, backups, and remote administration. Close unrelated applications on a self-hosted PC to reduce contention.
Troubleshooting by symptom
Players cannot connect from outside the home
- Confirm the server is running and listening on the configured endpoint.
- Check the Windows Firewall exception and router forwarding target.
- Test from a different internet connection, not only from the host’s LAN.
- Check for carrier-grade NAT or an ISP policy that blocks inbound traffic.
- Verify that the public IP has not changed; use a static address as Keen recommends for public servers.
The server starts but the world performs poorly
- Compare the machine with Keen’s recommended 4.5 GHz/3-logical-core CPU and 10 GB RAM figures, not just the minimum.
- Check whether Windows, backups, or another game is consuming resources.
- Watch memory and CPU while the problem occurs and note whether it follows a new mod, script, or world.
- Do not convert the symptom into a player-count rule; Keen publishes no sizing formula.
The server stops when the host player leaves
That behavior indicates a player-hosted session rather than a separately running dedicated server. Start and administer the dedicated-server process independently, then connect to it as a client.
Cross-platform players or mods are missing
Check whether the selected platform combination supports the intended features. The community guide notes cross-platform limitations, including no Steam Workshop mods in that configuration. Reconfirm current compatibility before changing saves or subscriptions.
A practical decision checklist
- Identify the platform: PC and Xbox use different hosting paths in Keen’s guidance.
- Check hardware: target at least 10 GB RAM and 4.5 GHz with 3 logical cores when possible; regard 6 GB and 3.2 GHz as the minimum baseline.
- Check the connection: verify at least 5 Mbps bandwidth, reliable uptime, and a reachable public endpoint if outsiders will join.
- Choose administration: self-host if you want control and can maintain Windows; rent if you want the provider to supply the always-on machine.
- Validate features: confirm cross-play, mod, backup, and update support for the exact platform and provider before committing.
- Plan recovery: keep independent backups and test that a fresh machine or replacement host can restore the world.
Bottom line
For a Space Engineers dedicated server, Keen’s published minimum is 6 GB RAM, a 3.2 GHz CPU with 3 logical cores, and 5 Mbps bandwidth. The recommended baseline is 10 GB RAM and a 4.5 GHz CPU with 3 logical cores; Keen recommends a static IP for public hosting. Self-hosting gives maximum control but requires a maintained Windows PC, network configuration, and reliable uptime. Managed hosting removes much of that maintenance, but you must verify current platform support and allocated resources. Neither option has a guaranteed player or mod capacity from the published figures, so treat them as starting points and monitor the workload you actually run.
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