The Tool Desk
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What “non-dedicated server” means in ARK
In ARK, “non-dedicated” generally describes a session created from the multiplayer host’s own game client rather than from a standalone server program. The host launches the game, loads or creates the world, and invites other players into that running instance. The host machine performs both jobs: it renders the host’s game and simulates the shared world for everyone else.
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What happens when the host leaves
The session depends on the host’s client. If the host logs out, closes the game, loses the connection or otherwise stops hosting, the shared session is no longer available. Other players cannot continue exploring that same live world while the host is offline. The exact save behavior can vary by game version and platform, so the host should allow the game to finish saving before exiting.
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- Use cunning strategy and tactics to tame, train, ride and breed the 100+ dinosaurs and other primeval creatures roaming the dynamic, persistent ecosystems across land, sea, air, and even underground Build your character's strengths and gain items, skills, and pet creatures using in-depth role-playing systems
- Start a tribe with hundreds of other players to survive and dominate competing tribes...and ultimately discover ARK's true purpose
- Build a fire or shelter, then craft customizable clothing & armors to help protect against damage and extreme temperatures on your way to unlocking advanced technologies and equipment
- Chop down trees and mine metal and other precious resources to build massive multi-leveled structures composed of complex snap-linked parts
Why the tether exists
Every connected player is normally kept within a limited distance of the host. This tether reduces the amount of world simulation that the host computer must perform at once. It is the main practical difference players notice during a non-dedicated adventure: the group cannot permanently split into distant teams while using the host’s client as the server.
Non-dedicated versus dedicated: the practical differences
A dedicated server runs separately from any player’s active game. It may run on another computer, a rented game-server machine or a spare PC in the same home. Because the server process is independent, players can join and leave without tying the world’s availability to one person’s gameplay session.
| Question | Non-dedicated session | Dedicated server |
|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | Inside one player’s ARK game client | As a separate server process |
| Host availability | The host must be online and running the session; leaving ends access for the group | Can remain running when no player is connected |
| Player movement | Players are restricted by a tether around the host | No host tether; players can operate in different areas |
| Hosting cost | No separate hosting fee | Can use a spare computer at no rental cost or a paid hosting service |
| Mods and custom settings | Limited by what the host’s game and platform support | The usual choice for extensive mods or custom server settings |
| Save relationship to single-player | Uses the session’s own multiplayer save | A dedicated instance on your PC uses a separate save from single-player |
When a non-dedicated session is the right choice
A small group that plays together
Non-dedicated hosting works well for a few friends who normally start and finish an ARK session together. The free setup avoids a server subscription, and the host can create a world directly from the game’s multiplayer menu. If everyone stays near the host, the tether is less disruptive than it would be for a group that divides into distant bases.
Exploration and first-time multiplayer
New players often benefit from the simplicity. There is no separate server installation, configuration panel or monthly bill to understand before testing multiplayer. A host can learn the game’s progression and map with friends, then move to a dedicated arrangement later if the group outgrows the tether or wants the world available around the clock.
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- Survive Above All: Hunger, thirst, basic safety, and protecting yourself from the weather are all part of the game
- Harvest, Hunt and Build: Cut down trees and turn them into a basic home, which you can quickly expand into a Jurassic estate. Hunt for meat, scavenge for plants (or start your own garden!)
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Occasional sessions with a predictable host
If one person is reliably available whenever the group plays, host-dependent uptime may be acceptable. Establish a schedule and have the host start the session before everyone joins. This is less suitable for asynchronous groups whose members play at different times.
When a dedicated server is the better fit
Your players need to split up
Building a base on one side of the map while another player gathers resources elsewhere is difficult in a tethered session. A dedicated server removes that host-centered movement limit, allowing independent expeditions and separate bases.
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A dedicated process can continue running with nobody actively playing. Players can connect at different times, leave projects in progress and return without waiting for a particular friend to host. This is the defining advantage for groups that do not share a schedule.
You need mods or detailed configuration
Dedicated hosting is the normal route for groups that want extensive mod support or custom server settings. It gives the administrator a server configuration environment rather than tying every setting to an individual’s game session. Compatibility still depends on the ARK edition, platform and mod, so check those requirements before migrating an established world.
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- Capture and Tame Dinosaurs: Discover over 100 different dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures on the island, finding ways to tame them into useful additions for your tribe's dino herd
- Survive Above All: Hunger, thirst, basic safety and protecting yourself from the weather are all part of the game. Run too far and not only will you be exhausted, but you will also quickly get hungry and thirsty. Weather effects are based on real-world climates, and so you'll need to hide out from rain and snow, while making the most of sunny days
- Harvest, Hunt and Build: Cut down trees and turn them into a basic home, which you can quickly expand into a Jurassic estate. Hunt for meat, scavenge for plants (or start your own garden!)
- Gather Resources, Customize Everything: An extensive crafting system invites you to mix and match materials scavenged from the island, while also modifying the colors, textures, shapes and style of everything from the walls of your home, to your character's armor, weapons and more
- Explore the Island: Solve the mystery of The ARK as you explore this massive island, discovering Explorer's Notebooks (filled with clues!) throughout. Make your way to the final boss and figure out why you've been dropped into this Jurassic-era experience
How to start a non-dedicated ARK session
Menu names can differ between ARK: Survival Evolved, ARK: Survival Ascended and platform versions, but the workflow is consistent:
- Choose the host. Select the player with the most reliable connection and a computer capable of running ARK while also simulating the shared world.
- Open the multiplayer host menu. From ARK’s main menu, choose the option for hosting a non-dedicated multiplayer session. Do not choose the single-player launch if you want friends to join the same world.
- Select the map and settings. Pick the map, difficulty and gameplay settings before starting. Keep a record of changes so the group knows which settings define the world.
- Launch the session. Start the non-dedicated world and wait until the host is fully loaded into the map.
- Invite players through the platform’s normal method. Friends join through the game’s invite or session browser flow available on that platform. Everyone must use a compatible game edition and version.
- Stay near the host. Plan activities within the tether range. If the group reaches the boundary, players may be pulled back toward the host rather than continuing independently.
- Exit safely. End the session through the game’s save-and-exit controls. Abruptly closing the client or losing power risks losing recent progress.
Understanding ARK’s tether distance
There is no official Studio Wildcard figure establishing one universal non-dedicated tether distance for every ARK edition and platform. A third-party hosting blog gives a rough default of about 200 to 250 metres, but it does not provide an authoritative measurement or a clearly stated version. Treat that range as an informal estimate, not a guaranteed setting.
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Reports for ARK: Survival Ascended also should not be applied automatically to ARK: Survival Evolved. A 2023 community discussion about Ascended describes a value locked to 180 metres, while Evolved reports differ. The two games have different technical behavior, and neither community report establishes a universal rule for all platforms.
Can the tether be increased?
On some PC configurations, a Steam community guide describes changing ListenServerTetherDistanceMultiplier in the [ServerSettings] section of GameUserSettings.ini. The multiplier is intended to enlarge the host distance, but the result depends on the game edition, version and platform. Forum replies warn that very high values can produce lag or crashes on weaker host machines.
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- Capture and Tame Dinosaurs: Discover over 100 different dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures on the island, finding ways to tame them into useful additions for your tribe's dino herd
- Survive Above All: Hunger, thirst, basic safety, and protecting yourself from the weather are all part of the game
- Harvest, Hunt and Build: Cut down trees and turn them into a basic home, which you can quickly expand into a Jurassic estate. Hunt for meat, scavenge for plants (or start your own garden!)
- Customize Everything: An extensive crafting system invites you to mix and match materials scavenged from the island, while also modifying the colors, textures, shapes, and styles
- Explore the Island: Solve the mystery of The ARK as you explore this massive island, discovering Explorer's Notebooks (filled with clues!) throughout
Make a backup of the file before editing it, change only the named setting, and test with one other player before inviting the whole group. If ARK overwrites the file or the session becomes unstable, restore the backup and return to the default behavior. Console players have reported no equivalent workaround, so do not assume a PC configuration change is available on console.
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What the host computer does
The host renders its own game while also handling the shared world simulation and network traffic. More players, active creatures, structures and demanding settings increase the workload. Close unnecessary applications, use stable power and keep the host connected by Ethernet when possible. These are practical reliability measures, not a guarantee of a particular frame rate or tether size.
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Internet requirements
Every player’s connection affects the session, but the host is the critical point. A brief host disconnect affects everyone. If the host uses Wi-Fi, reduce interference and avoid large downloads or uploads during play. Players who regularly see rubber-banding should first test whether the host’s connection is saturated before changing gameplay settings.
What “free” means
A non-dedicated session has no separate server-rental charge. You still need the game, a compatible platform account and an internet connection for online play. Electricity, hardware and bandwidth remain the host’s responsibility. A dedicated server can also be free when run on a spare PC, but renting one adds a recurring provider fee.
Running a dedicated instance on your own PC
A dedicated instance does not have to be rented. ARK can run a separate dedicated server process on a player’s own computer, provided that computer can handle the additional workload and the platform supports the required server software. The dedicated instance keeps a separate save from the owner’s single-player game, so starting it does not turn the single-player world into the multiplayer server automatically.
This arrangement gives a group the no-rental-cost advantage of local hosting while removing the player tether. The trade-off is administration: installation, updates, configuration, backups and network access become the owner’s responsibility. A machine that is shut down or put to sleep cannot provide always-on access.
Common problems and fixes
Friends cannot join
- Confirm that everyone is running the same ARK edition and current game version.
- Verify that the host actually launched a non-dedicated session rather than single-player.
- Have the host restart the session and send a fresh platform invite.
- Check whether a firewall, strict network setting or platform privacy option is blocking invitations.
The host keeps dropping
- Use a wired connection if available and stop competing downloads or streams.
- Lower demanding settings or reduce the number of simultaneous players and creatures.
- Keep the host computer from sleeping or switching networks during play.
- Save and restart before the session becomes unstable; forcing a shutdown can lose recent progress.
Players are pulled back toward the host
- Move the group closer together and treat the tether as a session boundary.
- Do not rely on the informal 200–250 metre estimate as an exact limit.
- On PC, test the documented
ListenServerTetherDistanceMultipliersetting only if your edition and version support it, and revert it if lag or crashes appear. - On console, plan around the default behavior because players have reported no reliable setting-based workaround.
The world needs to be available without the host
That is a design limitation, not a connection bug. Move the group to a dedicated server, either on a separate PC or through a rental provider, and migrate or recreate the world according to the tools and rules of your ARK edition.
Choosing between the two models
Use a non-dedicated session when the group is small, plays together, wants to avoid hosting costs and can accept the host tether. Choose dedicated hosting when players need independent travel, asynchronous access, extensive customization or a world that remains online without the original host.
A sensible progression is to begin non-dedicated while learning the game and validating that everyone enjoys the same map and settings. Move to a dedicated instance once tether limits, scheduling or customization become recurring obstacles. Keep separate backups during any transition because a dedicated save and a single-player save are not interchangeable by default.
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