Valheim Crossplay Guide — PC, Xbox, PS5 and Switch 2 Together

How crossplay works at 1.0

Valheim 1.0 puts PC (Steam and Microsoft Store), Xbox, PS5 and Switch 2 in the same worlds. The mechanism is a join code rather than a shared friends list, which is what makes cross-platform sessions possible at all — nobody has to be on the same network or store.

Two conditions carry almost all of the weight:

1. Version parity. Everyone must be on the same game version. If a console patch lags the PC build, cross-session joins can fail until both sides match.
2. Crossplay enabled on the host. It is a setting, on PC in the multiplayer options and on console in the world/session settings.

See the PS5 and Switch 2 notes for platform-specific caveats.

Hosting a session

Peer-hosted (a player hosts). Simplest option for a scheduled evening: one player enables crossplay, starts the world, and shares the join code. The world only exists while that player is online, and the host’s connection quality is everyone’s connection quality.

Dedicated server. For an always-on world, run the free dedicated server tool with crossplay enabled so it can issue a join code. You forward UDP 2456 plus 2457 and 2458, or you rent a server and let the panel do it. Full walkthrough: dedicated server guide.

Joining from each platform

Platform	How players get in
Steam (PC)	Join Game screen → enter the code, or add the server by IP for a self-hosted dedicated server
Microsoft Store / Game Pass (PC)	Join Game screen → code; crossplay must be on for both sides to see each other
Xbox	Multiplayer menu → join with the code from the host
PS5	Multiplayer menu → join with the code from the host
Switch 2	Multiplayer menu → join with the code from the host

The exact menu wording differs by platform and changes with updates; the join-code path is the constant.

When a join fails

Work through this in order — it resolves the overwhelming majority of cases:

1. Compare version numbers in each main menu. A mismatch is the most common cause and the one nobody checks first.
2. Confirm crossplay is enabled on the host, then restart the session so a fresh code is generated.
3. Re-enter the code. Codes are session-scoped; an old code from a previous evening will not work.
4. Dedicated server only: check UDP 2456/2457/2458 are forwarded to the correct internal IP, and that there is no double NAT in the path.
5. Still failing? Have one console player try a peer-hosted session instead. If that works, the problem is the server configuration, not the platforms.

Progression and worlds

Worlds are files (.db and .fwl), so a self-hosted or rented world can be copied and moved. Character progression tied to a platform account is a separate question — it stays on the platform where it was created, with one exception: Xbox and PC on the Microsoft Store (Play Anywhere) share the same progression. For any other pairing, check your platform’s account rules before you plan a move. Back the world up before every version update either way.