How to join a Valheim server on PS5, Switch 2, Xbox and PC
Valheim 1.0 crossplay puts PS5, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox and PC players on one dedicated server. Copy the six-digit join code, add the server under Join Game, and fix a code that has stopped working.
Valheim 1.0 brings PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2 alongside Xbox and PC, with crossplay between all of them. Everyone joins the same dedicated server the same way: the server prints a six-digit join code, and each player enters it under Join Game → Add server.
The join code changes every time the server restarts. It is issued fresh on each boot, so a crash, an update or a manual restart replaces it. If a code that worked yesterday is rejected today, you need the current one, not a fix.
What you need
- A server that someone else hosts. Consoles cannot host. Iron Gate is direct about it: "You can't set up a dedicated server on an Xbox." The same applies to PS5 and Switch 2, so the world has to live on a rented server or on a PC that stays switched on.
- Crossplay enabled on that server. Crossplay moves the server onto Valheim's PlayFab backend, which is what makes join codes and non-Steam players possible. On berrybyte, the Valheim Vanilla software has Enable Crossplay turned on by default.
- The current join code, plus the server password.
Console players cannot install mods. A server running BepInEx plugins that clients also have to install is a PC-only server in practice. See Crossplay or mods before you commit your group to one or the other.
Find your join code
Open the server Overview
Sign in to the dashboard, pick your Valheim server, and stay on Overview.
Start the server if it is offline
The code only exists while the server is running. A stopped server shows Start the server to get a join code.
Read the Join code card
Join code · Valheim sits under the server address. It shows Getting join code… for a few moments after the world finishes loading, then the six digits appear. Click to copy.
Send the code and the password
Both are needed. The password is set under Settings → Game Settings.
Already in the game? The join code is also shown in Valheim's pause menu, so any player who is connected can read the current code and pass it on without touching the dashboard.
If the card says the server started without crossplay, turn on Enable Crossplay under Settings → Game Settings and restart. The flag is only read at boot, so changing it mid-session does nothing until you restart. On a self-hosted server, the code is in the console output instead:
Session "MyServer" registered with join code 860226Join the server
The in-game flow is identical on every platform. The differences are what the console needs switched on beforehand.
Allow online play and crossplay
Under Settings → Family and Parental Controls, make sure communication with other players and user-generated content are allowed. If crossplay options never appear in Valheim, this is almost always why.
Start Valheim and pick your character
Launch the game and select or create the character you want to play.
Choose Join Game → Add server
Do not look for an IP address field. Console builds join by code only.
Enter the six-digit code, then the password
Type the code exactly, submit, then enter the server password when prompted.
Check parental controls
Open the Nintendo Switch Parental Controls settings and confirm that online communication with other players is permitted for the account.
Start Valheim and pick your character
Launch the game and select or create the character you want to play.
Choose Join Game → Add server
Enter the six-digit join code the server owner gave you.
Enter the password
Type the server password when Valheim asks for it.
Check privacy and online safety
Under Settings → Account → Privacy & online safety, allow the account to play with people outside Xbox. Crossplay is blocked at the console level otherwise.
Start Valheim and pick your character
Launch the game and select or create the character you want to play.
Choose Join Game → Add server
Enter the six-digit join code.
Enter the password
Type the server password when prompted.
PC players can use the join code exactly like console players, which is the simplest option when the group is mixed.
Join by code
Choose Join Game → Add server and enter the six-digit code.
Or join by address
PC is the only platform that can connect directly. Copy the server address from the dashboard Overview, then use Join Game → Join IP and paste it in.
Online play on a console generally needs that platform's online subscription: PlayStation Plus, Nintendo Switch Online or Xbox Game Pass Core. That is a platform requirement rather than a Valheim one; check the Valheim store page for your console.
Fix connection problems
The join code is rejected
Get the current code. Every restart mints a new one, and old codes are never valid again. Also check the player typed it into the join-code field and not the password field. They are separate prompts.
There is no join code on the server
The server is running without crossplay. Turn on Enable Crossplay under Settings → Game Settings, then restart. The flag is only read at startup. If crossplay was already on and the card still reports no code after a couple of minutes, restart the server: the registration only retries on a fresh boot.
The crossplay option is missing on my console
Parental or privacy controls are hiding it. Allow online communication and play with people on other networks for that account, then restart Valheim.
A local IP address does not work
Crossplay traffic is relayed, so LAN and loopback addresses are not reachable on that backend. Use the join code even when the server is in the same house.
Incompatible version
Client and server must run the same Valheim build. Update the game, and make sure the server has taken the update too. See updating your server.
A console player cannot load the modded server
They will not be able to. Console builds cannot install mods at all, so any server needing client-side plugins excludes them.
Next steps
Rent a persistent world for your group, or build one yourself with SteamCMD.
Crossplay or mods?Decide which server your group actually needs before you start building.
Update for Valheim 1.0Back up properly and decide whether the Deep North needs a fresh world.
Admin and console commandsKick, ban and grant admin on a crossplay server.
Frequently asked questions
Can PS5 and PC players play Valheim together?
Yes. Valheim 1.0 supports crossplay across PC, Xbox, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2. The dedicated server has to run with crossplay enabled, which switches it to the PlayFab backend and gives it a six-digit join code that players on any platform can use.
Do I need a PC to host a Valheim server for console friends?
You need a PC or a rented dedicated server. Iron Gate does not allow consoles to host a dedicated server, so a PS5, Switch 2 or Xbox can only join one. A rented server also stays online when the owner logs off, which a player-hosted world does not.
Why did my Valheim join code stop working?
The join code is issued fresh every time the server starts, so any restart, crash or update replaces it. Ask the server owner for the current code from the dashboard or the server console. Old codes are never reactivated.
Can Xbox players use Valheim mods?
No. Console versions of Valheim cannot install BepInEx or any client-side mod. A server that requires client mods is PC-only in practice, so keep a crossplay server unmodded if console players need to join it.
How many players can join a Valheim server?
Valheim supports 1 to 10 players, and Iron Gate has said the limit is unchanged for the 1.0 release. The cap is the same on crossplay servers as it is on Steam-only servers.