Valheim: console and PC in the same world (join code)

This is for someone who has a friend on console and a friend on PC and wants one Viking world for both. Console Valheim has no "type an IP" field the way Steam does. The path that works is a dedicated server with Crossplay on, then a six-digit join code.

Iron Gate's own notes live on valheim.com. This page is the friend-group version: what Crossplay actually does, why the code changes, and how to hand it to the couch crew without turning dad into IT support.

Do not pin an old Valheim build. Everyone — PC, Xbox, PlayStation, Switch 2, Game Pass — must be on a build that can talk to that dedicated server. Ten people is the hard cap. There is no slot dial to raise it.

What you need (short version)

1. A dedicated Valheim world (not Host from inside the game while you play).
2. Crossplay On on that dedicated world.
3. A password of at least five characters (Valheim always requires one).
4. The join code from that world once it is running — for console friends.
5. Address + password for Steam friends who prefer Join IP.

Same world. Two join paths.

Why Host from the game is not enough

When you press Host inside Valheim, your PC (or console) has to stay in the world. Console friends still need Crossplay / PlayFab paths, and the moment you quit, the lobby dies.

A dedicated server keeps the world up when nobody is logged in. That is what console and PC groups actually need.

Path A — Omnipass (no PC left on)

Plus is the Valheim Crossplay floor. Crossplay uses a relay and needs about +1 GiB on the Pass, then a restart.

1. Get a Pass on omnipass.gg and deploy Valheim.
2. Open the world → Open settings → Access.
3. Set a password (5+ characters).
4. Turn Crossplay On.
5. Apply / restart and wait until the world is up.
6. On the Pass, copy Join code (six digits). It only shows when the world is running with Crossplay On. A stopped or Frozen world will not show a live code.
7. Send the code + password to console friends. They join with the code path in Valheim.
8. Steam friends can keep using the address + password on the Pass like always.

One thing people miss

The join code is minted fresh every boot — restart, thaw, or update. It is not a forever bookmark. After any reboot, grab the new code from the Pass and send it again.

Freeze still parks the world so you are not paying burn while nobody is on. Thaw when the crew is back; Crossplay stays how you left it, but the join code will be new.

Honest pricing (checkout)

Valheim with Crossplay sits on Plus. Checkout today: £4.99 for the first 3 months, then £9.99.

No unlimited players. No forever £4.99. No GB shopping — you pick the Pass that fits the shelf, not a RAM slider.

Path B — Your own Windows PC

Full click-by-click is here: Host a Valheim dedicated server on your PC.

The Crossplay bit, short:

1. Install Valheim Dedicated Server from Steam → Tools.
2. Edit a copy of start_headless_server.bat (Steam resets the original on update).
3. Add -crossplay to the valheim_server.exe line, keep -password (5+ characters), start that copy.
4. Crossplay traffic goes through Iron Gate's relay — you skip router forwarding for console friends. Local addresses like 127.0.0.1 will not work with Crossplay.
5. Console friends join with the join code the dedicated server prints / shows. With Crossplay on, prefer the code / server-list path Iron Gate documents for that build.
6. Leave the server window open while people play. After a Steam update, start your copy of the bat again so everyone matches the build.

The PC has to stay awake. If that is the pain, Path A is the one.

Console checklist (Xbox / PlayStation / Switch 2 / Game Pass)

• Same Valheim build family as the dedicated server.
• Crossplay On on the dedicated world.
• World running (not stopped / not Frozen) when you copy the code.
• Password ready — Valheim never opens without one.
• Fresh code after every restart.

Common stuck points

• No join code on the Pass — Crossplay still Off, or world not fully up yet.
• Code worked yesterday, fails today — World restarted; code refreshed; copy the new one.
• Console friend cannot find IP join — Consoles do not use Join IP the way Steam does; use the code.
• PC friend on Crossplay world cannot use 127.0.0.1 — Expected with Crossplay relay; use the Pass address or join code path.
• Friends bounce after an update — Build mismatch; update game + dedicated server / Pass image together.
• PlayStation friend cannot see Crossplay worlds — on PlayStation, untick PlayStation Network only when joining. Leave it ticked and they only see PSN lobbies.

Related

• Your Valheim join code is on the Pass now
• Valheim 1.0 settings on Omnipass
• Host Valheim on your PC
• Port forwarding (PC path only; Crossplay relay skips this for console friends)

If you do not want the PC on

Spin Valheim on omnipass.gg, turn Crossplay On, copy the Join code, hand it to the couch crew.