Why Palworld needs so much RAM
Palworld is one of the most RAM-intensive survival games. The reason: Pal AI simulates all base activity even when no player is online. Pals keep working, fighting and moving on the server continuously – consuming RAM and CPU cycles regardless of whether anyone is connected.
Official system requirements
Pocketpair's own recommendation for the dedicated server:
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| CPU cores | 4 | 4+ |
Source: docs.palworldgame.com/getting-started/requirements
8 GB – technically possible, but risky
The server can start with 8 GB, but once multiple players are active simultaneously or several large bases are being simulated, the server process risks crashing with an OOM error (out of memory). 8 GB is not recommended for stable long-term operation.
Guidelines by player count
The maximum player count in the panel is 32 (configurable via ServerPlayerMaxNum in the PalworldSettingsWizard).
A rough rule of thumb:
| Concurrent players | Recommended RAM |
|---|---|
| 1–4 | 8–10 GB |
| 5–10 | 12–14 GB |
| 11–20 | 16 GB |
| 21–32 | 20–24 GB |
Base cost is always ~8 GB for the server process itself, plus ~1 GB per 3–4 active players. With particularly active bases (many Pals, complex automation) choose the upper end.
Demo server at game-serverhosting.de
Our demo Palworld server runs with ~6 GB RAM assigned to the Palworld egg (panel ID 41). That's sufficient for demo and testing purposes. For production servers with friends we recommend at least 12 GB; for a full 32-player session, 20–24 GB.
CPU: cores matter more than clock speed
Palworld uses multiple CPU cores for Pal AI and world simulation. 4 cores are the minimum; 8 cores keep things smooth even with many Pals and complex bases. High clock speeds (GHz) help less than having enough cores.
Summary
Palworld needs at least 8 GB RAM, but stable operation starts at 12 GB, with 16 GB officially recommended. The maximum player count is 32 (panel limit). Plan for ~8 GB base plus 1 GB per 3–4 active players. Pal AI simulates bases without players – so RAM headroom always makes sense. Align the max player count in the PalworldSettingsWizard with your available RAM.