Palworld Xbox vs. Steam: All version differences explained

Get the right version.

Fenglope being petted in Palworld.
Screenshot by Dot Esports via Pocketpair YouTube

Palworld can be obtained through several editions as Early Access since Jan. 19. You can get it on PC, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One. It’s also included in the Game Pass.

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The game will be very different based on the platform if you want to use its multiplayer functions, however. Xbox edition has some key differences compared to the one on PC, via Steam. Here is the list of what will change based on the platform you’ll play Palworld.

Differences explained between Palworld on Xbox and Steam

At the time of writing, the differences between the Xbox and PC versions of Palworld aren’t too major. But it’s going to evolve over time, as the developer is implementing updates differently on both platforms due to structural differences between them.

As such, when updates are rolled out, they’re not going to include exactly the same changes on PC and Xbox, although they’ll feature the same number.

Updates are also introduced later on Xbox because the developer has to adapt the patch for the platform. Pocket Pair explained Microsoft’s certification process pushed it to adjust parts of the game. Players can already discern a couple of these differences since the Early Access launch.

Patch schedule

For the time being, updates are being introduced in priority on Palworld‘s PC version. They are adjusted for Xbox, which means there is a delay between updates as Xbox players have to wait longer before being able to download them.

Multiplayer: online co-op vs. dedicated servers

Palworld doesn’t include dedicated multiplayer servers on Xbox, contrary to the PC version, and it’s not going to change soon. It means that players can only play the online co-op mode, which has a limit of four players. PC players, on the other side, can play with up to 32 players in multiplayer servers. In addition, crossplay isn’t enabled, which means Xbox players can only play with others on the same platform.

Name changes

The name of a number of elements in Palworld is slightly different from PC to Xbox on Palworld. While some only feature one or two different letters (such as Nox vs. Noct on Xbox), others can barely be recognized from one version to the other. One example is Ancient Civilization Parts, which are called Paldium Crystals on Xbox.

Feature availability

Some features are unlocked in different ways on Xbox compared to PC. For example, Egg Incubators aren’t exactly acquired the same way on both platforms (they’re unlocked through Tech on Xbox, and Ancient Tech on PC). Those differences don’t significantly change the gameplay for the time being, but it’ll likely change as more updates and features are added to Palworld‘s Xbox version.

Author
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Eva Martinello
Eva is a Staff Writer from Paris. Her part-time job is charging into walls with Reinhardt. She has been covering League of Legends esports and other titles for six years. She still believes in a Moscow Five comeback. She also fell into the MMO pit and covers FFXIV and Genshin.