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Choose how to host the LAN game
There are two broad approaches: host a session from a player’s game, or run a dedicated server on a separate PC. The available evidence confirms ASA has LAN modes but does not establish the current menus or exact client steps for either version. Menu names, console commands, tether behavior, and console-platform setup may differ; don’t assume a particular click path applies to both ASE and ASA.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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ARK: Survival Evolved (PS4) | $18.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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ARK: Survival Evolved - Xbox One | $23.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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ARK: Survival Evolved (Nintendo Switch) | $35.49 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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ARK: Survival Evolved - Xbox One (Renewed) | $21.26 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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ARK Survival Evolved Definitive Complete Guide & Walkthrough (Latest Update 2025) All Strategies,... | $15.99 | Buy on Amazon |
Host from a player’s game
A non-dedicated session is hosted through one player’s game rather than a separate server process. It can be a simpler option when the group wants to play together without configuring a dedicated server. The host’s game must remain available for others to join. Current exact menu labels and whether a particular version imposes tether limits are not established here.
Run a dedicated server
A dedicated server runs separately from the players’ game sessions. It gives the group a server process to join, but requires installing and configuring server files. The ARK Official Community Wiki guide describes a PC-server setup; its guidance should be checked against the current instructions for your game version before you use commands or change network settings.
#1 Best Overall
- Use cunning strategy and tactics to tame, train, ride and breed the 100+ dinosaurs and other primeval creatures roaming the dynamic, persistent ecosystems across land, sea, air, and even underground Build your character's strengths and gain items, skills, and pet creatures using in-depth role-playing systems
- Start a tribe with hundreds of other players to survive and dominate competing tribes...and ultimately discover ARK's true purpose
- Build a fire or shelter, then craft customizable clothing & armors to help protect against damage and extreme temperatures on your way to unlocking advanced technologies and equipment
- Chop down trees and mine metal and other precious resources to build massive multi-leveled structures composed of complex snap-linked parts
ASE and ASA have different server requirements
The ARK Official Community Wiki’s dedicated-server guidance says ASE supports Windows and Linux natively, while ASA requires Windows or a Windows-like environment and does not have native Linux support. This distinction concerns dedicated-server operating systems; it does not establish which consoles can host LAN games or which player-platform combinations can join each other.
For ASA on Steam, the PC game listing specifies Windows 10 or 11, at least 16 GB of RAM, 180 GB of available storage, and an SSD as minimum client requirements. Its recommended tier lists 32 GB of RAM and the same storage and SSD requirements. Steam lists broadband internet in both tiers. These are requirements for the game client, not a recommended or guaranteed specification for a dedicated server. Steam’s ARK: Survival Ascended listing also identifies the game as early access, released October 25, 2023.
Rank #2
- Capture and Tame Dinosaurs: Discover over 100 different dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures on the island, finding ways to tame them into useful additions for your tribe's dino herd
- Survive Above All: Hunger, thirst, basic safety, and protecting yourself from the weather are all part of the game
- Harvest, Hunt and Build: Cut down trees and turn them into a basic home, which you can quickly expand into a Jurassic estate. Hunt for meat, scavenge for plants (or start your own garden!)
- Customize Everything: An extensive crafting system invites you to mix and match materials scavenged from the island, while also modifying the colors, textures, shapes, and styles
- Explore the Island: Solve the mystery of The ARK as you explore this massive island, discovering Explorer's Notebooks (filled with clues!) throughout
What a dedicated PC server involves
The Community Wiki guide describes a baseline process: use a 64-bit operating system, install the server files with SteamCMD, launch the server with a map and server options, and permit the required traffic through the host computer’s firewall. It lists Steam app IDs of 376030 for ASE and 2430930 for ASA; verify the current installation instructions and commands before relying on them.
Ports in the guide
The guide lists these ports for a dedicated server:
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Rank #3
- Capture and Tame Dinosaurs: Discover over 100 different dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures on the island, finding ways to tame them into useful additions for your tribe's dino herd
- Survive Above All: Hunger, thirst, basic safety and protecting yourself from the weather are all part of the game. Run too far and not only will you be exhausted, but you will also quickly get hungry and thirsty. Weather effects are based on real-world climates, and so you'll need to hide out from rain and snow, while making the most of sunny days
- Harvest, Hunt and Build: Cut down trees and turn them into a basic home, which you can quickly expand into a Jurassic estate. Hunt for meat, scavenge for plants (or start your own garden!)
- Gather Resources, Customize Everything: An extensive crafting system invites you to mix and match materials scavenged from the island, while also modifying the colors, textures, shapes and style of everything from the walls of your home, to your character's armor, weapons and more
- Explore the Island: Solve the mystery of The ARK as you explore this massive island, discovering Explorer's Notebooks (filled with clues!) throughout. Make your way to the final boss and figure out why you've been dropped into this Jurassic-era experience
- UDP 7777: game traffic.
- UDP 7778: peer traffic.
- UDP 27015: Steam server-browser queries.
- TCP 27020: optional RCON.
These are server-networking details, not a checklist that every LAN player must apply to a router. The guide’s firewall and router advice addresses incoming connections. Router port forwarding is not universally required for players on the same local network; it may be relevant when people connect from outside that network. Do not expose ports you do not need.
Same-network players versus remote players
When everyone is on the same local network, the server host’s firewall and whether clients can reach the host are the immediate network considerations. The dedicated-server guide’s router-forwarding advice concerns incoming connections and does not mean forwarding is automatically needed for local-only play.
Rank #4
- Capture and Tame Dinosaurs: Discover over 100 different dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures on the island, finding ways to tame them into useful additions for your tribe's dino herd
- Survive Above All: Hunger, thirst, basic safety, and protecting yourself from the weather are all part of the game
- Harvest, Hunt and Build: Cut down trees and turn them into a basic home, which you can quickly expand into a Jurassic estate. Hunt for meat, scavenge for plants (or start your own garden!)
- Customize Everything: An extensive crafting system invites you to mix and match materials scavenged from the island, while also modifying the colors, textures, shapes, and styles
- Explore the Island: Solve the mystery of The ARK as you explore this massive island, discovering Explorer's Notebooks (filled with clues!) throughout
If someone is joining from outside the home or local network, the setup becomes an incoming-connection problem. The guide says router access may need to be configured, but the exact requirement depends on the network and how the server is exposed. The listed ASA broadband requirement is also a reminder that a LAN mode should not be treated as proof of offline operation.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is not confirmed by the available setup information
- The exact current menu path for starting or joining a LAN session in either ASE or ASA.
- A universal console command or connection address for joining.
- Whether tether limits apply in a particular non-dedicated setup.
- Which console platforms can host a session, or the full crossplay rules for a particular combination of platforms.
For exact client-side steps, identify the game edition (ASE or ASA) and platform first, then use instructions specific to that combination. Steam’s listing confirms ASA LAN PvP and LAN Co-op, but that alone does not establish matching setup steps across PC and consoles.
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