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What a dedicated server does
A dedicated server is a separate process from the game client. It loads and simulates the world without rendering graphics or playing visual and audio effects, so no player has to remain logged in for the world to continue running. Friends connect to that process rather than to another player’s in-game session.
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Keen’s official guide says dedicated servers are available to everyone who owns Space Engineers and that no extra Steam account is required: the server is included with an existing game account. The software itself is free; your actual cost is the Windows computer, electricity, internet service, administration time, or a rental fee.
Choose self-hosting or a managed host
| Consideration | Self-hosted Windows PC | Rented server |
|---|---|---|
| Installation | You install the Dedicated Server tool, prerequisites and worlds. | The provider supplies an installed instance or a control panel. |
| Ongoing work | You handle updates, restarts, backups, firewall rules and hardware failures. | The provider normally handles the machine and network; exact services vary by plan. |
| Control | Full access to files, ports, service settings, saves and administration. | Control depends on the provider’s panel and plan. |
| Network setup | Usually requires a static public address, UDP forwarding and a host-firewall rule. | The provider exposes the server address; you do not configure your home router. |
| Platform choice | Windows PC hosting; EOS and console-compatible settings can support mixed play. | Keen identifies GTX Gaming as an official PC host and Nitrado as an official Xbox host. |
| Price evidence | Hardware and internet costs depend on what you already own. | Current prices, regions and plan features are not established by Keen’s documentation. |
Self-host when you already have a suitable Windows machine, want file-level control, or are comfortable troubleshooting networking. Rent when you need an always-on location without maintaining a PC, or when your internet connection cannot accept inbound traffic. The official-provider names are options identified by Keen, not a performance or price ranking.
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Published requirements for a self-hosted server
Keen’s Dedicated Servers guide lists the following figures. They are published requirements, not an independent benchmark or a guarantee for every player count, world size or mod collection.
| Resource | Minimum published by Keen | Recommended by Keen |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | 3.2 GHz CPU with 3 logical cores | 4.5 GHz CPU with 3 logical cores |
| Memory | 6 GB RAM | 10 GB RAM |
| Bandwidth | 5 Mbps | Not stated |
| Public networking | Static public IP needed for outside-LAN connections | Static public IP |
| Operating system | Windows PC | Windows PC |
| Runtime and libraries | .NET Framework/Redistributable 4.8 or later; Visual C++ Redistributables 2013 and 2017 | Same prerequisites |
Plan additional disk space for the server installation, save files, logs and downloaded mods. Keen’s guide does not publish a current disk-space number, so do not treat any unverified capacity figure as an official requirement. A machine that barely meets the minimum may still struggle with a heavily populated or modded world; the guide does not promise a specific simulation speed.
Install the Dedicated Server software
Steam installation
- Open the Steam client and select Library.
- Use the library filter or search field to show Tools.
- Find Space Engineers Dedicated Server and install it.
- Confirm that the destination drive has room for the program, worlds, logs and mods.
Steam installs the manager and executable alongside the other tool files. You will launch the manager rather than the normal game client.
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SteamCMD installation
For a machine that does not use the full Steam client, Keen documents SteamCMD application ID 298740. From a command prompt in the SteamCMD folder, use the documented command pattern, replacing the destination with a real path:
steamcmd.exe +login anonymous +force_install_dir somedirectorypath +app_update 298740 +quitRun the command again when you intentionally update the installation. Keep the server files, save directory and logs on storage that is backed up and not routinely cleaned by an automated disk-maintenance task.
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Create and launch a world
The Dedicated Server Manager can run an instance in the foreground or install it as a Windows service. The foreground option is easier while learning because the manager remains visible. A service is better for an unattended machine, but it requires administrator rights and separate service recovery settings.
- Start
SpaceEngineersDedicated.exe. - Choose Local/Console.
- Select Continue to server configuration.
- Choose New world or select an existing save available to the manager.
- Enter a server name and world name, then configure the network and gameplay settings.
- Select Save & start.
To transfer a save from a normal game session, copy the game save into the dedicated-server save directory expected by the manager, then select it in the saved-world list. Preserve a backup of the original before moving or editing files.
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- Listen IP: choose the interface on which the process should accept connections. A machine with multiple network adapters needs particular care; binding to the wrong interface can make a correctly forwarded port appear closed.
- Listen port: Keen’s default is UDP
27016, but you may choose another unused port. - Server and world names: use names your group can recognize; changing a display name does not create a new save.
- Password: require a password when you want a private server without maintaining a group allow-list.
- Steam Group ID visibility: restrict discovery to members of a Steam group when that access model suits your community.
- Player lists: maintain administrators, banned players and reserved slots in the server settings.
- Active mods: add only mods compatible with the platform configuration you intend to support.
Running more than one instance
Each server instance needs its own listen port. If two instances use 27016, only one can bind successfully. Assign a different UDP port to every additional world and create a matching router and firewall rule for each one.
Open the server to the internet
LAN players can often connect without exposing a public port. Players outside your home network need inbound routing, and Keen’s guide says a static public IP is required for outside internet connections.
- Give the server PC a stable private address on your home network, preferably through a DHCP reservation in the router.
- Note the configured listen port. The default is UDP
27016; use your custom value if you changed it. - In the router’s port-forwarding page, create an incoming UDP rule from that external port to the server PC’s private address and the same internal port.
- On Windows, create an inbound firewall rule that allows UDP traffic on the configured port for the server executable or the selected private network profile.
- Start the server and have a player outside your LAN test the connection using the server’s public address and port.
Do not forward unrelated query or remote-management ports merely because they appear in a third-party tutorial. The official guide establishes the game listen port requirement; expose other services only when you have separately verified their purpose and secured them.
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When forwarding does not work
- Works on LAN but not remotely: recheck the router destination address, Windows firewall profile and public address. A changing ISP address can invalidate saved connection details.
- No inbound connection at all: ask whether the ISP uses carrier-grade NAT. If the router does not receive a real public address, ordinary port forwarding cannot make the server reachable; request a public/static address or use a hosted server.
- Port conflict: change the manager’s listen port, then update both the router rule and firewall rule to the same new UDP value.
- Server disappears after a reboot: verify that the service or startup task launches with the intended account and that the private address did not change.
Configure private access and administration
Password and Steam Group controls
A password is the simplest barrier for a small friends-only world. A Steam Group ID visibility restriction is useful when you want discovery limited to a defined community. These controls solve different problems: a visible server can still reject players without the password, while a group restriction can reduce who sees the listing.
Administrators, bans and reserved slots
Add trusted Steam identities to the administrator list in the Dedicated Server Manager. Keen’s administration guidance also documents promotion through the manager or the VRage Remote Client. The Remote API is another route used by providers and experienced operators; do not expose an administrative endpoint to the public internet without understanding its authentication and firewall requirements.
Use the player-management settings for bans and reserved slots. Keep a separate record of trusted administrator identities and export or back up configuration files before making large changes.
PC, Xbox and mixed-platform play
Keen states that dedicated servers can enable EOS networking and console compatibility. A mixed PC/Xbox group therefore needs a server configured for the supported EOS/console mode, not merely a standard PC-only Steam setup.
Keen’s crossplay guidance says Xbox and mixed PC/Xbox servers should use mods hosted on Mod.io. The same administration material notes that server mods containing scripts can run only when they do not require client-side scripts. The detailed crossplay announcement is dated May 2, 2021, so compatibility behavior and allowed mod types should be checked against the current in-game and official guidance before you promise support for a particular mod.
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Crossplay checklist
- Enable the EOS and console-compatible options offered by the current server manager.
- Use Mod.io-hosted content for Xbox or mixed groups.
- Check every mod for client-side script requirements; a mod that works for a PC-only group may prevent console players from joining.
- Test with an Xbox account and a PC account before announcing the server publicly.
- After a game update, test the world and its mods again; platform compatibility can change with updates.
Run the server as a Windows service
The manager can create service instances, but Keen’s guide says you must run it as administrator to create them. A service lets the world start without an interactive desktop session. Give each service a distinct instance directory and port.
Configure Windows service recovery actions so the process restarts after a crash. Keen also describes using Task Scheduler for a periodic check. Test recovery deliberately during a maintenance window rather than assuming a service that starts once will recover from every failure.
Updates, restarts and backups
The manager includes auto-restart and auto-update settings, with an important limitation: Keen specifies that auto-update works only while the Dedicated Server GUI is running. If you run only a background service without the GUI, create your own update and restart procedure instead of assuming the manager’s automation remains active.
- Announce a maintenance window to players.
- Stop the server cleanly so the latest world state is written.
- Back up the save directory and server configuration.
- Update the dedicated-server files through Steam or SteamCMD.
- Start the instance and check the log for load errors.
- Join with a test account before reopening the server to everyone.
Keep rotating backups rather than a single copy. At minimum, retain a recent save from before each game or mod update and another copy on storage that is not the server’s operating drive.
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Mods affect memory use, loading time, compatibility and recovery. Add them in small groups, restart, and verify the world before adding more. Record the mod list and load order with each backup so you can identify what changed after an update.
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For a world that refuses to start, stop the server, restore the most recent known-good save, and remove the newest mod or configuration change from the active list. Test the world without making destructive edits to the only copy. Console or mixed-platform groups should use the Mod.io workflow described above and avoid mods that depend on client-side scripts.
Costs and hardware decisions
There is no separate dedicated-server license charge in Keen’s documentation. A self-hosted setup may use a computer you already own, but account for electricity, storage replacement, operating-system maintenance and the value of your time. The official minimum of 3.2 GHz, three logical cores, 6 GB RAM and 5 Mbps is a starting point, not a purchasing guarantee.
If you buy or repurpose a Windows PC, verify its processor frequency and logical-core count, installed memory, Windows compatibility, network adapter, cooling and ability to run continuously. Do not infer that an unspecified product listing meets Keen’s figures. A static public IP is a network-service requirement; the guide does not establish that buying a particular router is necessary.
Rental removes the home-network and hardware burden but creates a recurring service cost. Keen identifies GTX Gaming for PC hosting and Nitrado for Xbox hosting. Their current prices, geographic availability, storage limits, backup policies and performance differences are not specified in the official material, so compare those details directly before subscribing. If you would rather rent than maintain a PC, Godlike.Host offers Space Engineers server hosting with its own game panel, up to three free backups a day with restore, free DDoS protection and 24/7 live chat or ticket support; see the current plans for what is included.
A practical decision path
- Count your platforms. PC-only play allows the broadest mod choices; Xbox or mixed play requires EOS/console-compatible configuration and Mod.io-hosted content.
- Check your network. If you cannot obtain a public/static address or inbound forwarding is blocked, choose a managed host or keep the server LAN-only.
- Check the machine. Compare the PC with Keen’s CPU, logical-core, RAM, bandwidth and Windows prerequisites.
- Choose control versus convenience. Self-host for file and configuration control; rent to delegate machine and uptime maintenance.
- Test privately. Confirm world loading, administrator access, remote connection and mod compatibility before publishing the address.
First-launch checklist
- Windows, .NET 4.8 or later, and Visual C++ 2013 and 2017 Redistributables are installed.
- The Dedicated Server tool is installed through Steam Tools or SteamCMD app ID
298740. - The chosen world has been saved and backed up.
- The listen IP and UDP port are recorded; the default port is
27016. - The router forwards that UDP port to a stable private address.
- The Windows firewall allows the same UDP port.
- A password, Steam Group restriction, administrators and bans are configured.
- Mods match the target platforms, with Mod.io content for Xbox or mixed groups.
- A remote player has tested the connection.
- Backups, restart behavior and an update window are documented.
Bottom line
For a technically comfortable owner of an always-on Windows PC, Keen’s free Dedicated Server tool is the most controllable route: install it through Steam or SteamCMD, configure the world, forward UDP 27016 (or your chosen port), and manage access and backups yourself. Renting is the simpler choice when public addressing, uptime or maintenance is the problem. Xbox and mixed PC/Xbox groups need EOS/console-compatible settings and Mod.io-hosted, client-compatible mods, and the dated crossplay guidance should be validated after each major game update.
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