Why Palworld Needs So Much RAM
Palworld is one of the most RAM-intensive survival games. The reason: Pal AI simulates all base activities even when no player is online. Pals keep working, fighting, and moving on the server, which constantly uses memory and CPU cycles, whether someone is connected or not.
Official System Requirements
Pocketpair itself recommends the following 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
With 8 GB, the server can be started, but: As soon as several players are active at the same time or multiple large bases are being simulated, the server process may crash with an OOM error (Out of Memory). 8 GB is not recommended for permanently stable operation.
Guidelines by Player Count
The maximum number of players in the panel is 32 (configurable via ServerPlayerMaxNum in the PalworldSettingsWizard).
As 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 |
Always assume a base of around 8 GB for the server process itself, plus around 1 GB per 3–4 active players. For particularly active bases (many Pals, complex automation), you should choose the higher end of the range.
Demo Server at game-serverhosting
Our demo Palworld server runs with around 6 GB RAM allocation on the Palworld egg (panel ID 41). That is sufficient for demo and testing purposes. For production servers with friends, we recommend at least 12 GB, and 20–24 GB for a full 32-player session.
CPU: Cores Are More Important Than Clock Speed
Palworld uses multiple CPU cores for Pal AI and world simulation. 4 cores are the minimum; with 8 cores, the server runs smoothly 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, becomes stable to run from 12 GB upward, and is officially recommended with 16 GB. The maximum player count is 32 (panel limit). Plan around 8 GB base usage plus 1 GB per 3–4 active players. Pal AI simulates bases even without players, so having RAM reserves always makes sense. Adjust the max player count in the PalworldSettingsWizard to match your RAM quota.