Palworld Server Optimization

This guide provides comprehensive optimization strategies for your Palworld dedicated server to ensure smooth gameplay, minimal lag, and optimal performance for all players.

Performance Baseline

Before optimizing, understand your server’s current performance:

Key Performance Metrics

Metric	Good	Acceptable	Poor
Server FPS	60+ FPS	45-60 FPS	Below 45 FPS
Tick Rate	60 TPS	50-59 TPS	Below 50 TPS
RAM Usage	Under 8GB	8-12GB	Over 12GB
CPU Usage	Under 50%	50-75%	Over 75%
Player Latency	Under 50ms	50-100ms	Over 100ms
Load Time	Under 30s	30-60s	Over 60s

Monitor these metrics through your Wasabi Hosting Gamepanel or in-game console commands.

Configuration Optimization

Core Settings Optimization

Optimize PalWorldSettings.ini for better performance:

[/Script/Pal.PalGameWorldSettings]
OptionSettings=(
    # Player Limit (adjust based on server resources)
    ServerPlayerMaxNum=20,  # Lower = better performance

    # Entity Limits (reduce for better performance)
    DropItemMaxNum=2000,    # Default: 3000
    DropItemAliveMaxHours=0.5,  # Faster cleanup

    # Base Settings
    BaseCampMaxNum=128,
    BaseCampWorkerMaxNum=10,  # Lower = better performance (default: 15)

    # Spawn Rates (lower = better performance)
    PalSpawnNumRate=0.9,    # Slightly reduce spawns

    # Guild Settings
    GuildPlayerMaxNum=15,   # Lower if not needed

    # Performance-Critical Settings
    bIsUseBackupSaveData=True,
    bUseAuth=True
)

BaseCampWorkerMaxNum has the most significant performance impact. Start at 10 and adjust based on player feedback.

Engine Configuration

Optimize Engine.ini for maximum performance:

[/Script/OnlineSubsystemUtils.IpNetDriver]
NetServerMaxTickRate=60
MaxClientRate=100000
MaxInternetClientRate=100000

[/Script/Engine.Engine]
bUseFixedFrameRate=True
FixedFrameRate=60.000000
bSmoothFrameRate=True
SmoothedFrameRateRange=(LowerBound=(Type=Inclusive,Value=30.000000),UpperBound=(Type=Exclusive,Value=60.000000))

[Core.System]
Paths=../../../Engine/Content
Paths=%GAMEDIR%Content

[/Script/Engine.GarbageCollectionSettings]
gc.MaxObjectsNotConsideredByGC=1
gc.SizeOfPermanentObjectPool=0
gc.TimeBetweenPurgingPendingKillObjects=60

[/Script/EngineSettings.GameMapsSettings]
GameDefaultMap=/Game/Maps/Main
ServerDefaultMap=/Game/Maps/Main

[SystemSettings]
r.Streaming.PoolSize=2048
r.Streaming.MaxEffectiveScreenSize=0
r.Shadow.MaxResolution=2048

Changing TickRate below 50 may negatively impact gameplay. 60 is optimal for most servers.

Startup Parameter Optimization

Recommended Startup Parameters

Configure these in your Wasabi Hosting Gamepanel:

# High Performance Configuration
-useperfthreads -NoAsyncLoadingThread -UseMultithreadForDS -publicport=8211 -publicip= -servername="My Server" -port=8211

# Additional Memory Optimization
-USEALLAVAILABLECORES -malloc=system -high

Parameter Breakdown

Parameter	Purpose	Performance Impact
`-useperfthreads`	Use performance-optimized threads	High - Better CPU utilization
`-NoAsyncLoadingThread`	Disable async loading	Medium - More predictable load
`-UseMultithreadForDS`	Enable multithreading for dedicated server	High - Essential for good performance
`-USEALLAVAILABLECORES`	Utilize all CPU cores	High - Maximizes CPU usage
`-malloc=system`	Use system memory allocator	Medium - Better memory management
`-high`	Set process priority to high	Medium - Better CPU scheduling
`-port=8211`	Specify server port	None
`-publicport=8211`	Set public port	None

Memory Optimization

Memory Management Settings

# In Engine.ini
[/Script/Engine.GarbageCollectionSettings]
gc.MaxObjectsNotConsideredByGC=1
gc.SizeOfPermanentObjectPool=0
gc.TimeBetweenPurgingPendingKillObjects=60
gc.FlushStreamingOnGC=True

[MemoryPools]
PoolSize=2048
MaxPoolSize=4096

RAM Allocation Guidelines

RAM Requirements by Player Count

Player Count	Minimum RAM	Recommended RAM
1-8	8 GB	12 GB
8-16	12 GB	16 GB
16-24	16 GB	24 GB
24-32	24 GB	32 GB

These requirements include OS overhead and other background processes. Dedicated servers should have 20-30% RAM headroom.

CPU Optimization

Multi-Threading Configuration

# In Engine.ini
[Core.System]
TaskGraph.NumThreads=0  # 0 = Auto-detect cores

[/Script/Engine.RendererSettings]
r.RHICmdBypass=0

[SystemSettings]
WorkerThreadPriority=TPri_Normal
ThreadedPhysicsWorker=True

CPU Affinity and Priority

On Windows servers, configure CPU affinity:

# PowerShell script to set CPU affinity
$processName = "PalServer-Win64-Test-Cmd"
$process = Get-Process -Name $processName
$process.ProcessorAffinity = 0xFF  # Use all 8 cores (adjust for your CPU)

Set the Palworld server process priority to “High” in Task Manager for better CPU allocation.

Network Optimization

Network Configuration

# In PalWorldSettings.ini
[/Script/Pal.PalGameWorldSettings]
OptionSettings=(
    PublicPort=8211,
    RCONPort=25575,
    ServerPlayerMaxNum=20,  # Lower for better network performance
)

# In Engine.ini
[/Script/OnlineSubsystemUtils.IpNetDriver]
NetServerMaxTickRate=60
MaxClientRate=100000
MaxInternetClientRate=100000
ConnectionTimeout=60.0
InitialConnectTimeout=60.0

Bandwidth Optimization

Bandwidth Requirements

Player Count	Minimum Bandwidth	Recommended Bandwidth
1-8	10 Mbps	25 Mbps
8-16	25 Mbps	50 Mbps
16-24	50 Mbps	100 Mbps
24-32	100 Mbps	200 Mbps

These values are for upload bandwidth, which is typically the limiting factor for game servers.

Entity and World Optimization

Item Management

# Optimize item handling
DropItemMaxNum=2000,              # Reduce from default 3000
DropItemAliveMaxHours=0.5,        # Faster cleanup (default: 1.0)

Setting DropItemMaxNum too low may cause items to disappear during intense gameplay. 2000-2500 is a good balance.

Pal Spawn Optimization

# Balance spawns and performance
PalSpawnNumRate=0.9,              # Slightly reduce spawns
PalDamageRateAttack=1.0,
PalDamageRateDefense=1.0,

Base and Building Optimization

# Base performance settings
BaseCampMaxNum=128,               # Maximum bases
BaseCampWorkerMaxNum=10,          # Reduce from 15 for better performance
BuildObjectDeteriorationDamageRate=1.0,

BaseCampWorkerMaxNum directly impacts performance. Each worker Pal actively calculates pathfinding and tasks.

Database and Save Optimization

Save Game Settings

# Enable backup system
bIsUseBackupSaveData=True,

# In Engine.ini
[/Script/Engine.GameEngine]
bSmoothFrameRate=True
SmoothedFrameRateRange=(LowerBound=(Type=Inclusive,Value=30.000000),UpperBound=(Type=Exclusive,Value=60.000000))

Automatic Backups

Configure automatic saves and backups:

In Wasabi Gamepanel: Set up automated backups every 6-12 hours
Manual saves: Use /Save command regularly via RCON
Backup rotation: Keep 3-7 days of backups

Regular saves prevent data loss but cause brief performance dips. Schedule during low-traffic periods.

Performance Scaling by Player Count

Small Server (1-8 Players)

# Optimized for 1-8 players
ServerPlayerMaxNum=8,
BaseCampWorkerMaxNum=15,          # Can afford higher
PalSpawnNumRate=1.0,
DropItemMaxNum=2000,
ExpRate=1.0,

Medium Server (8-16 Players)

# Optimized for 8-16 players
ServerPlayerMaxNum=16,
BaseCampWorkerMaxNum=12,          # Balanced
PalSpawnNumRate=0.9,
DropItemMaxNum=2500,
ExpRate=1.2,                      # Slightly boosted for more players

Large Server (16-32 Players)

# Optimized for 16-32 players
ServerPlayerMaxNum=32,
BaseCampWorkerMaxNum=8,           # Reduced for performance
PalSpawnNumRate=0.8,              # Lower spawn rate
DropItemMaxNum=3000,
ExpRate=1.5,                      # Compensate for more competition
DropItemAliveMaxHours=0.3,        # Aggressive cleanup

Monitoring and Diagnostics

Performance Monitoring

Use RCON commands to monitor performance:

# Check server performance
/ShowPerformance
/ShowMemory
/ShowNetwork

# Regular health checks
/Info
/ShowPlayers

Log Analysis

Monitor logs for performance issues:

# Log location
/Pal/Saved/Logs/

# Common issues to look for:
- "Out of memory" errors
- High tick time warnings
- Connection timeouts
- Save/load errors

Set up log rotation to prevent log files from consuming too much disk space.

Platform-Specific Optimizations

Windows Server

# Disable unnecessary services
Set-Service -Name "Themes" -StartupType Disabled
Set-Service -Name "Windows Search" -StartupType Disabled

# Configure page file
# Set to 1.5x - 2x your RAM size

# Disable visual effects
SystemPropertiesPerformance.exe

Linux Server

# Increase file descriptor limits
ulimit -n 100000

# Optimize TCP settings
sysctl -w net.core.rmem_max=16777216
sysctl -w net.core.wmem_max=16777216
sysctl -w net.ipv4.tcp_rmem='4096 87380 16777216'
sysctl -w net.ipv4.tcp_wmem='4096 65536 16777216'

# Disable unnecessary services
systemctl disable bluetooth
systemctl disable cups

Advanced Optimization Techniques

Memory Pooling

# In Engine.ini
[/Script/Engine.Engine]
bEnableOnScreenDebugMessages=False
PoolSize=2048

[SystemSettings]
r.Streaming.PoolSize=2048
r.Streaming.UseFixedPoolSize=1

Async Loading

[/Script/Engine.StreamingSettings]
s.AsyncLoadingTimeLimit=5.0
s.PriorityAsyncLoadingExtraTime=15.0
s.LevelStreamingActorsUpdateTimeLimit=5.0

Garbage Collection Optimization

[/Script/Engine.GarbageCollectionSettings]
gc.MaxObjectsNotConsideredByGC=1
gc.SizeOfPermanentObjectPool=0
gc.TimeBetweenPurgingPendingKillObjects=60
gc.MaxObjectsInEditor=2147483647
gc.IncrementalBeginDestroyEnabled=True

Anti-Lag Measures

Entity Cleanup Scripts

Create automated cleanup via RCON:

#!/bin/bash
# Cleanup script

RCON_CMD="mcrcon -H your-ip -P 25575 -p password"

while true; do
    # Regular save
    $RCON_CMD "Save"

    # Broadcast cleanup
    $RCON_CMD "Broadcast Performing routine cleanup..."

    sleep 3600  # Every hour
done

Dynamic Performance Adjustment

Monitor and adjust settings based on load:

# Check player count and adjust
PLAYER_COUNT=$($RCON_CMD "ShowPlayers" | wc -l)

if [ $PLAYER_COUNT -gt 20 ]; then
    # High load - reduce spawns
    echo "High player count - reducing spawns"
elif [ $PLAYER_COUNT -lt 10 ]; then
    # Low load - increase for better gameplay
    echo "Low player count - normal settings"
fi

Hardware Recommendations

Server Hardware by Player Count

For 1-8 Players:

CPU: 4 cores @ 3.5GHz+
RAM: 12 GB
Storage: 50 GB SSD
Network: 25 Mbps

For 8-16 Players:

CPU: 6 cores @ 4.0GHz+
RAM: 16 GB
Storage: 100 GB SSD
Network: 50 Mbps

For 16-24 Players:

CPU: 8 cores @ 4.5GHz+
RAM: 24 GB
Storage: 150 GB NVMe SSD
Network: 100 Mbps

For 24-32 Players:

CPU: 12 cores @ 5.0GHz+
RAM: 32 GB
Storage: 200 GB NVMe SSD
Network: 200 Mbps

SSD/NVMe storage is crucial for fast world saves and loads. HDD significantly impacts performance.

Optimization Checklist

Use this checklist to optimize your server:

Troubleshooting Performance Issues

Low Server FPS / Tick Rate

Common Causes:

Too many players for hardware
High BaseCampWorkerMaxNum
CPU bottleneck
Too many active bases

Solutions:

Reduce ServerPlayerMaxNum
Lower BaseCampWorkerMaxNum to 8-10
Reduce PalSpawnNumRate to 0.8
Increase cleanup frequency
Upgrade CPU or reduce player count

High Memory Usage

Common Causes:

Memory leaks
Too many entities
Large world size
Insufficient cleanup

Solutions:

Enable aggressive item cleanup
Reduce DropItemMaxNum
Restart server daily
Enable garbage collection optimization
Reduce BaseCampMaxNum if possible

Network Lag / High Ping

Common Causes:

Insufficient bandwidth
Network congestion
DDoS attack
Poor routing

Solutions:

Upgrade network bandwidth
Enable DDoS protection (Firewall Manager)
Reduce MaxClientRate if needed
Limit ServerPlayerMaxNum
Check for background network processes

Long Save Times

Common Causes:

Slow storage (HDD vs SSD)
Large world size
Many players/bases
Fragmented files

Solutions:

Upgrade to SSD or NVMe storage
Regular world cleanup
Optimize save intervals
Defragment storage (if HDD)
Enable backup compression

Frequent Crashes

Common Causes:

Out of memory
Corrupted save files
Mod conflicts
Hardware issues

Solutions:

Increase allocated RAM
Restore from backup
Remove problematic mods
Check hardware health
Update server software
Review crash logs

Maintenance Schedule

Regular maintenance ensures optimal performance:

Daily Tasks

Monitor server performance metrics
Check player count vs. performance
Verify no error messages in logs
Quick backup verification

Weekly Tasks

Full server restart
Log file cleanup and review
Performance benchmark
Backup rotation verification
Check for updates

Monthly Tasks

Deep performance analysis
Configuration optimization review
Hardware health check
Storage cleanup
Update all software
Review player feedback

Schedule maintenance during off-peak hours (early morning) to minimize player disruption.

Performance Testing

Stress Testing

Test server performance under load:

Establish baseline

Record metrics with normal player count

Simulate high load

Test with maximum expected players

Monitor metrics

Track FPS, RAM, CPU, network during test

Identify bottlenecks

Find performance limiting factors

Adjust and retest

Optimize and test again

Benchmark Commands

# Via RCON
/ShowPerformance  # Current FPS and tick rate
/ShowMemory       # RAM usage
/ShowNetwork      # Network stats
/Info             # General server info

Final Optimization Tips

Key Optimization Principles:

Start conservative: Begin with lower limits and increase gradually
Monitor constantly: Regular performance checks prevent issues
One change at a time: Test each optimization individually
Document changes: Keep records of what works
Player feedback: Listen to player reports of lag
Regular restarts: Daily restarts prevent memory leaks
Update regularly: Keep server software current
Backup everything: Always backup before major changes

By following this comprehensive optimization guide, your Palworld server on Wasabi Hosting will deliver excellent performance and a smooth, enjoyable experience for all players. For additional assistance, contact our support team.

Get your own Palworld server

Deploy a DDoS-protected Palworld server on AMD Ryzen hardware in about two minutes. Plans start at €9.00/month.

​Palworld Server Optimization

​Performance Baseline

​Configuration Optimization

​Core Settings Optimization

​Engine Configuration

​Startup Parameter Optimization

​Recommended Startup Parameters

​Memory Optimization

​Memory Management Settings

​RAM Allocation Guidelines

​CPU Optimization

​Multi-Threading Configuration

​CPU Affinity and Priority

​Network Optimization

​Network Configuration

​Bandwidth Optimization

​Entity and World Optimization

​Item Management

​Pal Spawn Optimization

​Base and Building Optimization

​Database and Save Optimization

​Save Game Settings

​Automatic Backups

​Performance Scaling by Player Count

​Small Server (1-8 Players)

​Medium Server (8-16 Players)

​Large Server (16-32 Players)

​Monitoring and Diagnostics

​Performance Monitoring

​Log Analysis

​Platform-Specific Optimizations

​Windows Server

​Linux Server

​Advanced Optimization Techniques

​Memory Pooling

​Async Loading

​Garbage Collection Optimization

​Anti-Lag Measures

​Entity Cleanup Scripts

​Dynamic Performance Adjustment

​Hardware Recommendations

​Optimization Checklist

​Troubleshooting Performance Issues

​Maintenance Schedule

​Daily Tasks

​Weekly Tasks

​Monthly Tasks

​Performance Testing

​Stress Testing

​Benchmark Commands

​Final Optimization Tips

Get your own Palworld server

Palworld Server Optimization

Performance Baseline

Configuration Optimization

Core Settings Optimization

Engine Configuration

Startup Parameter Optimization

Recommended Startup Parameters

Memory Optimization

Memory Management Settings

RAM Allocation Guidelines

CPU Optimization

Multi-Threading Configuration

CPU Affinity and Priority

Network Optimization

Network Configuration

Bandwidth Optimization

Entity and World Optimization

Item Management

Pal Spawn Optimization

Base and Building Optimization

Database and Save Optimization

Save Game Settings

Automatic Backups

Performance Scaling by Player Count

Small Server (1-8 Players)

Medium Server (8-16 Players)

Large Server (16-32 Players)

Monitoring and Diagnostics

Performance Monitoring

Log Analysis

Platform-Specific Optimizations

Windows Server

Linux Server

Advanced Optimization Techniques

Memory Pooling

Async Loading

Garbage Collection Optimization

Anti-Lag Measures

Entity Cleanup Scripts

Dynamic Performance Adjustment

Hardware Recommendations

Optimization Checklist

Troubleshooting Performance Issues

Maintenance Schedule

Daily Tasks

Weekly Tasks

Monthly Tasks

Performance Testing

Stress Testing

Benchmark Commands

Final Optimization Tips