This article covers the Hytale server specs and system requirements you need to host a Hytale dedicated server, including how much RAM you need and how to size hardware for small friend servers versus larger communities.
Hytale is still being optimised and requirements are likely to shift as Early Access progresses. Always monitor real usage and scale accordingly.
Quick summary (TL;DR) – Hytale Server Specs
Official minimum specs to run the dedicated server
- Java: Java 25
- Memory: 4 GB RAM minimum
- CPU/RAM drivers: CPU usage rises with high player/entity counts; RAM rises with large loaded world area (high view distance, players exploring independently)
- OS: Windows, macOS, and Linux all supported
- Architecture: x64 and arm64 both supported
- Networking: UDP 5520 by default, QUIC over UDP (not TCP)
LOW.MS guidance
| Server type | Players | View distance | Suggested RAM (start) | Suggested CPU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friends (vanilla) | 2–4 | 384 blocks | 6 GB | 2–4 strong cores |
| Friends (vanilla) | 5–8 | 384 blocks | 8 GB | 4 strong cores |
| Community | 8–16 | 384 blocks | 12–16 GB | 4–6 strong cores |
| Modded / heavy exploration | 8–16 | 384+ blocks | 16 GB+ | 6+ strong cores |
Rough heuristic: 4 players = 4 GB, 6 players = 6 GB, 10 players = 8 GB. We'll keep updating this table as we get more data in from real servers.
Official minimum requirements (dedicated server)
The official server manual states the dedicated server can run on any device with:
- At least 4 GB of memory
- Java 25
- Windows, macOS, or Linux, on x64 or arm64 CPUs
The manual also notes that:
- CPU load increases with high player or entity counts (NPCs, mobs).
- RAM increases with the size of the loaded world area – especially higher view distance and players spreading out independently.
Recommended starting point (practical guidance)
The official docs give a 4 GB minimum, but resource usage varies a lot by playstyle. For most servers you'll get a smoother experience starting above the minimum and scaling based on real usage.
RAM (starting point)
- Small friends server (2–6 players): 6–8 GB
- Medium community (8–16 players): 10–16 GB
- Heavily modded / lots of exploration: 16 GB+
Why RAM grows:
- View distance (loaded area) is the biggest lever for memory usage.
- Players exploring separately increases the loaded area dramatically – more chunks loaded at once.
The server manual recommends limiting view distance to around 384 blocks for performance and gameplay on typical servers.
CPU (starting point)
Hytale is a simulation-heavy voxel sandbox, so CPU performance matters. When you're planning capacity:
- Prefer modern CPUs with strong single-thread performance.
- For public servers, additional cores help handle background work and peak load.
The official docs don't prescribe a specific CPU model for servers – treat the above as planning guidance. For context, the official client recommended CPU for 1080p/60 FPS is around an Intel i5-10400 / Ryzen 5 3600 or equivalent. Server needs aren't identical to client needs, but CPUs in that tier are a reasonable baseline for small to medium servers.
Storage (starting point)
- SSD strongly recommended (NVMe preferred).
- Plan extra space for world growth + backups + mods/assets.
Official game storage notes (client-side) indicate an installation size around 8 GB, with 10 GB minimum free space suggested and 20 GB safer. Saved worlds grow with exploration and building over time.
Network requirements (what matters for servers)
Protocol and ports (required)
- Default listen address is 0.0.0.0:5520.
- Hytale uses QUIC over UDP (not TCP).
- If you're behind a router, forward UDP 5520 (or your custom port). TCP does not need to be forwarded.
Bandwidth and view distance (official measurements)
Hytale's official hardware requirements post includes tested multiplayer bandwidth needs by view distance (worst-case exploration scenario). These are a useful indicator of how view distance affects network load:
| View distance | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| 192 blocks | 2 Mbit/s | 4 Mbit/s |
| 384 blocks | 4.5 Mbit/s | 7 Mbit/s |
| 480 blocks | 6 Mbit/s | 10 Mbit/s |
Note: the official post is written from a player/performance perspective, but the server-side takeaway is still valid: higher view distance and faster exploration increase network throughput requirements.
View distance: the biggest performance lever
Hytale's official hardware requirements explain why view distance is so impactful:
- When you double the view distance, you quadruple the amount of world around you that has to be simulated and loaded – more blocks, more NPCs, more chunks held in memory.
Server-side takeaway: if you're hitting RAM or CPU limits, reducing the max view distance is usually the fastest win.
LOW.MS tests
Below is a generalised view of usage data from internal pre-release testing used for capacity planning. Real results vary significantly based on build version, plugins/mods, view distance, and how players explore.
- View distance cap used: 384 blocks
- Server started with explicit heap cap (
-Xmx) and monitored OS memory + CPU usage
| Scenario | Players | Mods | Player behaviour | -Xmx |
Peak RAM used | Typical CPU | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanilla friends | 4 | 0 | Mostly together | 6G | ~4.3 GB | 15–35% | Smooth, minimal GC |
| Vanilla, spread out | 8 | 0 | Split into 2–3 groups | 8G | ~6.8 GB | 25–55% | RAM rises with loaded area |
| Lightly modded | 10 | 6 | Together + occasional exploring | 10G | ~8.5 GB | 30–65% | Higher peaks during worldgen |
| Community-ish | 16 | 10 | Multiple groups + events | 16G | ~13.5 GB | 40–85% | Consider lowering view distance |
How to interpret this:
- RAM grows most when players explore independently (more world loaded at once).
- CPU spikes happen around world generation, high NPC/entity activity, and peak concurrency.
Monitoring and tuning (recommended)
The official server manual recommends monitoring RAM and CPU and using -Xmx to set explicit memory limits. It notes that a common symptom of memory pressure is increased CPU usage due to garbage collection.
Practical tips
- Don't allocate 100% of system RAM to Java – leave headroom for the OS and disk cache.
- Start with a conservative max heap (for example,
-Xmx6G) and increase only if you see frequent GC spikes, rising memory usage during play, or stutters under load.
Example:
java -Xms6G -Xmx6G -jar HytaleServer.jar --assets Assets.zip
On LOW.MS, Current Activity & Stats in the control panel gives you live RAM, CPU, bandwidth, and player graphs so you can see exactly what the server is doing during real load.
FAQ: How Much RAM for a Hytale Server?
Q: How much RAM do I need for a Hytale server?
A: It depends on your player count and playstyle:
- 2-4 players (friends): 4-6 GB RAM
- 5-8 players: 6-8 GB RAM
- 10-16 players: 10-16 GB RAM
- Modded servers: 12-16 GB+ RAM
The biggest factor is view distance and whether players explore separately. More loaded chunks equals more RAM needed.
Q: What are the minimum Hytale server specs?
A: The official minimum is 4 GB RAM with Java 25, on Windows, macOS, or Linux (x64 or arm64). For a smooth experience on a real server, start at 6 GB.
Q: Does a Hytale server need a good CPU?
A: Yes – CPU matters especially with high player counts or lots of entities and NPCs. Prefer modern CPUs with strong single-thread performance.