Valheim Join Code Not Working (PS5, Switch 2, Xbox): How to Fix It

Valheim join code not working? It almost always comes down to one of four things: the server is not running crossplay, the code is from before the last restart, the versions differ, or a console account lacks online access. This guide fixes each one for PC, PS5, Switch 2 and Xbox.

New to running a server? Start with our Valheim dedicated server guide for the full setup. If you host with us, every setting below lives in the panel of your Valheim server.

• No code at all: the server runs on the Steam backend. Start it with -crossplay (on 1up: Settings → Crossplay, then restart).
• The code worked yesterday: codes are regenerated at every server restart. Copy the new one from the pause menu.
• "Incompatible version": the player and the server run different builds. Update the game, or restart the server so it updates.
• Consoles: PS5 needs PlayStation Plus and Switch 2 needs Nintendo Switch Online for online play. On Xbox, crossplay must be allowed.

1. How Valheim join codes work

A Valheim dedicated server runs on one of two backends, according to Iron Gate's dedicated server guide. Without the -crossplay argument it uses Steam, and only Steam players can see and join it. With -crossplay it runs on the crossplay backend (PlayFab), which lets players from any platform in.

Join codes only exist on that crossplay backend. The official wiki explains what the code is for: the server talks to players through a relay, and the numeric code, or the server's public address and port, tells the game which relay to use. Four rules follow from that:

• The code appears in the pause menu once you are inside the server, and one click copies it, says the Crossplay FAQ. Your friend then opens Join Game, presses Add server and pastes the code.
• The code changes at every restart. Iron Gate's crossplay patch notes say it "is regenerated whenever the server is restarted".
• The address and port work too. The guide confirms you can join a crossplay server with its public IP and port, a join code or the server list.
• A local IP never works. Because traffic goes through the relay, the guide says you cannot connect to a crossplay server with a LAN or loopback address.

2. Enable crossplay on the server

If nobody sees a join code in the pause menu, the server is not in crossplay mode. Fix it where the server runs.

On your own PC. Open your copy of start_headless_server.bat (Linux: start_server.sh), add -crossplay to the launch line and restart. With crossplay on, the guide says you no longer need port forwarding, because traffic goes through the relay.

On 1up. Open Settings, turn on Crossplay and restart the server. It is off by default because the relay adds latency: the wiki warns that players on a crossplay server are more likely to see lag, timeouts and disconnects. The switch is called «Crossplay (every platform)»: it turns on the -crossplay flag that lets PS5, Switch 2, Xbox, Game Pass and Mac players in.

If no player is in the server yet to read the pause menu, give your console friends the address and port from the Overview instead; they work with crossplay. The code is also printed in the server log, which you can read in the Console tab: look for Session "<server name>" registered with join code 123456, followed a few seconds later by Session "<server name>" with join code 123456 and IP … is active with 0 player(s). The line appears once the world has loaded, which took about five minutes on a brand-new world in our test.

3. Errors and what they mean

Valheim names most connection problems on screen. These are the ones Iron Gate documents in its patch notes and guides.

• Incompatible version. The player and the server are on different builds. Since patch 0.214.2, the game shows it right away when you pick the server. After a new patch, update the game; our servers install the newest Steam build at every start, so restart yours. Console builds can arrive a few days after Steam, although Iron Gate says crossplay keeps working during those rollouts, as in patch 1.0.16.
• The host does not allow cross-platform play. Iron Gate names this message in patch 0.220.3. The server is on the Steam backend, so turn on crossplay as in section 2.
• Server full. Valheim servers are capped at 10 players. Before patch 0.213.4 a full crossplay server showed "Fail to connect" instead.
• Failed to connect. Check that the server is online and finished starting (a self-hosted console prints Game server connected), that the code is from the current session, and that nobody is using a LAN address.
• DNS lookup failed. You added the server by domain name and it did not resolve. The wiki says a domain must point, through an A record, to the exact public IP the relay sees.
• Wrong password. Ask the owner for the current one. On 1up it has at least five characters and cannot be part of the server name.
• Rejected even with the right code. Check permittedlist.txt: the official guide warns that adding one person to it bans everyone else. Also check bannedlist.txt. Both take platform IDs such as V_123456789, which each player can read in the game's F2 panel.

Running mods? Iron Gate's 1.0 FAQ says consoles get no mod support, so a server whose mods every player must install is closed to PS5, Switch 2 and Xbox players.

4. Console steps: PS5, Switch 2 and Xbox

None of the consoles can host a Valheim dedicated server: the Crossplay FAQ says so for Xbox, and the wiki lists the server program for Windows, Linux and macOS. A console group needs a PC running the server, or a hosted server. Then:

PS5

1. Make sure your PlayStation Plus membership is active. The PlayStation Store page states "PS Plus required for online play".
2. Pick your character, open Join Game, press Add server and enter the join code, or the address and port.
3. Type the password when asked.

Switch 2

1. Check your Nintendo Switch Online membership. The Nintendo eShop page says a membership and a Nintendo Account are required for online play.
2. Use the same Join Game → Add server path and enter the code.
3. If the code fails right after a patch, check for a game update first: Iron Gate has apologised for a delayed Switch 2 patch before all platforms were compatible for crossplay again.

Xbox and Game Pass on PC

1. Crossplay has to be enabled on both the Xbox and the server. If you cannot find the option, the Crossplay FAQ points to your parental control settings.
2. An Xbox network account without the crossplay privilege can only join servers without crossplay support, per patch 0.213.4.
3. Then use Join Game → Add server with the code.

Mac: sign in to Game Center first. Iron Gate added a clearer error in patch 0.221.10 for players who try to play online without it.

If the server does not appear in the list at all, our upcoming community list guide will cover the public flag, password rules and joining by IP.

Checked against Iron Gate's guides and patch notes. Tested on Valheim 1.0.16 (1up image sha256:08fece41), 2026-10-04.

Change log

• 2026-10-04: first version, after patch 1.0.16.
• 2026-10-05: the crossplay switch now reads «Crossplay (every platform)» in the panel.