Does Palworld have cross-platform play?
Yes, but only between the Xbox and Microsoft Store/PC Game Pass versions of the game. Players on Steam are currently unable to play Palworld with gamers using these platforms.
Does Palworld have cross-progression or cross-save?
Yes, but again, only the Xbox and Microsoft Store editions of Palworld support cross-progression. If you're playing on Steam, you won't be able to transfer your progress to or from these versions officially. There is however an unofficial method to bring your Xbox save over to Steam using third-party apps.
Right now, it's limited to the Xbox version
One of the best things about gaming in recent years is that valuable features like cross-platform play (or cross-play) and cross-progression have become common inclusions. As a result, it's easier than it's ever been to enjoy the latest and greatest games with friends playing on platforms other than yours, or to transfer your existing progress to new ones.
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With Palworld taking the internet by storm right now, you're probably wondering if it, too, allows you to take advantage of these features. The good news is that it does — but the bad news is that right now, only one of its versions supports them. That version is the one playable on Xbox (console) and the Microsoft Store (PC), and through Xbox Game Pass.
Xbox gamers can play Palworld with Microsoft Store players and vice-versa, and your saves will seamlessly transfer between the two since this version of the game has cloud saves. Buying this version of the game on one platform will let you install it on the other as well thanks to Xbox Play Anywhere, provided you're logged in with the same Xbox account.
Steam players are left out, though, and the reason why is that the version of Palworld on Valve's PC game distribution platform is fundamentally different under the hood compared to the one on Xbox and the Microsoft Store. Pocketpair community manager Bucky touched on this while giving an explanation for missing Palworld features on Xbox, as "the architecture on Xbox is different."
Will Palworld get cross-platform play for Steam and Xbox Game Pass?
While it's a bummer that the Steam version of Palworld doesn't support cross-platform play with the Xbox/MS Store one, the silver lining is that Pocketpair plans to add this functionality at some point. That means players on Steam will eventually be able to enjoy Palworld with friends on Xbox and Game Pass.
"Not at launch, but we are working to make this [cross-platform play] a possibility as soon as possible," wrote the studio in a FAQ answer on the official Pocketpair Discord server.
Bucky has said that both versions of Palworld will essentially "be the same game internally" when this happens, and considering how different they are right now, I wouldn't expect cross-platform play any time soon. Perhaps it'll come to Steam once Palworld leaves Early Access and launches fully, though, which could happen in just a year according to Palworld's Steam page.
What about cross-save or cross-progression support? At the time of writing, nothing official has been said about bringing that feature to Steam, though it could come to the platform at the same time cross-play is added. In the meantime, there is an unofficial method to bring your Xbox save of Palworld over to Steam, which requires a third party app from Github. If you really want to pick up your save over on Steam Deck, you can use this method.
Palworld is available now on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One consoles, and Windows PC via either the Microsoft Store or Steam. It's quickly become one of the best Xbox games and best PC games of 2024 so far, and it's also playable through Xbox Game Pass.
