Hytale server requirements: Minimum and recommended specs for 2026

Hytale server requirements are relatively modest for small player counts, but scale quickly as more players join and worlds grow. CPU performance and available memory become the main bottlenecks, especially once entity counts increase or mods are introduced.

The minimum Hytale server requirements for a small, low-population setup:

• Operating system. macOS, Windows 10/11 (64-bit), or Linux (Ubuntu/Debian 64-bit).
• CPU. Dual-core x64 or arm64 processor (3.5 GHz+ recommended).
• RAM. 4 GB minimum (6 GB recommended).
• Storage. 20 GB SSD (NVMe preferred).
• Network. 2 Mbps network bandwidth.
• Runtime software. Java 25 installed.

If you host more than four players, you’ll need a more powerful server with more CPU cores and RAM capacity. In addition to having ample resources, optimizing your server by monitoring the usage and reducing the view distance is integral to preventing issues that can negatively impact gameplay.

Minimum requirements to run a Hytale server

The minimum requirements to run a Hytale server are suitable for hosting up to four players and little to no modding.

CPU

Having a sufficient CPU is crucial to avoid rubber-banding, where your in-game character snaps back to its previous position after moving. This is often caused by your CPU usage reaching 100% and not being able to keep up with the demand to load the game assets.

To avoid this, ensure your CPU is a dual-core x64 or ARM processor (3.5 GHz or higher recommended).

RAM

Meanwhile, having enough RAM is essential to avoid RAM pressure, which occurs when the server runs out of physical memory and starts using storage space to store temporary data. Since SSD or HDD is slower than RAM, this causes significant slowdowns, especially during garbage collection cycles.

When it comes to the RAM requirements, 4 GB is the bare minimum, but 6 GB is recommended for smoother gameplay.

Storage

As players explore the world, new chunks are continuously written to disk, increasing read and write operations. If storage is too slow or nearly full, the server may pause briefly while loading or saving data, which players experience as hitching or freezes.

To avoid these issues, use at least 20 GB of SSD storage, with NVMe SSDs recommended for better performance.

In addition to CPU, RAM, and storage, setting up a Hytale server also requires networking, an operating system, and the appropriate software runtime. These remain constant regardless of your server size, whereas the CPU, RAM, and storage requirements increase as you accommodate more players and mods.

Recommended Hytale hardware specs by server size

As your server grows, hardware requirements increase quickly. Hytale is a voxel-based game with complex world generation and simulation-heavy mechanics, which means its performance scales with player count, view distance, and mod usage.

Specifically, RAM consumption rises sharply with higher view distances, as more world chunks are loaded into memory for each player. Mods further increase memory consumption by adding scripts, assets, and background processes.

CPU performance matters just as much. While additional cores help with concurrency, strong single-thread performance (3.5 GHz or higher) is essential for handling core game logic.

Here’s a breakdown of recommended specs based on the player count:

Tier	Number of players	Recommended CPU	Recommended RAM
Tier 1	Up to 4 players	Dual-core 3.5 GHz+ processor	4 GB (6 GB preferred)
Tier 2	5-8 players	Quad-core 3.5 GHz+ processor	6 GB (8 GB preferred)
Tier 3	8-16 players	Quad- or hexa-core 3.5 GHz+ processor	10 GB (16 GB preferred)
Tier 4	More than 16 players	Octa-core 3.5 GHz+ processor	At least 16 GB

It’s also recommended to use a multi-threaded CPU because the virtual cores help improve performance.

For a modded server, requirements are less predictable. A safe rule is to select one tier higher than your player count suggests. For example, a heavily modded four-player server should use Tier 3 specs.

Hytale software and OS requirements

Hytale servers support multiple platforms but rely on specific dependencies:

• Operating system. You can use Windows, macOS, or, preferably, Linux, as long as the operating system is 64-bit.
• Java runtime. The Hytale server requires Java 25 or higher, preferably installed with Adoptium.
• Dependencies. You may need additional tools like screen or tmux when running the server on Linux.

Basic Java knowledge is also required to run the Hytale server because you’ll need to allocate memory for your game server using these parameters:

• -Xms. Sets the initial memory allocation (start size).
• -Xmx. Defines the maximum memory allocation (max size).

For example, to allocate 8 GB of RAM, you would use the -Xms8G -Xmx8G arguments. It is often best practice to set both values to the same number to prevent performance fluctuations due to dynamic memory resizing.

Network requirements for Hytale servers

Hytale uses a modern networking stack compared to older games like Minecraft.

• Port & protocol. Hytale uses UDP port 5520 by default to ensure faster data transmission and reduced latency, unlike many older games that use TCP.
• Firewall. Ensure UDP 5520 is open and forwarded correctly
• Bandwidth. Bandwidth requirements depend on view distance and player behavior, especially when players explore new terrain at high speeds. In normal gameplay, such as mining, crafting, and casual exploration, bandwidth usage stays relatively low. Client upload usage remains minimal at under 250 Kbit/s, while server upload needs to scale with player count and activity. For extreme conditions like rapid exploration across unloaded terrain, use the following benchmarks:
  • 192 blocks. Minimum 2 Mbps, recommended 4 Mbps.
  • 384 blocks. Minimum 4.5 Mbps, recommended 7 Mbps.
  • 480 blocks. Minimum 6 Mbps, recommended 10 Mbps.
• Latency & reliability. Low latency (ping) is vital for responsive combat and interaction.
• Reliability. DDoS protection is essential for public servers to prevent malicious attacks and downtime.

Storage requirements

SSD storage is strongly recommended because traditional HDDs often cause noticeable stuttering during chunk loading and world generation. While a SATA SSD meets the minimum requirements, NVMe SSDs deliver better performance, especially for servers with heavy exploration or frequent chunk loading.

Hypixel Studios recommends at least 10 GB of available storage, with 20 GB being a safer choice for long-term play.

The world’s size grows quickly. For example, a 5,000 × 5,000 block area can exceed 600 MB. Mods and custom content increase storage usage further, so plan capacity with future growth in mind.

For public servers, set up regular automatic backups to ensure players’ data is safe, as updates and crashes may occur during the game’s Early Access stage.

Hytale dedicated server optimization tips

Optimizing your dedicated Hytale server is key to maintaining high performance as your player base grows. Here are important tips to consider:

• Limit view distance. View distance refers to the distance at which the game engine renders objects, terrain, and details, measured in chunks. Reducing the view distance significantly lowers both CPU load and RAM usage.
• Use fast storage and scheduled backups. Using NVMe SSDs with higher write/read speed can significantly reduce the asset loading time. Additionally, schedule backups during off-peak hours to minimize the burden on your server, which can cause lags.
• Monitor resources. Regularly check your CPU and RAM usage using the task manager or your host’s built-in monitoring tool. If usage consistently exceeds 90%, consider upgrading your plan or lowering in-game settings.
• Choose the closest server. If you host your game on a public server, choose the data center nearest to your player base. This minimizes latency to maintain a responsive gameplay experience.

For a deeper dive into tuning your system, read our guide on how to optimize a game server.

Should you self‑host Hytale or use a hosted service?

Self-hosting is fine for testing or private play, but it has clear drawbacks. Your computer must stay online 24/7, and exposing your home IP address creates security risks.

For reliable multiplayer hosting, a professional hosting provider is the better option. A virtual private server hosting solution offers the power and control of a dedicated environment but without the hassle of self-managing the hardware.

When selecting the best Hytale server hosting provider for your needs, look for strong performance, a solid reputation, and additional features like a management dashboard, easy scaling, monitoring tools, and DDoS protection.

Hostinger’s high-performance Hytale VPS hosting options meet all the recommended requirements, including NVMe storage, DDoS protection, automatic backups, and the ability to upgrade resources without downtime. With our 99.99% uptime guarantee, your Hytale server will remain online, and players can always play whenever they want.