Space Engineers Server Hosting

What a Dedicated Space Engineers Server Does

In Space Engineers a world is a working machine. Refineries process ore, assemblers build components, drones patrol and ships sit docked at stations, and all of it needs a host to keep running. When one player hosts from their PC, the universe stops when they do. A dedicated server is Keen's separate program that runs the world on its own, so the factory keeps humming and any crew member can log in to carry on.

Keen publishes the dedicated server for Windows and documents it on its website, including the command-line options and the VRage Remote Client for live administration. Running it at home means a capable PC left on, port 27016 forwarded and, as Keen notes, a static IP address for a public server. A rented server lives in a data centre with all of that in place.

PC-Only or Crossplay: Choosing a Setup

Every server is set up for one of two audiences, and the choice affects mods, worlds and how players find you.

If anyone in your group plays on console, crossplay is the only option, and it is worth starting with a world built for it rather than converting a sprawling PC save later. If everyone is on PC, a PC-only server gives you the entire Steam Workshop and fewer restrictions on worlds.

Block Limits, PCU and Performance

Space Engineers simulates physics for every block of every grid, and that is why Keen's FAQ recommends 16 players for default multiplayer scenarios. Bigger servers stay smooth by limiting what players can build. The key tool is PCU, a performance cost given to each block, with a total budget for the world.

• TotalPCU sets the world's overall budget; the default is 600,000.
• BlockLimitsEnabled decides how limits apply: none, globally, per faction or per player.
• MaxGridSize caps how many blocks a single grid may have.
• Per-block limits can cap individual block types, or groups of blocks by tag.

Since the Fieldwork update in April 2025, the game decides automatically whether a world needs experimental mode, based on its settings and the server hardware, and mods no longer force it on. Console compatibility, though, needs block limits switched on, which is one more reason to set them from day one.

World Settings Worth Changing

Our configurator shows the dedicated server's settings as a form, with the raw files a click away. These are the ones most crews adjust.

Apex Survival added optional food, farming and hazards, and Economy 2 expanded what trade stations can do, so look through the newer settings too if you want a harder or busier universe.

Mods, Scripts and Plugins

Space Engineers has one of the largest Workshops on Steam: blocks, ships, scripts and whole scenarios. On a PC-only server, install mods from the panel's Steam Workshop section. If you have renamed the world, generate it first with the configurator's new world option so the mods attach to the right save; if mods are missing afterwards, the Workshop section can reinstall them all.

On crossplay servers, mods must come from mod.io, which is where Keen hosts mods for console players. They are listed in the world's Sandbox_config.sbc, each with its mod.io ID, and download on the next start. In-game scripts run in Programmable Blocks; on consoles they only work on dedicated servers, which makes a hosted world the place to use them.

Torch is a popular community-made wrapper for the dedicated server that adds plugin support. Keen does not make or support it, but our Mod Manager installs it, and plugins are added by their download link and ID.

Admins and the VRage Remote Client

Keen's VRage Remote Client manages a server without joining it. It shows the simulation speed, chat, players and grids, and lets admins kick, ban and promote players. A standalone version comes with the dedicated server files.

1. PC-only servers: add each admin's Steam64 ID in the configurator's admin settings, then restart.
2. Crossplay servers: start the server, join it from the console, connect with the VRage Remote Client and press Promote on your player.
3. No PC at hand? Our support team can promote a console player for you.

Once promoted, an admin uses the in-game admin menu for everything from spectating to removing abandoned grids, which matters a great deal on a server with block limits.

Memory, Saves and Backups

Keen recommends 10GB of memory for a dedicated server machine and gives 6GB as the minimum. Every plan here starts at that recommended 10GB and steps up: 12GB on 20 slots, 14GB on 30, 16GB on 40 and 20GB on 60. Big stations, many active ships and mods are what push memory up, and the panel's graph shows when to add a tier.

The world saves automatically every few minutes and keeps a set of backup copies, five by default. Our panel adds backups you can take before a risky build or a mod change, and offsite copies for the last 7 days. If a collision, a grief or a broken mod ruins an evening, restore the world and carry on.

What to Compare Before You Rent a Space Engineers Server

Space Engineers hosting offers look alike on paper. These details decide how the server copes with a growing universe.

1. Crossplay supportIf anyone plays on console, check the host can run a crossplay server with mod.io mods.
2. Memory in the priceKeen recommends 10GB. Check what each plan includes and what extra memory costs.
3. CPU speedPhysics simulation leans on single-core speed. Look for high clock speeds, not just core counts.
4. Config and file accessYou will want to edit Sandbox_config.sbc and upload worlds, so look for a file manager and SFTP.
5. Backups you can restoreAsk how long backups are kept and whether you can restore one without a ticket.
6. Billing termsCompare monthly with longer billing, and watch for setup fees or minimum terms.

Space Engineers Server Glossary

Dedicated server

Keen's standalone program that runs a Space Engineers world without a player hosting it.

PCU

Performance cost units: a cost given to each block, used to cap how much players can build.

Grid

Any ship, station or structure made of connected blocks.

Sim speed

How fast the server simulates the world compared with real time; 1.0 is full speed.

Sandbox_config.sbc

A world file holding its settings and mod list, used to add mod.io mods on crossplay servers.

mod.io

The mod platform Keen uses for console and crossplay servers.

EOS

Epic Online Services, the network crossplay servers are listed on.

VRage Remote Client

Keen's tool for watching and managing a dedicated server from your PC.

Torch

A community-made server wrapper that adds plugins; not made by Keen.

Programmable Block

An in-game block that runs player-written scripts to automate ships and bases.

Space Engineers Server Help and Next Steps

Official resources and our own pages.

• Keen's dedicated server pageRequirements, command-line options and the VRage Remote Client.
• Space Engineers on SteamUpdate notes and announcements.
• Keen support siteOfficial announcements and known issues.
• Gaming Deluxe control panelWhat the panel does and how to log in.
• Our server locations
• Contact support24/7 help with crossplay, mods and admins.