Is Palworld Free-To-Play? Everything To Know About Price & Platforms

Summary

• Palworld is available for purchase on PC via Steam, and Xbox Series X/S via the digital store.
• Game Pass subscribers can access Palworld on Xbox and PC at no additional cost, with cross-platform play available only for Xbox and Game Pass users.
• However, the Game Pass/Xbox version is missing some features, and releases for other platforms are uncertain.

Palworld is now available in early access, but just how much it costs depends on what platform it’s on. The latest endeavor by Pocket Pair, Inc., Palworld is a monster-collecting game set in a harsh, hostile world full of cute little creatures. Players round up Pals and send them to do their bidding: crafting, gathering, fighting, et cetera. Palworld‘s unique approach to survival and monster-collecting gameplay quickly earned it a significant fan base, propelling it to the top of Steam’s most-played list during its release weekend. However, it’s not without controversy, with many accusing Palworld of ripping off Pokémon.

Palworld has since stepped out of the spotlight as the excitement around its release fades and significant content updates slow down. But it still maintains a small, but devoted player base, and many more Palworld updates have been promised for the future. But before a player can decide for themselves whether the hype is real, they’ll have to play it. Palworld is available on multiple platforms, but the prices, methods of play, and game features differ greatly depending on which one it’s on. Here’s everything there is to know about buying and playing Palworld, the consoles it’s available on, the differences between its versions, and how much all of it costs.

Is Palworld Free-To-Play?

Palworld Platforms & Prices

Simply put, Palworld is not free-to-play on any platform. It’s currently available on PC and Xbox Series X/S, and costs the same exact price on either platform: $29.99. The PC version of Palworld, purchased via Steam, was originally released at the lower price of $26.99, but increased to $29.99 on January 25, 2024. The Xbox version, purchased via the digital Xbox Store, has always been $29.99. Currently, there’s no way to get a physical copy of Palworld – it’s available via digital download only. However, it’s still in early access, so that may change in the future.

Thankfully, though, Palworld is a one-time purchase. There are no microtransactions, pay-to-win features, or buyable cosmetics involved, at least not for the time being. There’s no DLC, either: the base game is all that’s been released, and it receives regular upgrades from Pocket Pair. These may range from simple bug fixes, to huge content updates including new items, bosses, and Pals.

Is Palworld On Game Pass?

Palworld Is Available With A Subscription

However, the good news is that Palworld is available through Game Pass for Xbox and PC at no additional fee. This is Microsoft’s monthly subscription service, granting access to hundreds of games for download or cloud streaming. Palworld is available for download via all Game Pass tiers, including the lowest and least expensive plan, Core. However, cloud streaming requires a higher tier, like Game Pass PC or Ultimate. That means players can jump into Palworld for between $9.99 and $16.99 a month – along with the hundreds of other new games on Game Pass.

So, while Palworld isn’t technically free to play even with Game Pass, those who are already subscribed to the service can play the game without spending any more than they already do. And for those who want to try before they buy, Game Pass does frequently offer free or heavily discounted trials that’ll allow players to test out Palworld. Microsoft offers a $1, 14-day free trial to new Game Pass users – for the cost of $1, players can give Palworld (and the hundreds of other titles on Game Pass) a try.

Nvidia
is currently offering three months of Game Pass absolutely free for anyone with a GeForce GPU installed.

Thanks to the laundry list of platforms that Game Pass cloud streaming works on, Palworld is available on an impressive range of devices. Of course, there’s Xbox Series X/S and PC, but those with Game Pass subscriptions can also play Palworld on Android devices, iPhones, iPads, MacBooks, Samsung smart TVs from 2020 or later, and certain Meta Quest virtual reality headsets.

However, don’t expect Palworld to be a full-fledged VR game on Meta Quest. Game Pass cloud streaming works in virtual reality, sure, but it can’t change the nature of a non-VR game. On Meta Quest, cloud streaming is displayed on a virtual 2D screen. Palworld may not be as immersive as a game designed from the ground up for VR play, but it’s still a cool feature.

Palworld: Steam & Game Pass Differences

Does Palworld Have Crossplay?

Unfortunately, there are some key differences between the Steam and Game Pass releases of Palworld that make one version greatly superior. The issue is that the Steam version has dedicated multiplayer servers, whereas the Game Pass version does not, regardless of whether it’s played on an Xbox console or a PC. As a result of this discrepancy, Palworld‘s crossplay is severely limited: only those with the Game Pass/Xbox/Microsoft Store version of the game can engage in cross-platform play.

In the Steam version, players can either establish a private server with one to three friends, or join a persistent, dedicated server that allows for up to 32 concurrent players at a time. In the Game Pass version, dedicated servers don’t exist, so all multiplayer games take place on private servers with a hard cap of four players. But beyond that difference, and some slight alterations to performance, both versions of Palworld are pretty much the same. They may have different version numbers, but that doesn’t mean that one is behind the other. It’s common practice for the same game to have different version numbers on different platforms. All it means is that one version received an additional patch at some point.

Still, the lack of dedicated servers in the Game Pass/Xbox release of Palworld can cause issues. Private games are hosted on a peer-to-peer basis: the player who establishes one acts as the host, which means their internet connection and their PC bear the brunt of keeping the server up and running. They share invite codes with anyone they want to join. When the host logs out, the server goes down. All of this is a non-issue with dedicated servers: the server’s host ideally has a system devoted solely to keeping their game up and running, and, barring any technical issues or scheduled maintenance, it’s available 24/7.

Pocket Pair, Inc. has claimed on the game’s official Discord that it hopes to institute a dedicated server option for
Palworld
‘s Game Pass and Xbox players
at some unknown point in the future. However, they say the decision’s not totally up to them, although negotiations are ongoing.

But what does that mean in practice? The more people playing a survival game like Palworld, the more fun it is. The struggle to establish oneself, gather resources, and stay alive is more challenging, more chaotic, and more interesting when more competition is a factor. Palworld is better when players have the opportunity to team up with or turn on everyone they meet. That makes the Xbox/Game Pass version of Palworld slightly worse than the Steam release.

Will Palworld Be On PS5 Or Switch?

Plans For Future Palworld Ports

At the time of writing, Palworld is exclusive to PC and Xbox. However, there’s been great demand for a PS5 version of Palworld, as seen in the replies to any tweet posted by the developers since its release. Via the game’s Steam FAQ page, the game’s developers address questions about a PS5 release with, “We don’t have plans for this at the moment, but will consider it during development!” So, while there’s nothing concrete to suggest a PS5 release of Palworld at the moment, it’s not outside the realm of possibility.

As for a Switch version of Palworld, the situation is even bleaker. Anything’s possible, but there’s not even a whisper of a Switch release on the Steam page or social media. For all its cutesy graphics and its Pokémon connections, Palworld can be surprisingly demanding on the player’s hardware. Although a Switch release would be possible, Palworld would likely have to undergo a downgrade in order to work on the lower-spec console.

And that’s all there is to know about Palworld, its different platforms, and its prices. While it’s still missing a couple of major consoles and, in certain versions, some very important features, it’s important to remember that the game is still actively under development. Crossplay is confirmed to be in the works, and other features like dedicated servers for all and a PS5 release are under consideration. With continuous updates, Palworld has ample opportunity to expand its scope and improve.

Sources: Steam, Nvidia