Minecraft Servers for Bedrock Crossplay

7 December, 2022

Crossplay is available to Minecraft players on any console. However, it has its limitations. Console players cannot connect to sponsored servers, Minecraft realms, and games created by friends. It is possible to bypass these restrictions and connect to any server with a little extra effort. Server owners can also set up Java servers to allow anyone to connect, regardless of their version or console. This guide will show you how to connect to any server using any console and how to create your own server for crossplay.

Connecting via Xbox

Console players may find it difficult to connect to a server hosted elsewhere. To trick your console into connecting, you will need to use the following steps. Close all games that are running on your console, and then open your network settings.

Enter your network settings and click on the DNS settings option. Next, change the IPv4 DNS settings from Automatic to Manual. This will bring you to a screen where your Primary DNS can be entered. You can change the numbers to 104.238.130.180, and then confirm the change. You will be taken to a second screen to set Secondary DNS. You can set the numbers to either 1.1.1.1, or 8.8.8.8, and then confirm. To get a good connection to your server, you may need to switch between the Secondary DNS options several times.

Start Minecraft by restarting your console. Navigate to the Server List in Minecraft. Click on any server that has the message "Join To Open Server List" below its name. It doesn't matter which one you choose. Instead of joining the chosen server, you will be taken a new screen that offers several options. Select the Connect to Server option at the top. This will take you to a screen where the IP address and port number of the server you wish to join can be entered. To save time, we recommend that you enable the Add to Server List option.

Connecting via Nintendo Switch

You will need to trick your Switch to connect to the server, just like with the Xbox version. Open Minecraft and log out from your Microsoft account. After you have logged out, open Minecraft and go to the Switch's connection settings. Click on the Change Settings option to select the WiFi network that you wish to use to connect with the server.

Scroll down to the DNS Settings option on the network settings screen and change it to Automatic from "Manual". You will now have two options in the settings menu. Change the Primary DNS setting from 104.238.130.180 to Secondary DNS 1.1.1.1 or 8.8.8.8. If you have trouble connecting, you may need to switch between the Secondary DNS numbers. These settings can be saved and used to launch Minecraft.

Once Minecraft has been loaded on your Switch go ahead and log in to your Microsoft account. After logging in, you will be able to open Multiplayer and go to the Server List. You can click on any server available. It doesn't matter which one you choose.

Instead of connecting directly with the server you choose, you will be presented with a new menu that lists many server options. You can now click on Connect to a server to add the IP address or port number to the server you wish to connect to. We recommend that you enable the Add to Server List option so that you don't have to enter this information every time you want join.

This process can be very picky. This may mean that you will need to change the Secondary DNS numbers. Log in and out of Microsoft to verify.

Connecting via PlayStation

Sony has made it very difficult to connect to non-sponsored Bedrock servers. You will need to set up a LAN on another device, preferably a PC, in order to do this. Phantom must be downloaded and run on a computer connected to the same network as your PlayStation. You can download Phantom to your desktop and then open a command prompt. To do this, hit Windows + X to open a context menu with the command promp option or search for it in your computer's search bar.

Drag the Phantom software that you downloaded earlier to the command prompt window. Hit the enter key. This will start the software. To autofill the prompt with your software's location, press the up arrow key or drag it into the command prompt. Instead of pressing enter and running the command again, add a space to the command prompt, then enter the IP and port information for the server you wish to join, and hit enter. To make the software work properly, the IP and port must be connected by a colon. The command should look something like this: "...Desktopphantom (1).exe" play.gamepur.com:25565

Once you have installed Phantom on your computer, you can connect to the server using your PlayStation. Open Minecraft, click on the Friends tab and scroll down to the bottom. You will see a LAN Game called Remote Server. Click on the LAN Game link to join the server where you wish to play.

Setting up a server for crossplay

Paper

You will need to install plugins to allow anyone to join your server regardless of their version or console. You will need a server API capable of running these plugins in order to be able install them. To run your server, we recommend that you use the latest version Paper. Paper is a fork from Spigot, which is also a fork off Bukkit. It is designed to reduce server lag, increase performance and create a stable platform that can host large communities. It also runs all the plugins for other Bukkit forks. It can also easily be optimized to make your server as smooth as possible.

Depending on where you host your server, how you install paper will affect how easy it is. Shockbyte or Apex will provide support and have guides for you to refer to. You can also set up the server yourself.

Geyser and Floodgate

Floodgate and Geyser are essential for any server that wants to allow crossplay. These plugins allow players to connect to a Java server from Bedrock and use any plugins that you may have installed. Geyser allows players access the server without any setup. Floodgate handles player authentication, allowing more people to join the server without having to set up any accounts with Microsoft or Mojang.

It is very easy to set up Floodgate and Geyser. Download the plugins from GeyserMC and then drop the.jar files in your server's plugins directory. To generate the configuration files, restart the server. These files will need to be edited slightly in order for other players to join the server via Bedrock. Geyser offers an online editor that makes it easier to edit the configuration files if you don't feel confident. Make sure to replace any config files that you have previously downloaded with the new ones.

Once the server is up and running again, go back into your plugins folder to find the newly created GeyserMC directory. Edit Geyser's configuration.yml file to meet your server's requirements. We recommend that you change the Remote and Bedrock port numbers to match your server's port, which is 25565 by default. Change the remote port address to 127.0.0.1, and the authtype from floodgate

Once you have made these changes to your config files, you can reboot the server to allow the changes to take place. No matter what console they're using, anyone can join your server.

ViaVersion/ViaBackwards/ViaRewind

ViaVersion is an extremely useful set of plugins that every server needs to have, especially if you want crossplay. ViaVersion allows players on different versions of Minecraft to join the server. Players who are still using 1.13.2 can still join the server even if they are running 1.16.4. This is useful if your server is older and you want players to be able connect.

ViaVersion installation is simple. Simply download the plugin.jars and drop them into the plugins folder on your server. Then restart the server. The server will create new config files for plugins every time it starts up again. You can make any modifications you like.