How To Set Up And Connect To Minecraft Servers For Bedrock Crossplay
Crossplay is an option for Minecraft players on all consoles, but it comes with some limitations. Console players can typically only connect to sponsored servers, Minecraft realms, or by connecting to games created by people on their friend list. 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. Here's our guide to connecting to any server with any console. Also, how to set your own server to allow crossplay.
Connecting via Xbox
Console players may have trouble connecting to servers hosted by others. You will need to trick your console to connect to the server you desire. Close all games that are running on your console, and then open your network settings.
From your network settings, enter the advanced settings window then click on the DNS settings option. Next, change the IPv4 DNS Settings to Manual. This will open a screen that allows you to enter a new Primary DNS. Change the numbers to 104.238.130.180. Then confirm the change. You will be taken to another screen to set the Secondary DNS. Set the numbers in the boxes to either 1.1.1.1 or 8.8.8.8 and confirm. You may need to switch between the two Secondary DNS options a few times to get a good connection to the server you want.
Now restart your console and start Minecraft. Head over to Minecraft's Server List and click on any server with the message “Join to Open Server List” below it. It doesn’t matter which server you choose. Instead of joining the server you chose, you will be taken to a new screen with several options. You can choose the Connect to a server option at the top. The screen will allow you to enter the IP address or port of the server that you want to join. To save time when joining again later, we recommend activating the Add to server List option.
Nintendo Switch: Connecting
You will need to trick your Switch to connect to the server, just like with the Xbox version. First, open up Minecraft and log out of your Microsoft account. Once you have logged off, close Minecraft and open your Switch connection settings. Select the WiFi network you want for connecting to the server, then click on the Change settings option.
From the network settings screen, scroll down to the DNS Settings option and change it from Automatic to "Manual. This will open the settings menu with two new options. Change the Primary DNS setting for 104.238.130.180, and the Secondary DNS setting for 1.1.1.1 and 8.8.8.8.8. If you are having trouble connecting, you may have to switch between these two Secondary DNS numbers. Save these settings, and then start Minecraft.
After Minecraft is loaded on the Switch, log back in to Microsoft. After you log in, you can open Multiplayer. Next, go to the Server List. You can click on any server available. It doesn't matter which one you choose.
Instead of connecting directly to the server you chose, you will be given a new menu listing a lot of server options. Click on the top option saying Connect to a Server, and you will now be able to add the IP address and port number of the server you want to connect to. We recommend enabling the Add server list option to save time and avoid having to enter these details each time you join.
This process is known to be 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 extremely difficult to connect non-sponsored Bedrock servers. To accomplish this, you will need to create a LAN game on another device (preferably a computer). Phantom must be downloaded to your PC and run on the same network as your PlayStation. Download Phantom to your desktop, and then open up a command prompt; you can do this by hitting Windows + X to open up a context menu with the command prompt option, or by searching for it in your computer's search bar.
Click and drag the Phantom software you downloaded earlier into the command prompt window and hit the enter key. This will get the software started. To fill the prompt with the software's address, press the up key on your keyboard. 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. The IP and port must be connected to a colon for the software to work. The command should look something like this: "...\Desktop\phantom (1).exe" play.gamepur.com:25565
After setting up Phantom, you can now connect with your PlayStation to the server. Just open Minecraft, scroll to the bottom of Minecraft's Friends tab, then click on Connect to Server. The Remote Server LAN Game should appear. Click on the LAN Game to join the server you want to play on.
Crossplay server setup
Paper
You will need to be able install plugins to allow anyone to join your server regardless of their version or console. To install these plugins you will need a server API that can run them. For your server to be able to run, we recommend the latest version Paper. Paper is a Spigot fork that runs on Bukkit. It's designed to reduce server lag and increase performance. It also allows large communities to have a stable platform while still running all plugins from other Bukkit Forks. It can also be easily optimized for server performance.
Installing Paper will depend on how you are hosting your server. If you are using a company like Apex or Shockbyte, their support staff will be able to help you and will have guides available for you to reference. You can also set up the server yourself.
Geyser and Floodgate
Floodgate, Geyser, and Floodgate are essential tools for any server wishing to enable crossplay. The plugins allow players on Bedrock to join a Java server and make use of any plugins you might have installed. Geyser makes it easy for players to connect to the server. Floodgate handles player authentication so that more people can join the server without any problems with their Microsoft or Mojang accounts.
It is very easy to set up Floodgate and Geyser. Download the plugins via GeyserMC. Drag the.jar files to your server's plug-ins folder. Restart the server to generate the needed configuration files. These files must be edited slightly to allow other players to join via Bedrock. Geyser offers an online editor that makes it easier to edit the configuration files if you don't feel confident. Make sure you replace the old config files by the new ones that you download.
Once the server is up and running again, go back into your plugins folder to find the newly created GeyserMC directory. Open it up and edit Geyser's config.yml file to suit your server's needs. 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
After making these changes to the configuration files, you can restart your server again to make the changes take effect. MINECRAFT MODIFICATIONS Any console can now 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 who are using a different version or 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 you have an older version of your server and want to allow players to connect to it.
ViaVersion can be installed easily. Simply download each plugin.jar, drop it into your server's plugins directory, and restart the server. Like all plugins, ViaVersion will generate new configuration files for the plugins each time it starts back up. You can also make any changes that you feel are necessary.