For a new Minecraft Bedrock Dedicated Server (BDS), plan on a 64-bit supported operating system, a CPU at least as capable as an Intel Core i3-3210 or AMD A8-7600 APU, 4 GB of RAM, and more storage than the 180 MB to 1 GB package estimate. Mojang lists those figures on its current requirements page, while its FAQ mentions 1 GB RAM as a lower bound for a small server. Use 4 GB as the practical starting point, then add headroom for the operating system, world growth, backups, logs, add-ons and additional players. You also need broadband Internet and firewall control for Bedrock’s default UDP ports.
What are the official Minecraft Bedrock Dedicated Server requirements?
Mojang’s current 2026 download page gives the following baseline. The figures describe a supported installation, not a guarantee of a particular player count or simulation distance.
| Component | Documented requirement | How to interpret it |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i3-3210, AMD A8-7600 APU, or equivalent | This is the official floor. Faster single-thread performance becomes more useful as activity and player count rise. |
| Memory | 4 GB in the system-requirements block; the FAQ says at least 1 GB for small servers | Use 4 GB as the sensible baseline for a fresh host. Reserve more when the machine also runs other services or the world has heavier activity. |
| Storage | 180 MB to 1 GB available | This can cover the package and a very small world, but it is not a safe long-term allocation. Worlds, backups, logs and older server versions need additional space. |
| Linux | Ubuntu 22.04 LTS or later | The current download page supports Ubuntu; it does not list other distributions as supported. An older Microsoft Learn article says Ubuntu 18 or later, so use the newer download-page requirement when choosing an installation. |
| Windows | Windows 10 version 10.0.15063 or later, or Windows Server 2016 or later | Use a 64-bit installation and keep the client and server versions aligned. |
| Network | Broadband Internet connection | Remote players also need the server’s configured UDP ports permitted by the host firewall and any router. |
| GPU | No dedicated GPU is listed | A community setup reference says extra graphics hardware is not needed. Put the budget into CPU, RAM, storage and networking instead. |
The requirements come from Mojang’s official BDS documentation and Microsoft Learn’s server guide. They are minimum or baseline specifications, not a tested sizing chart.
How much RAM does a Bedrock server need?
Use 4 GB of RAM for a new, standalone BDS host. Mojang’s FAQ says a 64-bit Windows or Ubuntu system with an Intel or AMD processor and at least 1 GB can be considered for a small server, but the same page’s dedicated requirements block specifies 4 GB. The higher figure is the safer starting point because it leaves room for the operating system and normal world growth.
Why the 1 GB and 4 GB figures differ
The 1 GB statement is a lower-bound consideration for a small server, not a promise that every world, add-on or player group will run well within that amount. The 4 GB figure is the page’s general requirement for installing BDS. Treat 1 GB as an experimental minimum and 4 GB as the practical baseline.
When should you add memory?
- The host runs other applications, services or a desktop environment.
- You expect more concurrent players or more active farms and redstone systems.
- The world uses add-ons or has substantial generated terrain and backups.
- You raise simulation-related settings and observe memory pressure or swapping.
Mojang does not publish a validated RAM-per-player formula. It says larger worlds and more players require additional memory, storage and processing power, so size from your workload rather than promising that a particular module will support a fixed number of players.
What CPU do I need for a Bedrock server?
The official minimum is an Intel Core i3-3210, an AMD A8-7600 APU, or an equivalent processor. “Equivalent” should be judged by sustained single-thread performance and a supported 64-bit platform, not only by the number of cores or a newer product name.
Official floor versus community guidance
A community Bedrock server reference describes a dual-core minimum and recommends a quad-core x86-64 CPU around 3 GHz or higher for stronger performance. Those figures are community guidance, not Mojang certification. They are useful when choosing a modern host, but they cannot establish a guaranteed player count.
As activity increases, prioritize a CPU with good single-thread performance and enough total capacity for the operating system and any services sharing the machine. A high core count does not by itself compensate for weak per-core performance.
How much storage does Minecraft Bedrock Dedicated Server use?
Mojang lists 180 MB to 1 GB of available disk space. That range is enough for the downloaded package and a tiny initial world, but it should not be treated as a permanent disk quota. Mojang does not publish a fixed maximum world size.
What your storage plan must include
- The extracted server files and generated world folders.
- World backups, preferably on a separate disk or machine.
- Server logs and crash information.
- Older server versions kept for rollback.
- Space for temporary files during updates or world copies.
An SSD is a practical choice for responsive world loading, but it is not listed as an official minimum. Capacity and backup headroom matter more than buying a particular drive model. Check free space periodically instead of waiting for the server to fail while saving a world.
Can I run BDS on Ubuntu or Windows?
Yes. The current Mojang page lists Ubuntu 22.04 LTS or later for Linux, and Windows 10 build 10.0.15063 or later or Windows Server 2016 or later for Windows. Use a 64-bit supported installation in either case.
Ubuntu considerations
Microsoft describes Ubuntu as the only officially supported Linux distribution for BDS. Although an older Learn article mentions Ubuntu 18 or later, the newer download-page requirement is Ubuntu 22.04 LTS or later. If you choose another distribution, you are outside the current documented support target.
Windows considerations
Install the server on a supported 64-bit Windows release. Windows Server is suitable for an always-on machine, while desktop Windows can work for a personal host if it remains powered on and reachable. Keep the server package updated alongside the clients that connect to it.
What Internet connection and ports does Bedrock Dedicated Server use?
You need broadband Internet, and remote play requires the configured server ports to pass through the host firewall and, where applicable, the router. Microsoft documents UDP 19132 as the default IPv4 port and UDP 19133 as the default IPv6 port.
Network factors that affect playability
- Upload capacity must accommodate all connected players and other traffic from the host.
- Latency to the players’ locations is often more important than raw download speed.
- A wired Ethernet connection avoids one source of wireless interference on a stationary host.
- If you change ports in
server.properties, update the firewall and router rules to match.
Do not expose more ports than the server needs. Confirm the address and port players should use, and test from a connection outside the host’s local network.
How do I install Minecraft Bedrock Dedicated Server?
Mojang’s workflow is the same in principle on both platforms: download the appropriate package, extract it into an empty folder, start the supplied server program, and allow it to create the world directories.
- Download the Windows or Ubuntu BDS package from Mojang’s official download page.
- Create a dedicated, empty folder with enough free space for the world and backups.
- Extract the archive into that folder; do not mix files from unrelated server versions.
- On Windows, launch
bedrock_server. On Ubuntu, runLD_LIBRARY_PATH=. ./bedrock_serverfrom the extracted directory. - Let the first launch generate the world folders and configuration files.
- Open
server.properties, set the world name and other options, then save and restart the server when a setting requires it. - Allow the configured UDP port through the operating-system firewall and any router firewall before inviting remote players.
Keep a copy of the original archive and make a backup before changing versions or editing world files.
Which server settings matter most as the player count grows?
Microsoft’s configuration reference gives four useful workload controls. They let you trade simulation range and concurrency against CPU, memory and network demand without pretending there is one universal hardware formula.
| Setting | Documented default | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
max-players |
10 | Raises the allowed concurrent-player count; higher values have a performance impact. |
view-distance |
32 chunks | Controls how far terrain is sent or maintained around players, affecting processing and traffic. |
tick-distance |
4 chunks | Controls the area receiving active world ticks and therefore simulation work. |
max-threads |
8 | Sets the server’s thread limit; the useful value depends on the host and competing workloads. |
Change one setting at a time and watch CPU, memory, network use and player experience. Increasing max-players without checking available memory can turn a previously stable host into a swapping or overloaded one.
How should I choose hardware for a real workload?
Start with the official floor, then size for what the machine will do continuously. There is no official table mapping player count or world size to a guaranteed CPU and RAM combination.
- Small private world: A supported 64-bit host with 4 GB RAM, the official CPU floor or better, and reliable broadband is the sensible starting point.
- Growing group: Choose additional memory and stronger single-thread CPU performance, leaving capacity for the operating system, backups and other services.
- Busy or persistent world: Prioritize higher sustained CPU performance, substantial RAM headroom, SSD capacity for worlds and backups, and an always-on network path.
- Managed host or VPS: Check that it offers a supported operating system, firewall and port control, sufficient upload capacity, low latency to your players, continuous operation and a backup mechanism.
Evaluate “available RAM after the operating system,” not just the amount installed. Likewise, compare free SSD capacity after snapshots and backups, not the drive’s advertised size.
What should I check when BDS will not work?
The server starts but nobody can join
- Confirm the server is running and listening on the port in
server.properties. - Allow the matching UDP port through the host firewall and router.
- Use the correct IPv4 or IPv6 address and test from outside the local network.
- Check whether the Internet provider uses a network arrangement that prevents inbound connections; if so, a reachable managed host may be necessary.
Players see “Outdated Client” or “Outdated Server”
Update the mismatched side. Microsoft notes that even patch releases can use different protocol versions, so the client and server must be on compatible builds, not merely the same major version.
The world lags as more people join
Check CPU single-thread load, available memory and disk free space first. Reduce workload settings such as view-distance or tick-distance cautiously, and avoid raising max-players until the host has enough headroom.
Preflight checklist before inviting players
- 64-bit Windows 10 build 10.0.15063 or later, Windows Server 2016 or later, or Ubuntu 22.04 LTS or later.
- At least 4 GB RAM for a new installation, with additional capacity if the machine has other workloads.
- CPU at least equivalent to an Intel Core i3-3210 or AMD A8-7600 APU.
- Free disk space beyond the 180 MB to 1 GB package estimate for worlds, logs and backups.
- Broadband Internet, known player latency and adequate upload capacity.
- UDP 19132 for IPv4 and UDP 19133 for IPv6, unless you deliberately configure different ports.
- A tested backup and a rollback plan before updates.
- Client and server protocol versions checked after every update.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I back up a Bedrock Dedicated Server world safely?
Stop the server cleanly before copying its world directory so files are not changing during the backup. Keep timestamped copies on storage separate from the live host, and periodically perform a test restore to verify that the backup is usable.
Can I run the server and the Bedrock game on the same computer?
You can, but both the server and the game then compete for the same CPU, RAM and disk resources. Leave meaningful headroom beyond the 4 GB baseline and lower server workload settings if the host becomes saturated.
What does an “equivalent” CPU mean in the requirements?
It means a processor capable of comparable server performance rather than one that merely has a similar model name or core count. Compare sustained single-thread performance, 64-bit support and the load from any other services on the machine.
Can I change the default Bedrock server port?
Yes. Set the desired port in server.properties, then make the same UDP rule change in the operating-system firewall and router. Give players the new port along with the server address.