If you’ve ever tried to play Ark with your best friend or partner and gotten frustrated by random players raiding your base or lag on public servers, you’re not alone. I spent three weekends testing different setup methods before I figured out how to host a 2 player server on Ark that runs smoothly, even on a mid-tier gaming PC. This guide skips the overly technical jargon and only covers the steps that actually work, whether you want to play on PC, Xbox, or PlayStation. You won’t have to pay for expensive third-party hosting unless you want to, and the whole setup process takes less than 20 minutes if you follow the steps closely.
What You Need Before You Start to Host a 2 Player Server on Ark
First, let’s cover the basics so you don’t hit a wall halfway through setup. The biggest mistake I see new players make is assuming they can host and play on the same device without checking specs first. If you’re hosting and playing on the same PC, you’ll need a relatively recent setup to avoid lag, while console players have fewer hard requirements to worry about. You also need to make sure both you and your play partner are on the same game version, and that you both own any DLCs you plan to use for your playthrough. Mismatched DLC ownership is the most common cause of join errors for private servers, so double check this before you start.
- 16GB of RAM if you’re hosting and playing on the same Windows PC, 8GB for a separate dedicated host device
- Stable internet with 10Mbps minimum upload speed to avoid lag or dropped connections during long play sessions
- Matching game version and DLC ownership for both you and your second player to avoid connection errors
- Port forwarding access to your router, or a free LAN tunneling app if you can’t adjust router settings
You don’t need any paid software to host a basic 2 player server, even if you want to add small quality of life mods later. If you can’t access your router settings (like if you live in student housing or use shared internet), apps like Hamachi or ZeroTier work perfectly for private connections without port forwarding, though you may notice slightly higher ping than with a direct connection.
Step-by-Step Setup for PC Players
PC players have two main options for setting up their server: using the in-game host feature, or setting up a dedicated server through SteamCMD. The in-game option is by far the easiest for new players, so I recommend starting there unless you plan to add lots of mods or want your server to run 24/7 even when you’re not online. To use the in-game host, open Ark, select “Host/Local” from the main menu, then adjust the server settings to your preferences. You’ll want to set the max player count to 2, enable password protection, and toggle “Private Game” to make sure random players can’t find your server through the public browser.
Save your settings, click “Host”, and your server will go live in 2-3 minutes. If your friend can’t find the server through the in-game browser, send them your public IP address plus the port 27015 so they can join directly. If you can’t get port forwarding to work, download a free LAN tunneling app like Hamachi, create a private network, and have your friend join the network before connecting to your server. The only downside to the in-game host is that the server shuts down when you close Ark, so you’ll only be able to play when you’re online. If you want a server that runs 24/7, you’ll need to set up a dedicated server through SteamCMD, which takes a bit more work but is still doable for beginners with basic tech knowledge.
Console Setup for Xbox and PlayStation Users
Console players don’t have to mess with port forwarding or third-party apps for the most part, which is a huge plus. To host a 2 player server on console, open Ark and select “Play ARK” from the main menu, then choose “Create New Session”. Set the player limit to 2, add a password, and set the session visibility to “Friends Only” or “Invite Only” to keep strangers out. You can adjust all the same gameplay settings as PC players, from taming speed to resource respawn rates, before launching the session. If you’re playing a PvE run, you can also turn off friendly fire to avoid accidental deaths during tense taming fights.
Once the server is live, send an invite directly to your friend through your console’s friends list, and they’ll be able to join in a minute or two. The main catch with console servers is that the host has to be online and in the game for the server to run, just like the in-game PC host option. You also can’t add custom mods to console servers, so you’ll be limited to the base game and official DLC content. I’ve tested this setup on both Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5, and it runs smoothly with no lag as long as the host has a good internet connection. If you do run into connection issues, try restarting your router and making sure both consoles have the latest system updates installed before troubleshooting further.
Tweaks to Make Your 2 Player Server Run Smoothly
Once your server is up and running, there are a few small tweaks you can make to avoid lag and make your play sessions way more enjoyable. First, turn down the “World Buffer Size” setting in the server options if you’re hosting and playing on the same device. This reduces how much of the map the server loads in the background, which frees up RAM for both the game and the server. You can also turn off dynamic weather and reduce the number of wild dinos spawned on the map if you notice frame drops during busy moments, like when you’re fighting a boss or taming a large dino.
If you’re playing with mods, stick to 10 or fewer small quality-of-life mods, since large overhaul mods like Primal Fear will require a lot more RAM to run smoothly. Another common mistake players make is forgetting to whitelist their second player’s account, which can lead to random kick errors even if they have the password. If you plan to play for months on the same server, make sure to back up your save files once a week so you don’t lose hundreds of hours of progress if your device crashes. I learned this the hard way a few years ago when my PC died mid-session and I lost a fully leveled base and tamed rex army, so trust me on this one. You should also adjust your server’s auto-save interval to 15 or 20 minutes to avoid lag spikes during regular saves.
At the end of the day, you don’t need to be a tech expert to host a 2 player server on Ark that works perfectly for you and your play partner. The best option for most players is the in-game host feature, since it takes almost no time to set up and requires no extra software. If you want more control or 24/7 uptime, you can upgrade to a dedicated server or cheap third-party hosting later, once you know you’ll be playing long-term. Don’t get discouraged if you run into connection issues on your first try—most problems are fixed with a quick restart or a double check of your port forwarding settings. Once you’re in the game, you’ll get to enjoy all of Ark’s chaos without the frustration of random raiders or overcrowded public servers.