8050 reachable from outside, and a backup routine. If your group wants 24/7 uptime, compare a VPS or managed host instead of keeping your gaming PC online.Starter requirement plan
| Group size | Starting point | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| 1-2 players | Home PC or spare PC | Server startup, save location, and basic direct connect. |
| 3-5 players | Home PC with stable upload, spare PC, or small VPS | Upload speed, world generation time, RAM spikes, and router reliability. |
| 6-8 players | Stronger home server, VPS, or managed host | CPU headroom, RAM, restart process, backups, and player ping. |
| Always-on world | VPS or managed game host | Uptime, fixed public IP, automatic restarts, and downloadable backups. |
Requirement checklist
- Runtime: install the .NET 8 Runtime before debugging config or ports.
- CPU: prefer a recent desktop CPU or VPS plan with enough single-core performance for simulation spikes.
- RAM: leave headroom for world generation and updates; do not run the server on a machine already near full memory.
- Network: make sure UDP
8050is open and forwarded if hosting from home. - Upload speed: home download speed is not enough; your upload speed is what remote friends depend on.
- Storage: keep space for saves, backups, and SteamCMD validation files.
- Backups: make a manual backup before updates, config edits, or host moves.
Home PC vs VPS vs managed host
| Choice | Good fit | Bad fit |
|---|---|---|
| Home PC | Free testing, short sessions, learning the setup flow. | 24/7 uptime, weak upload, router problems, or shared apartment networks. |
| VPS | Admins comfortable with Linux, SSH, firewall rules, and manual backups. | Players who want a simple panel and support. |
| Managed host | Friend groups that want restarts, backups, and config edits without server admin work. | One-night testing or groups not sure they will keep playing. |
When requirements become a hosting problem
If the server works locally but friends keep failing to join, your issue may be networking rather than raw hardware. If the server runs but the world feels unstable during sessions, look at CPU, RAM, and upload speed. If you simply cannot keep the machine online, that is an uptime problem, and a host is often easier than more troubleshooting.
Related Romestead server guides
Start with dedicated server setup, fix startup crashes with the .NET 8 Runtime guide, check UDP 8050, and compare hosting options when home hosting becomes annoying.