Raspberry Pi Game Server: What Runs and What Does Not (2026)

A Raspberry Pi 4 or 5 can host a small Minecraft Java server (Paper, a handful of players), Luanti (formerly Minetest), OpenTTD and some other open source game servers well. It cannot natively run most popular dedicated servers such as Valheim, Palworld, ARK, Rust, Project Zomboid, Enshrouded or Minecraft Bedrock, because those are built only for x86 PCs and the Pi uses an ARM processor. Emulation layers like Box64 can sometimes start them, but performance is usually too poor for real play.

The real limit is the CPU architecture

Raspberry Pi boards use ARM processors. Most game server software is compiled only for x86-64, the architecture of normal desktop PCs and most servers. SteamCMD itself, which downloads Steam dedicated servers, is an x86 program.

That leaves three kinds of servers:

Servers that run on Java, or are open source and built for ARM. These run natively and well.
x86-only servers run through Box64 / Box86 or FEX emulation. Some boot, many crash, and the ones that run are slow.
x86-only servers with no realistic path. Heavy Unreal Engine and Unity servers, where even a working emulator leaves you far below playable performance.

What runs well on a Pi

Server	Runs on ARM	Notes
Minecraft: Java Edition (Paper, Purpur, Fabric)	Yes, via Java	Pi 5 with 8 GB, 2 to 6 players, modest view distance.
Luanti (Minetest)	Yes	Light and well suited to the Pi.
OpenTTD	Yes	Very light, plenty for a group.
Mindustry	Yes, via Java	Small games are fine.
Veloren	Builds for ARM exist	Expect limits with larger groups.

For Minecraft, Java is the key: the server jar runs on any platform with a Java runtime, including ARM64.

What does not run (natively)

Minecraft: Bedrock Edition dedicated server: Mojang only ships Windows and Linux x86-64 builds.
Valheim, Palworld, Enshrouded, Rust, ARK: Survival Ascended, 7 Days to Die, Project Zomboid, DayZ, Satisfactory: x86 only, mostly needing more RAM than a Pi has anyway.
Anything installed through SteamCMD, unless you run SteamCMD itself under emulation.

People have run Valheim on a Pi 4 or 5 with Box64 for two or three players. It is a fun project, not a dependable server: long load times, lag in busy areas, and breakage whenever the game updates.

Hardware limits even when software runs

RAM. The Pi 5 tops out at 16 GB on the largest model, and most people have 4 or 8 GB. A Minecraft server with a few plugins is fine on 8 GB. Modpacks are not.

CPU speed. The Pi 5's cores are much slower per thread than a desktop CPU. Game servers mostly run on one main thread, so single thread speed decides how many players and how much world activity you can handle before tick rate drops. Expect lag from farms, redstone and exploration well before a desktop would struggle.

Storage. Do not run a server from a microSD card. Constant world saves wear it out, and it is slow. Use a USB 3 SSD, or an NVMe SSD with a Pi 5 M.2 HAT, and boot from it.

Cooling. Under steady server load the Pi throttles without a heatsink and fan. Use the official Active Cooler or a case with a fan.

Network. The Pi's gigabit Ethernet is fine. Wi-Fi is not ideal for a server. Use a cable.

Setting up a Minecraft server on a Pi 5

A short outline for the setup that works best:

Install Raspberry Pi OS Lite (64-bit) to an SSD with Raspberry Pi Imager, enable SSH in the imager settings.
Install Java 21:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install openjdk-21-jre-headless

Download Paper for your Minecraft version into a folder, accept the EULA, and start it with a memory cap:

java -Xms2G -Xmx5G -jar paper.jar --nogui

Set view-distance=6 and simulation-distance=5 in server.properties to keep the CPU load down.
Forward TCP 25565 on your router, or use a tunnel if you are behind CGNAT. The port forwarding guide and playit.gg guide cover both.
Run it as a systemd service so it starts after reboots; see auto start a game server after reboot.

Pi vs old PC vs hosted

	Raspberry Pi 5	Old desktop PC	Hosted server
Power draw	4 to 8 W	35 to 70 W	none at home
Runs Steam game servers	No (without emulation)	Yes	Yes
Single thread speed	Low	Medium	Depends on host
Setup effort	Medium	Medium	Low
Needs port forwarding	Yes	Yes	No

An old office PC usually beats a Pi for game servers because it runs x86 software natively. See old PC as a game server. For power costs, see electricity cost of running a game server at home.

A scene from Minetest

When the Pi is not enough

If your group wants Valheim, Palworld or a modded Minecraft pack, a Pi will not get you there. A GamezServers server runs the real x86 server software for those games, with its own address and open ports, a control panel and one click backups. Plans are priced by RAM and you can change plans any time with prorated billing. Look at Valheim hosting or the games page.

FAQ

Can a Raspberry Pi run a Minecraft server?

Yes. Minecraft Java runs well on a Pi 4 or 5 with 4 to 8 GB for a few players, using Paper and an SSD. Bedrock's official server does not run on ARM.

Can a Raspberry Pi run a Valheim server?

Not natively. It needs x86 emulation through Box64, which is slow and breaks after updates. It is fine as an experiment, not for a group that plays every night.

Is a Pi 5 good enough for a game server?

For light games and small Minecraft servers, yes. For most popular survival games, no, because they need an x86 CPU and more RAM.

How many players can a Raspberry Pi Minecraft server handle?

Typically two to six on a Pi 5 with Paper and reduced view distance. Busy farms and exploration lower that number.