How to Set Up a Private Satisfactory Server: The Complete Dedicated Server Guide

A shared Satisfactory world works well until the host closes the game. At that moment, the factory disappears for everyone else—even if another player only wanted to check production, rebuild a train route, or continue expanding after the rest of the group logged off.

A Satisfactory dedicated server separates the world from any individual gaming PC. The server runs as its own application, keeps the save available around the clock, and lets Steam and Epic Games Store players connect to the same session.

This guide explains the entire setup in a practical order: where to host the server, how many resources it needs, how to install it on Ubuntu through SteamCMD, which ports to open, how to enable automatic startup, how to import an existing save, and how to protect the world from avoidable downtime or data loss.

Satisfactory Dedicated Server: Quick Setup Summary

Important: the current dedicated server is available for desktop editions. Steam and Epic Games Store players can share the same server, but console editions do not connect to PC dedicated servers.

What a Satisfactory Dedicated Server Actually Does

The dedicated server is a separate, headless version of Satisfactory. It does not render the game or require an active player. Its job is to run the simulation, maintain the shared save, accept player connections, and remain available when everyone logs out.

This differs from hosting through a player’s game client:

• client-hosted session: the world exists only while the host is playing;
• dedicated server: the world runs independently of every player’s PC;
• client-hosted session: the host’s computer handles both gameplay and server simulation;
• dedicated server: server resources are reserved for the shared world.

This matters more as the factory grows. Trains, drones, logistics networks, production chains, and large construction areas increase the work the server must process. Moving that workload away from a player’s gaming PC improves availability and makes performance less dependent on one person’s hardware.

Where Should You Host the Server?

There are three realistic options: a home PC, a self-managed VPS, or a managed game hosting panel. The right choice depends on how often the group plays and how much control the administrator wants.

For most groups that want an always-online world, a VPS provides the best balance. It removes the home PC from the uptime chain without locking the administrator into a restricted game panel.

Why Serverspace Fits a Satisfactory Server

A Satisfactory server benefits from strong single-core CPU performance, fast storage, enough RAM for the save, and the ability to scale as the factory becomes more complex.

With a Serverspace Ubuntu VPS, CPU, RAM, and storage can be selected independently in the control panel. This is useful because a new world may run comfortably with 8 GB of RAM, while a mature save or a larger group may later need 16 GB.

Serverspace infrastructure uses Intel Xeon Gold processors operating at 3.1 GHz and SSD storage. The processor frequency suits a workload that favors strong single-core performance, while NVMe helps with server updates, logs, and regular world saves.

The service also includes:

• deployment in under a minute;
• billing in 10-minute increments, so short tests do not require a full-month commitment;
• resource scaling from the control panel;
• unlimited traffic in the VPS configuration;
• full root access for SteamCMD, systemd, scripts, and backups;
• several global server locations, so the VPS can be placed near the majority of players.

This does not turn the VPS into a managed game panel: the administrator still performs the installation. The advantage is that the server remains fully under your control and can be resized instead of replaced when the world grows.

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System Requirements and Recommended Configurations

The server supports 64-bit Windows and x86-64 Linux. ARM systems are not natively supported. Virtual machines also need a compatible CPU model; a generic kvm64 CPU type may fail even if the server initially starts.

The dedicated server uses several cores but strongly favors high single-core performance. RAM usage grows with save complexity and player activity rather than following player count alone.

Do not allocate only the space occupied by the server binaries. Leave room for saves, logs, updates, crash dumps, configuration files, and several backup generations.

What You Need Before Installation

• a 64-bit x86 Linux VPS, preferably Ubuntu 22.04 or 24.04;
• root access or a user with sudo privileges;
• at least 8 GB of RAM;
• at least 20 GB of available SSD or NVMe storage;
• a public IP address;
• access to the VPS firewall or cloud firewall;
• your own Satisfactory client on Steam or Epic Games Store;
• an existing save file, if the group is migrating from a locally hosted session.

How to Install a Satisfactory Dedicated Server on Ubuntu

The following process uses SteamCMD and a dedicated Linux user. Keeping the game server under its own account limits permissions and makes service management cleaner.

Step 1. Update Ubuntu

Reboot if the update installs a new kernel:

Step 2. Create a Dedicated User

The server should not run as root. A separate account limits file access and keeps the installation isolated from other services.

Step 3. Install SteamCMD

Enable the required package architecture and repository, then install SteamCMD:

Step 4. Download the Server Files

Create the installation directory and give the dedicated user ownership:

Run SteamCMD as the dedicated user and install application 1690800:

The server application installs anonymously, so a second Steam account or another copy of Satisfactory is not required.

Step 5. Open the Required Ports

Since the 1.1 networking changes, the server uses:

If UFW is enabled, add the rules:

Older ports 15000 and 15777 are no longer required. Guides that still use them describe the pre-1.0 networking model.

Step 6. Start the Server for the First Time

Allow the process to initialize and create its directories. Stop it gracefully with Ctrl+C rather than closing the terminal or killing the process abruptly.

Step 7. Verify That the Server Is Listening

Check the service locally through the HTTPS API endpoint:

A route-handler error in JSON format still confirms that the server is listening. You can also inspect the open ports:

If the process is running but the server cannot be reached externally, check both the Ubuntu firewall and any firewall rules configured in the provider’s control panel.

Enable Automatic Startup with systemd

Running the server manually leaves it offline after every reboot or crash. A systemd service starts it with the VPS and restarts it after a failure.

Create the service file:

Add the following configuration:

Reload systemd and start the service:

Check its status:

The ExecStartPre command checks for game-server updates whenever the service starts. KillSignal=SIGINT allows the server to shut down more cleanly than an immediate process kill.

Claim the Server and Create the World

1. Launch Satisfactory on your gaming PC.
2. Open Server Manager from the main menu.
3. Add the VPS public IP address and port 7777.
4. Select Claim Server.
5. Set a server name and strong administrator password.
6. Create a new world or upload an existing save.
7. Enable a player password if access should be restricted.

The administrator password and player password serve different purposes. The administrator password protects server management, while the player password controls who can join and view the active session.

How to Move an Existing Save to the Server

You do not need to restart the factory when moving from a player-hosted session to a dedicated server.

1. Open Server Manager in the Satisfactory client.
2. Select the claimed server.
3. Open the save-management section.
4. Upload the existing local save.
5. Select the uploaded file as the active session.
6. Confirm that the world loads correctly before deleting or replacing the original copy.

Keep the original local save until the migrated world has been tested. This provides an immediate rollback if the upload is interrupted or the wrong file is selected.

Backups, Updates, and Ongoing Maintenance

Back Up the Save Directory

On Linux, server saves are stored under the dedicated user’s configuration directory. Locate the exact save path after the first world has been created, then copy it to separate storage regularly.

A simple backup archive can be created with:

A backup stored only on the same VPS does not protect against server deletion or disk failure. Copy important archives to external object storage, another server, or a local machine.

Update the Server

Stop the service before a manual update:

Then run SteamCMD:

Start the service again:

The client and server must use matching versions and branches. Stable and Experimental builds are not interchangeable.

Monitor Logs and Resource Usage

Check the systemd log:

Game logs are also written inside the server directory under:

Monitor CPU and memory with:

If the server begins stuttering as the factory grows, check memory pressure, CPU saturation, save times, and disk space before changing game settings.

Which Configuration Fits Your Group?

Two to Four Players, New World

Start with 8 GB of RAM and a fast modern CPU. This is suitable for an early-game or moderately developed factory with enough headroom for the operating system and background processes.

Four or More Regular Players

Use 12–16 GB of RAM. More players create additional simulation and network activity, but the complexity of the save remains the more important long-term factor.

Large Factory with Trains and Drones

Choose 16 GB of RAM and strong single-core performance. Large logistics networks, extensive construction, and a mature save increase server processing requirements.

Group Spread Across Time Zones

Prioritize uptime and choose a server location that gives acceptable latency to the majority of the group. An always-online VPS is particularly useful here because players rarely connect at the same time.

Modded or Experimental Server

Keep additional memory and disk capacity available, and test every update against a backup copy. Mods and Experimental builds may change independently of the stable client.

Common Problems and Solutions

Security and Reliability Checklist

• Run the game server under a dedicated non-root user.
• Use a strong administrator password and a separate player password.
• Open only the ports the server actually needs.
• Install operating-system security updates regularly.
• Stop the server cleanly before maintenance.
• Back up saves before updates, branch changes, or mod installation.
• Keep at least one backup outside the VPS.
• Monitor disk space so saves and logs cannot fill the filesystem.
• Do not increase server tick rate as a substitute for insufficient hardware.

Conclusion

A Satisfactory dedicated server becomes much easier to manage when the setup is divided into clear stages: choose a suitable host, allocate enough RAM, install application 1690800 through SteamCMD, open ports 7777 and 8888, claim the server, enable systemd, and back up the save.

For a new private world, start with 8 GB of RAM, a modern high-frequency CPU, and at least 20 GB of SSD or NVMe storage. Move to 12–16 GB as the save becomes more complex or the group grows.

A self-managed VPS requires more setup than a managed panel, but it also gives the group full control over updates, backups, configuration, and future scaling. With a Serverspace Ubuntu VPS, you can choose the required CPU, RAM, and storage in the control panel, deploy the machine in under a minute, and increase resources later without rebuilding the world from scratch.