Pocketpair's monster-catching survival game has received a significant upgrade with its latest patch, bringing together players across all platforms while introducing several quality-of-life improvements that fans have been requesting since launch.
Cross-Platform Play Finally Arrives
The most anticipated feature in Palworld's Update 0.5.0 has finally arrived - cross-platform play is now available across all platforms including PC, Xbox, and PlayStation. This major addition allows friends to adventure together regardless of their preferred gaming hardware, significantly expanding the cooperative possibilities in the popular survival game. The timing couldn't be better for Palworld, which has amassed an impressive 32 million players since its early access launch in January 2024.
Key Features in Palworld Update 0.5.0
- Cross-play across all platforms (PC, Xbox, PlayStation)
- Global Palbox for transferring Pals between worlds
- Dimensional Pal Storage with 10x regular Palbox capacity
- Cosmetic Armor System (transmog) via the Antique Dresser
- Photo Mode accessible from the Pal Command Wheel
- Drafting Table for upgrading low-rarity blueprints
- Dedicated servers for Mac (PlayStation 5 servers coming later)
- Various UI improvements including categorized favorites and new sorting options
- Multiple bug fixes including the space-launching climbing bug
Global Palbox Introduces Seamless Pal Transfers
Players can now store their Pal data in the new Global Palbox system, allowing them to transfer their captured creatures between different game worlds. This long-requested feature means players won't have to start from scratch when joining new servers or playing with different groups of friends, preserving the time investment spent collecting and training their favorite companions.
Massive Storage Upgrade with Dimensional Pal Storage
Storage limitations have been addressed with the introduction of Dimensional Pal Storage, a new system that offers ten times the capacity of the regular Palbox. This expanded storage can be accessed by guild members, making resource sharing more efficient, while also featuring private settings for personal use. The improvement addresses one of the community's biggest pain points regarding inventory management in the resource-heavy survival game.
Cosmetic Armor System Adds Personalization
Fashion-conscious players will appreciate the new transmog system that allows for cosmetic armor customization. Using the Antique Dresser, players can now change their character's appearance without sacrificing armor stats - a quality-of-life feature that has become standard in many modern RPGs and survival games. This addition allows for greater personalization while maintaining combat effectiveness.
Photo Mode for Creative Screenshots
Creative players can now capture their adventures in style with the newly added Photo Mode, accessible from the Pal Command Wheel. This feature hides the UI and allows free camera movement, enabling players to take stunning screenshots of their bases, Pals, and the game's expansive world. The timing of this feature coincides with the game's visual improvements and expanded building options.
Blueprint Upgrading System
The new Drafting Table feature allows players to combine low-rarity blueprints to create higher-rarity ones, adding value to previously less desirable item drops. This crafting enhancement provides a progression path for blueprints that might otherwise go unused, encouraging players to collect and utilize all blueprint types they encounter.
Additional Improvements and Bug Fixes
The update includes numerous quality-of-life improvements, such as the ability to place buildings even when they overlap with Pals, automatic alignment of connected building pieces, and the ability to sit on chairs and cushions. Ice Pals assigned to the Flea Market will now slow down item decay, adding strategic depth to base management. The patch also addresses several bugs, including the infamous glitch where players could get launched into space while climbing.
Future Development Plans
While Pocketpair has delivered on cross-platform play, they're still working on adding dedicated servers for the PlayStation 5 version, which they plan to release in the future. Mac users will be pleased to know that dedicated servers are now available for their platform. The developer has outlined a content roadmap for Palworld extending into 2025, which includes an ending scenario and additional new content.
Ongoing Legal Challenges
Despite the game's continued development, Palworld still faces legal challenges from Nintendo and The Pokémon Company, who filed a lawsuit alleging patent infringement. Pocketpair has already made some changes to the game, such as tweaking how players summon Pals, apparently in response to the lawsuit. The studio's communications director described the lawsuit as shocking but confirmed that Pocketpair intends to defend its position through legal proceedings.