Hytale In our pre-launch Hytale guide, we promised to share real performance data once servers were actually running. Hytale launched today, and we’ve started testing.
Here’s what we’ve found so far - and why heap configuration matters more than the raw RAM number on your plan. We’ll continue updating this guide as more information becomes available from our testing and from the broader community.
At a Glance: Early RAM Findings
| Setup | RAM | Heap Setting | What We Saw |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official minimum | 4GB | Default | Runs, but tight. Struggled with exploration. |
| Small group sweet spot | 6GB | 50% max heap | Stable and smooth with a handful of players. |
| Our default config | Any plan | 75% max heap | Balances performance with overhead for most use cases. |
These numbers come from our initial testing with small groups (under 6 players). We’ll update this as we gather more data across different server sizes and configurations.
The 4GB Reality Check
The official Hytale server manual says 4GB minimum, and that’s technically accurate. The server will start. Players can connect.
But “runs” and “runs well” are different things. In our testing, 4GB servers felt the pressure quickly once players started exploring in different directions. Hytale loads chunks around each player, and when those players spread out, memory usage climbs fast. The server didn’t crash, but you could feel it working harder than it should.
If you’re planning to run a 4GB server, keep view distance conservative and expect to monitor things closely. It’s doable for a couple friends sticking together. It’s not comfortable for anything more ambitious.
Why Heap Settings Matter
Here’s something that doesn’t get explained enough: the RAM on your hosting plan isn’t the same as the memory Hytale can actually use.
Hytale servers run on Java, and Java needs breathing room. When you allocate memory to a Java application, you’re setting the “heap” - the space where the game stores world data, entities, and all the stuff that makes your server work. But the Java process itself needs additional memory for garbage collection, internal operations, and system overhead.
If you tell a 4GB server to use all 4GB for heap, you’re not leaving room for anything else. The result is memory pressure, aggressive garbage collection, and performance that feels worse than the specs suggest.
This is the same dynamic Minecraft server owners have dealt with for years. The rule of thumb there - don’t allocate 100% of your RAM to heap - applies directly to Hytale.
What we're doing
WinterNode deploys Hytale servers with a 75% max heap setting by default. On a 6GB plan, that means roughly 4.5GB for heap and 1.5GB for overhead. In our testing, a 6GB server with 50% max heap (3GB heap, 3GB overhead) ran smoothly with a small group exploring the world.
The panel lets you adjust this if you want to experiment. On larger plans, you have more flexibility. On smaller plans like 4GB, there’s less room to tune - which is part of why 4GB feels tight.
View Distance: The Biggest Lever
The Hytale team emphasized this in their hardware requirements post, and our testing confirms it: view distance is the single biggest factor in both RAM and CPU load.
The official server manual recommends limiting view distance to 12 chunks (384 blocks) for performance. For context, that’s roughly equivalent to 24 Minecraft chunks - more generous than most Minecraft servers run by default.
If you’re on a smaller RAM plan or seeing performance issues, reducing view distance is the first thing to try. It has an outsized impact compared to other settings.
The Performance Saver Plugin
Nitrado, one of Hytale’s official hosting partners, released an open-source plugin that helps servers handle resource pressure intelligently. It’s called hytale-plugin-performance-saver, and it does a few useful things:
Dynamic view radius adjustment. When the server detects CPU or memory pressure, it automatically reduces view distance. When resources recover, it scales back up. This prevents crashes during unexpected load spikes.
TPS limiting. The plugin caps server TPS at 20 by default (and drops to 5 TPS when the server is empty). Stable, lower TPS is generally better for player experience than fluctuating high TPS.
Smarter garbage collection. It monitors chunk unloading and triggers garbage collection when memory can actually be freed, rather than waiting for Java’s default behavior.
The plugin is MIT licensed and available on GitHub. We’ll have a help center guide on installation and configuration.
RAM Recommendations (Early Data)
Based on our initial testing with small groups:
| Use Case | Recommended RAM | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Small group (2-5 players) | 4-6GB | 6GB gives you headroom. 4GB works but feels tight. |
| Friends server (5-10 players) | 6-8GB | More players exploring = more chunks loaded. |
We’re continuing to test and will update these recommendations as we learn more. The community will also surface useful data points as more servers come online over the coming weeks.
Warning
Hytale launched today (January 13). These numbers will almost certainly shift as we learn more about how the game behaves under different conditions, and as Hypixel Studios continues optimizing the server software. Treat this as a starting point, not gospel.
What We’re Still Learning
A few things we don’t have answers on yet:
Mod impact. Hytale’s server-side modding means all mod overhead lands on the server. We don’t know yet how much RAM headroom you need for modded servers - that depends entirely on what mods people create.
Long-running worlds. Our testing is from day one. World size grows over time as players explore. A server that runs fine in week one might need more resources in month three.
Larger player counts. We’ve tested with small groups. Servers hosting 30+ players will have different characteristics.
We’ll keep updating this guide as we gather more data from our own servers and as the community shares what they’re learning.
Hosting Hytale with WinterNode
We’re obviously biased, but WinterNode exists because we wanted hosting that didn’t nickel-and-dime people. All our game servers run at $1.99/GB of RAM - we don’t charge extra for CPU usage, NVMe storage, or heap configuration options.
Our Hytale servers deploy with 75% max heap by default, which balances game performance with Java overhead for most configurations. You can adjust this in the panel if you want to experiment.
Everything’s backed by our 48-hour refund policy, so there’s no risk in trying things out. If 4GB feels too tight after a day of play, scaling up is quick.
Got questions? Our support team responds to tickets with actual humans, and we’re active on Discord if you prefer chatting there.
Frequently Asked Questions
For small groups, 6GB with proper heap settings runs smoothly. 4GB is technically possible but struggles under exploration load.
RAM is total memory allocated to your server. Heap is the portion Java can use for game data. The Java process needs overhead beyond heap for garbage collection and system operations.
Technically yes - it's the official minimum. In practice, it's tight. Multiple players exploring independently will cause performance issues.
A plugin from Nitrado that dynamically adjusts view radius and TPS based on resource pressure. It helps prevent crashes when the server is under load.