Can you join a custom Minecraft server on Xbox, PS5 or Switch?
Yes, but not with an "Add Server" button – on consoles, the "Servers" tab only shows Mojang's Featured Servers. To get onto your own Bedrock server from a console, you either join a friend who's already on the server, or use a DNS workaround such as BedrockConnect that lets you type in an address and port.
| Device | "Add Server" button | How to join a custom server |
|---|---|---|
| Android, iOS | Yes | "Servers" → "Add Server" |
| Windows 10/11 | Yes | "Servers" → "Add Server" |
| Xbox One / Series X|S | No | Through a friend or a DNS workaround |
| PlayStation 4/5 | No | Through a friend or a DNS workaround |
| Nintendo Switch | No | Through a friend or a DNS workaround |
This is a limitation of the console versions of the game, not of any host – it applies to every Bedrock server. Consoles run Bedrock Edition, so once a console player is in, they play together with phones and PCs like everyone else. Java servers are a different story: consoles can't join a Java server at all, unless that server runs the Geyser plugin.
How do you add a server on Minecraft Bedrock (phone and Windows)?
Open "Play" → "Servers", scroll down to "Additional Servers", click "Add Server", and enter the server's address and port in two separate fields.
- Start Minecraft and click "Play".
- Open the "Servers" tab.
- Scroll the list down to "Additional Servers" and click "Add Server".
- Type any name in "Server Name", the address in "Server Address" (without the port), and the port number in "Port".
- Click "Save", select the server and click "Join Server".
Bedrock doesn't accept address:port in one field – the port has its own box. If you leave the default 19132 but your server uses a different port, the game just won't connect.
How do you join a server on a console through a friend?
A friend joins the server from a phone or Windows PC, and the console player joins that friend from the "Friends" tab. It's the simplest method and needs no changes on the console – only someone already on the server.
- Both players must be friends on their Microsoft (Xbox) accounts: "Play" → "Friends" → "Add Friend" and search for the gamertag.
- The friend on a phone or PC adds the server and joins it (see the steps above).
- The console player opens "Play" → "Friends" and finds the friend under "Joinable Friends" (or "Joinable Cross-Platform Friends").
- Selecting the friend joins the same server.
The catch: it only works while someone joinable is on the server. If a console player wants to hop on alone in the evening, they'll need the DNS workaround or a Realm.
How do you join a server on Xbox, PS5 or Switch with BedrockConnect?
You change the console's DNS server to one run by the BedrockConnect project; when you then open one of the Featured Servers, the game shows a BedrockConnect menu where you type your own address and port. It works on Xbox, PlayStation and Switch, and BedrockConnect remembers your servers so you don't retype them.
Before you start, find the current DNS address on the BedrockConnect project page (it's an open-source project on GitHub) – the addresses can change, so don't rely on an old forum post.
Where to set DNS on each console:
| Console | Path to DNS settings |
|---|---|
| Xbox One / Series X|S | Settings → General → Network settings → Advanced settings → DNS settings → Manual |
| PlayStation 5 | Settings → Network → Settings → Set Up Internet Connection → your network → Advanced Settings → DNS Settings: Manual |
| PlayStation 4 | Settings → Network → Set Up Internet Connection → Wi-Fi or LAN → Custom → DNS Settings: Manual |
| Nintendo Switch | System Settings → Internet → Internet Settings → your network → Change Settings → DNS Settings → Manual |
Then:
- Enter the BedrockConnect DNS as the primary DNS. As the secondary, many people use a public DNS (for example 1.1.1.1) so the console keeps working if BedrockConnect is down.
- Restart Minecraft, open the "Servers" tab and select any Featured Server.
- Instead of the featured server, you'll see the BedrockConnect menu. Choose the option to connect to a server and enter your server's address and port.
- Join. Next time, the server is on your saved list in the same menu.
Keep in mind that this is unofficial: it depends on a third-party project, it can stop working after a game update, and while the DNS is set, part of the console's traffic lookups goes through someone else's server. If anything acts up, switch DNS back to automatic.
Is Realms easier for console players?
Yes – a Realm is the only multiplayer option besides Featured Servers that consoles can join natively, from the "Realms" tab or an invite link. The trade-off is a player cap (you + 2, or you + 10 on Realms Plus) and no access to server files, the console or server.properties. We compare both options in detail in Minecraft Realms vs your own server.
If most of your group plays on phones and PCs and only one or two friends are on consoles, a dedicated server plus "join through a friend" usually works fine. If almost everyone is on consoles and nobody wants to touch DNS, Realms is the more comfortable choice.
What do you need from your server to connect?
Two things: the server address and the port – and the same game version as the server. On Spot.gg both are in the server panel:
- Open the server and click "How to connect?" – address and port are shown as two separate fields, each with a copy button.
- All ports assigned to the server are also listed under "Network". The port is usually not 19132, so always enter it by hand.
- Keep the server on the same version as the players: after a big Minecraft update, update the server in "Information" → "Modify" → "Change engine". New Bedrock Dedicated Server versions appear in the panel shortly after Mojang releases them.
Don't have a server yet? A Minecraft Bedrock server on Spot.gg is free for the first 24 hours, no card needed, then from $3.90 / month with 2 GB of RAM. The full setup is in how to make a Minecraft Bedrock server.
Why can't my console connect to the server?
Usually it's a version mismatch, a wrong port, account settings, or the DNS workaround not being active. Check in this order:
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| "Outdated server" | The game is newer than the server | Update the server to the newest version |
| "Outdated client" | The server is newer than the console's game | Update Minecraft in the console's store |
| Featured Server opens normally, no BedrockConnect menu | DNS not applied or wrong address | Recheck DNS, restart the console and the game |
| Friend isn't in "Joinable Friends" | Not friends yet, or privacy settings | Add each other; on Xbox allow multiplayer and cross-network play in privacy settings |
| "Unable to connect to world" | Wrong port, server stopped, or allowlist | Check the port and that the server is running; add the player with allowlist add |
| Works on phone, not on console | Console limitation | Join through a friend or via DNS |
On Spot.gg, if the server itself won't start or behaves strangely, click "Ask the assistant" – the AI assistant reads the server logs and suggests what to change.
FAQ
Why can't I add servers on Minecraft Xbox?
Because the console versions of Bedrock only show Featured Servers in the "Servers" tab and have no "Add Server" button. You can still join a custom server through a friend who's on it, or with a DNS workaround such as BedrockConnect.
How do you join a Minecraft server on PS5?
The PS5 has no "Add Server" option. Join a friend who's on the server from the "Friends" tab, or set the PS5's DNS to BedrockConnect, open a Featured Server and type your server's address and port in the menu that appears.
Can you join custom servers on Nintendo Switch?
Yes, the same way as on other consoles: through a friend on the server, or by setting BedrockConnect as the DNS in the Switch's internet settings and entering the address in its menu.
Can a console join a Java Minecraft server?
Not a regular one. Consoles run Bedrock Edition, so they can only join a Java server that runs the Geyser plugin – and still through a friend or a DNS workaround. Joining from Java Edition on PC is covered in how to join a Minecraft server.
Is BedrockConnect safe?
It's an open-source project that many players use, but it's unofficial and run by third parties. While it's set as your DNS, part of the console's lookups goes through their server. If you don't want that, join through a friend or use Realms.
Do I need Xbox Game Pass or PlayStation Plus to join a server?
Online multiplayer on consoles usually requires the platform's subscription (Xbox Game Pass Core/Ultimate, PlayStation Plus, Nintendo Switch Online), plus a free Microsoft account signed in to Minecraft.