How to Let Console Players Join Your Java Server

The Console Player Problem

Minecraft Bedrock Edition runs on Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch, but these platforms don't have a "direct connect" feature like the PC version. Console players can only join Featured Servers (the official partner servers) or connect through a LAN game on the same network. This means your Java server, even with Geyser installed, is invisible to console players by default. There are two workarounds that actually work: the "Add Server" trick on Xbox and BedrockConnect for all consoles.

Xbox: The Add Server Trick

Xbox is the easiest console to connect from because it does have a hidden server connection feature, though it is limited:

1. Open Minecraft Bedrock Edition on Xbox.
2. Go to Play → Servers.
3. Scroll to the bottom. Below the Featured Servers, there is an "Add Server" button.
4. Enter your server's IP address and the Bedrock port (default: 19132).
5. Save and connect.

This feature was added in a Bedrock update and works reliably. The server appears in the player's server list for future connections. Make sure your server has Geyser and Floodgate configured so the Xbox player can authenticate with their Microsoft account.

PlayStation and Switch: BedrockConnect

PlayStation and Nintendo Switch do not have an "Add Server" button. The only way to connect to a custom server from these platforms is by redirecting the DNS settings on the console to point to BedrockConnect, a free, open-source project that intercepts the Featured Server connection and lets you enter any server's IP instead.

Here is how it works for the player:

1. Go to the console's network settings and set the DNS to BedrockConnect's DNS server. The current addresses are listed on the BedrockConnect GitHub page (they change occasionally). A common one is 104.238.130.180.
2. Open Minecraft and go to the Servers tab.
3. Click on any Featured Server (like Hive or CubeCraft). Instead of connecting to that server, BedrockConnect intercepts the connection and shows a custom server list screen.
4. Enter your server's IP and Bedrock port (19132), then press Connect.

The player connects through BedrockConnect's redirect to your Geyser-enabled server. It works, but the extra steps are a barrier. Write clear instructions for your players, most console players are not used to changing DNS settings. Consider putting a tutorial page on your server's website.

Self-Hosting BedrockConnect

If you don't want your console players depending on a third-party DNS, you can host your own BedrockConnect instance. The project is on GitHub and runs as a simple Java application. You need a separate server or VPS with a public IP, port 19132 open, and DNS capability. For most servers, using the public BedrockConnect DNS is fine, self-hosting only makes sense if you have hundreds of console players or privacy requirements.

Port Configuration

Bedrock Edition uses UDP port 19132 by default. This is critical, it is not the same as the Java port (25565 TCP). Your hosting provider must allow UDP traffic on your chosen Bedrock port. On Pterodactyl-based hosts (including Astroworld Hosting), add a new allocation for port 19132 with the UDP protocol in the Network tab.

If port 19132 is unavailable (another service is using it, or your host restricts port ranges), you can change the Bedrock port in Geyser's config. Just make sure your players know to use the custom port when connecting.

DNS SRV Records

Java Edition supports DNS SRV records, which let players connect using a clean domain name (like play.yourserver.com) without specifying a port. Bedrock Edition does not support SRV records in the same way. Console players and Bedrock players in general must enter the numeric IP address (or a standard A/AAAA record domain) and the port number. You can set up an A record pointing play.yourserver.com to your server IP, but the player still needs to manually enter port 19132. There is no way around this on Bedrock, it is a platform limitation.

Testing from Each Platform

Before advertising crossplay support, test from every platform you intend to support:

• Xbox: Use the Add Server feature. Verify you can join, see Java players, use commands, and open GUIs.
• PlayStation: Change DNS to BedrockConnect, connect through a Featured Server redirect, verify the full experience.
• Nintendo Switch: Same DNS method as PlayStation. Switch has lower render distance and may experience more lag, test performance.
• Mobile (iOS/Android): Add Server directly in the Servers tab. This is the easiest Bedrock platform.
• Windows 10/11: Add Server or direct connect. Identical to mobile in capability.

Create a support channel (Discord is ideal, see our DiscordSRV guide) specifically for crossplay issues. Console players will have questions about DNS settings, port numbers, and connection errors. Having a dedicated channel with pinned instructions saves you from answering the same questions repeatedly.

Limitations to Communicate

Crossplay is excellent but not seamless. Be transparent with your console players about what works and what doesn't:

• No custom resource packs: Bedrock resource packs use a different format than Java. Your Java texture pack or custom model data will not appear on Bedrock clients. Geyser has experimental resource pack conversion, but it is not reliable for complex packs.
• Item rendering differences: Some items look different on Bedrock. Custom items using CustomModelData on Java appear as their base item on Bedrock.
• Combat differences: Bedrock combat is slightly different from Java 1.9+ combat. Attack cooldowns behave differently, and some PvP scenarios feel off. This is a Geyser limitation that the team continues to improve.
• Missing blocks and entities: If you use modded or data-pack items, Bedrock clients may not render them correctly.

Despite these limitations, the vast majority of server gameplay, survival, economy, chat, commands, building, works identically across platforms. The player base expansion from supporting console players usually far outweighs the edge cases.

Optimizing the Console Experience

Console players tend to have lower render distances, less precise controls, and slower UI navigation compared to PC players. A few adjustments make your server more welcoming for them:

• Simplify spawn navigation. Console players struggle with complex parkour or tight corridors. Use wide paths, clear signage, and NPC-based menus (via Citizens) instead of requiring players to type commands or navigate chest GUIs.
• Reduce particle effects at spawn. Heavy particle effects cause frame drops on Switch and older Xbox/PlayStation hardware. Keep spawn visually clean.
• Provide command aliases. Typing on a controller is slow and painful. Set up short command aliases in EssentialsX so that /h works for /home, /s for /spawn, and so on. The fewer characters console players need to type, the better their experience.
• Test chat formatting. Bedrock's chat window renders colors and formatting slightly differently than Java. Make sure your chat prefixes, hover text, and clickable links display correctly. Hover events do not work on Bedrock at all, any information conveyed through hover text is invisible to console players.

Console players represent a significant portion of Minecraft's total player base. Making your server accessible to them is one of the highest-impact growth strategies available, and the technical barrier is lower than most server owners expect.

Want to see a polished setup in action? Astroworld MC runs economy survival with custom bosses, ranks, crates and crossplay. IP: play.astroworldmc.com