Hytale Server Performance Optimization: RAM, View Distance, and JVM Tuning

Running a smooth Hytale server requires understanding what drives resource usage and how to optimize for your player count. This guide covers performance tuning for dedicated servers.

Resource Usage Drivers

Understanding what consumes resources helps you optimize effectively:

Minimum Requirements

Hytale servers require at least:

• Memory: 4 GB RAM
• Java: Java 25
• Architecture: x64 or arm64

View Distance Optimization

View distance is the main driver for RAM usage. The recommended maximum is 12 chunks (384 blocks) for both performance and gameplay.

Comparison with Minecraft

• Minecraft default: 10 chunks (160 blocks)
• Hytale default: 384 blocks (equivalent to ~24 Minecraft chunks)

Expect higher RAM usage with default Hytale settings. Tune view distance based on your expected player count.

Recommended View Distance by Player Count

Using the AOT Cache

Hytale ships with a pre-trained Ahead-of-Time (AOT) cache that significantly improves boot times by skipping JIT warmup.

java -XX:AOTCache=HytaleServer.aot -jar HytaleServer.jar --assets PathToAssets.zip

Benefits of using AOT cache:

• Faster server startup
• Reduced initial CPU spike
• More consistent early performance

JVM Memory Settings

Configure Java heap size based on your available RAM:

java -Xms4G -Xmx8G -jar HytaleServer.jar --assets PathToAssets.zip

Recommended Plugins

These plugins help optimize server performance:

Disable Sentry During Development

If you’re developing plugins, disable crash reporting to avoid submitting development errors:

java -jar HytaleServer.jar --assets PathToAssets.zip --disable-sentry

Monitoring Performance

Monitor your server’s resource usage while players are active:

• Watch RAM and CPU usage patterns
• Note player count at peak usage
• Adjust settings based on typical consumption

Optimized Launch Script

Here’s a recommended startup script combining best practices:

#!/bin/bash
java \
  -Xms4G \
  -Xmx8G \
  -XX:AOTCache=HytaleServer.aot \
  -XX:+UseG1GC \
  -XX:+ParallelRefProcEnabled \
  -XX:MaxGCPauseMillis=200 \
  -jar HytaleServer.jar \
  --assets ../Assets.zip \
  --backup \
  --backup-frequency 30