How to Set Up a Headless Client on Your Arma 3 Server
Offload AI processing to a headless client for better performance on your Arma 3 dedicated server.
A Headless Client (HC) offloads AI processing from the server to a separate client instance. This improves server FPS when running missions with many AI units.
Configure the Server for Headless Client
Stop the server and open server.cfg in Files.
Add the headless client IP addresses:
headlessClients[] = { "127.0.0.1" };
localClient[] = { "127.0.0.1" };Use 127.0.0.1 if the HC runs on the same machine. Add additional IPs for remote HCs.
Save and start the server.
Why Use a Headless Client?
Arma 3's AI runs on a single thread. A headless client moves that work to a separate process, freeing the server to handle player sync and networking.
Missions must be designed to support headless clients — not all missions offload AI automatically.
Related Guides
How is this guide?
40% Off — Limited TimeGet your Arma 3 server todayInstant setup, DDoS protection, and 24/7 support included.
Get a Server