dedicated-server

Dedicated Server in Godot 4.3+

All examples target Godot 4.3+ with no deprecated APIs. GDScript is shown first, C# follows.

Related skills: See multiplayer-basics for ENet setup, RPCs, and authority model. See multiplayer-sync for state synchronization and interpolation.

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1. Headless Export

A dedicated server runs without a display, GPU, or audio device. Godot supports this through the --headless flag and a dedicated export preset.

--headless Flag

Pass --headless on the command line to suppress the display and audio drivers at runtime:

./my_game.x86_64 --headless

This is distinct from the server platform — --headless is a runtime flag that works on any exported binary. The server export template strips rendering entirely from the binary, reducing its size.

Server Export Preset

In the Godot editor, create a dedicated Linux/X11 (or Linux Server) export preset:

1. Open Project → Export.
2. Add a Linux/X11 preset and name it Linux Server.
3. Under Options → Binary, enable Export As Dedicated Server (Godot 4.2+). This uses the server export template that omits rendering and audio code.
4. Under Resources, use the Exclude list to strip client-only assets (shaders, high-res textures, audio files) from the server PCK.

Feature Tags

Use OS.has_feature() to branch between server and client code at runtime. Define a custom server feature in the export preset (Project Settings → Export → Custom Features) or rely on the built-in dedicated_server feature that the server template sets automatically:

# boot.gd — autoload, runs before any scene loads
extends Node

func _ready() -> void:
    if OS.has_feature("dedicated_server") or DisplayServer.get_name() == "headless":
        # Disable rendering-dependent systems
        RenderingServer.set_render_loop_enabled(false)
        # Start server logic
        ServerBootstrap.start()
    else:
        # Start client logic
        ClientBootstrap.start()