Sons of the Forest server RAM: how much do you need?
A cap of eight players and a high starting requirement looks like a contradiction until you see what the server is running in the background.
Recommendation
You need a server with at least
12GB
- Engine / Base OS:
- 8 GB
- Player Overhead:
- +1.6 GB
- Estimated Raw Usage:
- 9.6 GB
- Suggested cores:
- 4
- Disk to allow:
- 15 GB+
Cannibal AI runs across the whole map rather than only near players.
View 12GB PlansWhat uses the memory in Sons of the Forest
Cannibal and mutant AI is simulated across the whole map all the time, following factions and behaviour instead of spawning and despawning near players. The terrain can be changed and player buildings persist on top of that. The upshot is a server whose cost is almost all world simulation, with the eight slots adding very little.
Sons of the Forest server RAM by player count
The calculator above, run for 3 common sizes. Each figure is rounded up to a plan size people actually sell.
| Players | Standard Server |
|---|---|
| 2 | 12 GB |
| 4 | 12 GB |
| 8 | 12 GB |
Where people get it wrong
Taking the eight-player limit as a sign the server can be small. Group size is close to meaningless for sizing Sons of the Forest; what you are paying for is the always-on world simulation plus whatever gets built.