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After years of waiting, the true Minecraft competitor has finally arrived in Early Access, bringing its long-promised vision to sandbox fans everywhere. But alongside the excitement, two big questions immediately followed: is Hytale free to play, and is it available on both PC and consoles? Here’s a quick overview of what you need to know about Hytale‘s pricing model, editions, and where you can — or can’t — play it right now.
Can You Play Hytale for Free?
No, Hytale is not a free-to-play game. While the game launched in Early Access form, you must purchase one of the available editions through the Hytale launcher or online store to play it.
The Early Access release includes two main modes — Exploration and Creative — both of which can be played online or offline. For a deeper breakdown of what’s available right now, check out our All Content in the Early Access of Hytale, Explained guide.
Nevertheless, it’s easy to see where the free-to-play assumption comes from. Developer Hypixel Studios was previously under Riot Games, a company best known for freemium games like League of Legends and Valorant. On top of that, the team’s heavy focus on modding support and community-run servers makes the game feel like it has a low barrier to entry. Even though that doesn’t actually mean that the product will be released for free.
Hytale Editions and Pricing
| Edition | Price | What’s Included |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Edition | $11.34 | – Early Access game – Username Reservation Lock Cosmetics: – Standard Cape – Forest Guardian gear set – Voyager gear set – Savanna Scout gear set |
| Supporter Edition | $19.86 | Everything in the Standard Edition and: – Supporter Capes – Explorer Goggles – Featherbound gear set – Scavenger gear set – Arctic Scout gear set – and more |
| Cursebreaker Edition | $39.71 | Everything in Standard and Supporter Editions, and: – Cursebreaker Capes – Hope of Gaia gear set – Void Hero gear set – Pop Star gear set – Voidbearer gear set – and more |
Is Hytale on Steam and Consoles? All Available Platforms
Hytale launched in Early Access on January 13, 2026, starting on Windows PC, with Linux and Mac versions to follow. For now, the game is available exclusively through the official Hytale launcher and website, and isn’t listed on other PC platforms like Steam. The team said it’s in contact with Valve to make sure Steam fully supports all of the game’s modding features.
Console players on Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch, however, may be in for a much longer wait before getting their hands on it.
Hypixel Studios has confirmed that it’s no longer using the newer cross-platform engine, instead rolling development back to its original legacy engine. The team explicitly mentioned its priority right now is simply ‘making a good game first,’ with console and mobile versions to be evaluated later. That means, Hytale won’t be coming to consoles or mobile during Early Access or anytime soon.
We’ll update this page once Hypixel Studios shares more on future platform plans.
Hytale PC System Requirements
Before you spend any money, it’s worth checking Hytale‘s PC system requirements below. Making sure your rig can run the game smoothly without any hitches.
| Minimum | Recommended | |
|---|---|---|
| Target Performance | 1080p @ 30FPS with 192 View Distance | 1080p @ 60FPS with 384 View Distance |
| OS | Windows 11 Windows 10 (64-bit) Linux (64-bit) macOS Tahoe 26.0 (Apple Silicon) | Windows 11 Windows 10 (64-bit) Linux (64-bit) macOS Tahoe 26.0 (Apple Silicon) |
| Processor | Intel Core i5-7500 AMD Ryzen 3 1200 Apple M1 (any variant) | Intel Core i5-10400 AMD Ryzen 5 3600 Apple M2 (any variant) |
| Memory | 8 GB RAM | 16 GB RAM |
| Graphics | Integrated: Intel UHD Graphics 620, AMD Radeon Vega 6, Apple M1 Dedicated: NVIDIA GTX 900 Series, AMD Radeon 400 Series, Intel Arc A-Series | Integrated: Intel Iris Xe Graphics, AMD Radeon 660M, Apple M2 Dedicated: NVIDIA GTX 900 Series, AMD Radeon 400 Series, Intel Arc A-Series |
| Storage | 10GB SSD | 20GB SSD |
| Network | 2 Mbit/s download (multiplayer) Internet required for download & periodic authentication Offline play supported | 8 Mbit/s download (multiplayer) Internet required for download & periodic authentication Offline play supported |
