What is a Satisfactory Dedicated Server?
Learn what a Satisfactory dedicated server is, why you might want one, and the hardware requirements to run it on a VPS or home machine.
Overview
A Satisfactory dedicated server is a standalone game server process that runs your factory world continuously — 24 hours a day, 7 days a week — independently of any player’s machine. Unlike hosting a game from within Satisfactory (where the world stops when you close the game), a dedicated server keeps running whether anyone is connected or not.
FICSIT.monitor connects to your dedicated server to provide real-time monitoring of your factory — power grids, production rates, connected players, trains, drones, and individual machine efficiency.
Dedicated Server vs. Host-from-Client
| Host from Client | Dedicated Server | |
|---|---|---|
| World runs when… | You have the game open | Always (24/7) |
| Performance | Shares resources with your PC | Dedicated hardware |
| Connection stability | Depends on your internet | VPS-grade uptime |
| FICSIT.monitor compatible | No | Yes |
| Setup complexity | None | Moderate |
If you want friends to be able to join at any time, or if you want FICSIT.monitor to monitor your factory continuously, you need a dedicated server.
Common Use Cases
- Friends group — Run a shared factory world that anyone can join at any time, without requiring one person to keep the game open
- Community server — Host a public or semi-public server for a larger group of players
- 24/7 factory monitoring — Use FICSIT.monitor to track production, power, and efficiency even when you’re offline
- Long-running campaigns — Keep the world persistent across weeks or months of play
Hardware Requirements
Satisfactory is resource-intensive compared to most dedicated game servers. The game simulates physics, production calculations, and pathfinding for all machines in the factory.
| Resource | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | 4 cores | 8 cores |
| RAM | 12 GB | 16 GB |
| Disk | 20 GB | 75 GB |
| Network | 10 Mbps | 100 Mbps |
| OS | Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS |
RAM usage grows as your factory expands. A small early-game factory may run on 8 GB, but a mid/late-game factory with thousands of machines can use 12–16 GB or more.
Disk usage includes the game files (~8–10 GB after installation via SteamCMD) plus save files, which grow with factory complexity. 75 GB provides comfortable room for save backups and game updates.
What You Need Before Starting
A VPS or machine meeting the hardware requirements above → See Choosing a VPS for Your Satisfactory Server
Ubuntu 22.04 or 24.04 LTS installed on your server
Docker installed → See Installing Docker on Ubuntu
Ports opened in your firewall: 7777 TCP+UDP, 8888 TCP, 8080 TCP, 8081 TCP → See Firewall & Port Configuration
A Satisfactory game license (the game itself — not required for the server binary, but needed to connect as a client and configure the server)
What You Do NOT Need
- A copy of Satisfactory installed on the server — the dedicated server uses its own separate binary (downloaded automatically via SteamCMD inside the Docker image)
- A Steam account on the server — SteamCMD downloads the server anonymously
- A GPU — the dedicated server runs headlessly with no graphical output