Does Prepar3D support multiplayer, and how do I set it up?

Yes. Prepar3D supports native multiplayer sessions over a local network and, with the correct network access, over the internet. One computer hosts and the others join. Participants should use matching Prepar3D builds, aircraft and scenery; an internet host will usually need Windows firewall permission and router port forwarding.

Which Prepar3D multiplayer method should you use?

Use native multiplayer when several pilots need to share the same Prepar3D session, while networked applications and some external multiplayer clients use SimConnect instead.

Native multiplayer is peer-hosted rather than a permanent worldwide server browser. SimConnect is a separate interface for software communicating with Prepar3D; it does not create a pilot-to-pilot session by itself. See our SimConnect network configuration instructions when an add-on specifically asks for it.

How do you set up a Prepar3D multiplayer session?

The most reliable Prepar3D multiplayer setup starts with matching installations, followed by a LAN test before exposing the session to the internet.

1. Match the simulator installations. Use the same major Prepar3D generation and preferably the same point update or hotfix. Do not expect different major generations to interoperate reliably.
2. Prepare each aircraft and scenario. Install the same aircraft package and livery on every computer. Matching scenery is not always required to connect, but differences in airport elevation, runways or buildings can make another aircraft float, sink or appear inside objects.
3. Check each pilot's controls. A noisy or mis-centred axis can make an aircraft twitch for everyone else. Complete the relevant steps in our Prepar3D control calibration walkthrough before testing the network.
4. Create the session. Open Prepar3D's Multiplayer area from the start screen or application menu; its exact location and labels vary by release. Choose the host or create-session option, enter a recognisable session name, add a password for a private flight, and configure the scenario and available session options.
5. Test on the local network. Allow the Prepar3D executable through Windows Firewall on the active network profile. Other computers on the same router should find the session through LAN discovery or connect to the host's local IPv4 address, such as an address beginning with 192.168. or 10.
6. Make an internet host reachable. Give the host computer a reserved local IPv4 address, then forward the multiplayer port or port range specified by that Prepar3D release to it. Match the required protocol and any port value entered in the session settings. Remote players use the host's public IPv4 address, not its private LAN address.
7. Join and verify the session. Clients select the join or connect option, enter the host address and password, then confirm that positions, aircraft and time or weather settings are behaving as expected.

If the host cannot accept inbound connections because of carrier-grade NAT or a second upstream router, port forwarding on the home router alone will not work. A public IPv4 address from the internet provider or a private VPN that places all participants on one virtual LAN is usually the practical alternative.

Why can't players connect to the Prepar3D host?

Most failed connections are caused by the wrong address, blocked traffic or incompatible simulator builds rather than the multiplayer session itself.

• Session not listed: LAN discovery traffic may be blocked. Try the host's local IPv4 address directly and confirm both computers are on the same network rather than an isolated guest Wi-Fi network.
• Connection times out: Check Windows Firewall on every computer, then confirm that the router forwards the configured port to the host's present local address. Do not place the host in the router's unrestricted DMZ.
• LAN works but internet does not: The fault is at the router or internet connection. Look for double NAT, carrier-grade NAT, an incorrect public address, or a port forwarded with the wrong protocol.
• Host cannot use its own public address: Some routers do not support NAT loopback. Computers inside the home network should use the host's local address while remote players use the public one.
• Players connect and then drop: Match Prepar3D updates, remove unnecessary VPN adapters from the test, and use wired Ethernet for the host where possible.
• External client fails while native multiplayer works: Treat it as a connector or SimConnect problem, not a native multiplayer fault.

Why are multiplayer aircraft missing or wrong?

Prepar3D does not transfer an aircraft's model or textures across the network; each receiving computer must already have a compatible local SimObject to display it.

Install the same base aircraft, revision and livery on every computer, then restart Prepar3D so it reloads the SimObjects. Changing an aircraft's title= entry or using differently configured package revisions can prevent model matching, causing a substitute aircraft, an incorrect livery or no useful model at all.

Check that every download supports the installed Prepar3D generation when browsing our Prepar3D-compatible aircraft and add-ons. Some packages include a lighter or specially configured multiplayer model that must be enabled; this A330 package's multiplayer-model instructions show the kind of package-specific setting to look for.

Shared-cockpit limits

Shared cockpit works only when the session, aircraft and its systems support the required synchronisation. Both pilots should use the same aircraft revision, but complex add-on avionics, custom gauges and switch logic may still desynchronise unless the aircraft developer explicitly supports shared-cockpit operation. Ordinary multiplayer position updates do not guarantee that every cockpit control will match.