X-Plane 12 Multiplayer: What Works and How to Set It Up

Yes, X-Plane 12 can be used for multiplayer flying: the clearest documented online option is the Plane Pals plugin, while X-Plane 12 is also listed on Steam as supporting multiplayer and LAN co-op. The important distinction is between flying online with other pilots, flying with people on a local network, and X-Plane Mobile’s separate official shared world. This guide covers practical online setup and compatibility considerations.

What Multiplayer Means in X-Plane 12

Multiplayer in a flight simulator can mean a few different things:

Online shared flying: You and other pilots appear in the same virtual skies, can coordinate group flights, and see aircraft moving in real time.
Local multiplayer: Players connect for a local session.
Shared cockpit: More than one person controls or operates the same aircraft. Do not assume this is included just because an option is called multiplayer.
Massively multiplayer world: A large public shared world with many pilots. X-Plane Mobile has a massively multiplayer online world.

For desktop online flights, Plane Pals is a plugin compatible with X-Plane 12 on Windows, Mac, and Linux. It supports group flights, real-time aircraft visibility, pilot contacts, and optional aircraft labels.

How to Set Up Online Multiplayer in X-Plane 12 With Plane Pals

Choose the route that matches the type of flight you want before installing anything.

Your Goal	Best Starting Option	What You Can Expect
Fly online with friends or other sim pilots	Plane Pals	Real-time traffic, group flights, pilot contacts, and optional labels
Fly on the same home, club, or event network	X-Plane 12 LAN co-op option	Local multiplayer support is listed.
Join a public, official shared world on a phone or tablet	X-Plane Mobile	A separate massively multiplayer world, including Fly-In of the Day events
Fly one aircraft with another person operating its controls	Confirm the service’s feature set first	Online traffic and group flights do not automatically mean a shared cockpit

Step 1: Download the Plugin Package

Open the Plane Pals download page.
Select Download this File to download PlanePals.zip.
Confirm that you are using a compatible version on Windows, Mac, or Linux.
Extract the downloaded archive without renaming or separating its contents.

The current Plane Pals setup does not require you to pre-download CSL aircraft-model files before installing. CSL models are the visual aircraft models used to represent other pilots in the simulator.

Step 2: Confirm That X-Plane Recognizes Plane Pals

Start X-Plane normally.
Look for the Plane Pals entry in the simulator’s plugin menu.

Do not start planning a group flight until the Plane Pals menu is available.

Step 3: Connect to the Multiplayer Service

Open Plane Pals > Settings.
Choose whether to fly anonymously or connect an account.
To use the account connection method, paste the required token into the Discord Token field and select Reconnect.
For an account connection, join the Discord server and use /token to generate a token, then paste it into the Discord Token field and click Reconnect.

Flying anonymously is useful if you want to test whether the service works before linking an account. Treat any login token like a password: do not post it in a group chat, screenshots, or public flight-planning document.

Step 4: Join a Shared Flight

Arrange a flight with friends or find a community group flight.
Agree on the departure airport, planned route, aircraft type or category, and a way to communicate outside the simulator.
Confirm that other pilots are visible in the simulator and that their aircraft move as they fly.
Use the Plane Pals options to add pilots as contacts or turn aircraft labels on or off.

Plane Pals is designed to make the skies feel populated and let pilots fly together.

Plan a Smooth Shared Flight

A multiplayer session goes better when everyone agrees on the basics before loading in. Flight simulators can show everyone in the same general location while each pilot still has different aircraft settings, scenery add-ons, weather choices, or controls.

Set up these details in advance:

Meeting point: Choose a specific airport, gate, ramp, or parking area rather than simply naming a city.
Departure plan: Decide who departs first, which runway to use, and whether the group will wait for slower aircraft.
Route: Share the route or key waypoints so pilots can rejoin if someone falls behind.
Aircraft choice: A mixed-aircraft flight can be fun, but very different cruise speeds can split the group quickly.
Voice or text communication: Use a separate communication channel if the group needs instructions, runway calls, or regroup points.
Scenery expectations: Pilots may see different buildings or airport details if their scenery packages differ. Use airport identifiers and runway numbers rather than visual landmarks alone.

If you are new to group flights, begin with a short airport-to-airport hop. It gives everyone a chance to test visibility, communications, and aircraft positioning before committing to a longer route.

LAN Multiplayer and X-Plane 11 Compatibility

X-Plane 12 is listed as supporting LAN co-op, which can be relevant for people flying on the same household, club, or event network.

When comparing LAN multiplayer options across X-Plane versions, menu names, network options, and connection processes can change. For LAN multiplayer, follow the menu names, network options, and connection process for the X-Plane version you have installed.

Plane Pals supports both X-Plane 11 and X-Plane 12 as separate compatible simulator versions. That does not, by itself, confirm that an X-Plane 11 pilot and an X-Plane 12 pilot can join the same session. If your group uses mixed versions, test the connection before scheduling a larger event or a long flight.

X-Plane Mobile Multiplayer Is Separate

X-Plane Mobile has an official massively multiplayer online world where pilots fly in a single shared environment. It also offers a Fly-In of the Day at popular airports, which is a simple way to find an active public multiplayer activity.

Before installing the mobile app, check that your device meets its baseline requirements:

On iPhone or iPad, X-Plane Mobile requires iOS 13 or newer. Confirm your specific device’s compatibility in the app’s Minimum Requirements section.
On Android, X-Plane Mobile requires Android 6.0 Marshmallow or newer and support for OpenGL ES 3.0 or newer. Device graphics support varies, so verify both requirements before downloading.

The available information does not establish cross-platform multiplayer between the mobile app and the desktop plugin.

Confirm Your Multiplayer Setup

Use this quick check before inviting a larger group:

Plane Pals appears in X-Plane 12’s plugin menu.
The service shows that you are connected after selecting Reconnect.
Another connected pilot appears as an aircraft in the simulator.
The other aircraft changes position as that pilot flies.
Optional labels can be enabled or disabled if you want easier identification.
Everyone in your group has agreed on the airport, route, and communication method.

If other pilots do not appear, first make sure every participant is using the same multiplayer service and has completed its connection process. Then have everyone leave and reconnect before changing broader network settings. This avoids wasting time troubleshooting a router or firewall when the problem is simply that one pilot is offline, anonymous when an account was expected, or in a different group.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does X-Plane 12 Have Built-In Online Multiplayer?

X-Plane 12 is listed as multiplayer and LAN co-op, but the supplied material does not establish a built-in global shared-world service for desktop X-Plane 12. For online shared flights, Plane Pals is the clearly documented X-Plane 12-compatible option. Use X-Plane 12-specific instructions for any built-in LAN configuration.

How Do I Run Multiplayer in X-Plane 12?

Download PlanePals.zip with the Download this File control, install the current package, launch X-Plane 12, then open Plane Pals > Settings to connect. You can fly anonymously or, for an account connection, join the Discord server and use /token to generate a token, paste it into the Discord Token field, and click Reconnect.

Can X-Plane 11 and X-Plane 12 Fly Together?

Plane Pals is compatible with X-Plane 11 and X-Plane 12, but the provided information does not confirm mixed-version sessions. Test a connection with the exact versions your group uses before planning a shared event.

Can X-Plane 12 Players Fly With X-Plane Mobile Players?

There is no confirmed desktop-to-mobile cross-play in the available information. X-Plane Mobile has its own official shared world, while desktop X-Plane 12 can use an online plugin for group flying.

Can you see other players in X-Plane 12?

Yes—when you use Plane Pals, you can view other connected pilots live during a flight. The plugin also offers labels for background aircraft, which you can disable in its settings.