Anyone moving from ARK: Survival Evolved to Survival Ascended is in for a shock when they look at the requirements. This is not hosts being dramatic: the move to Unreal Engine 5 roughly doubled memory usage. Here is what that means in practice.
The difference between Evolved and Ascended
Survival Evolved runs on Unreal Engine 4 and goes a long way on 6 to 8GB. Survival Ascended was rebuilt from the ground up in Unreal Engine 5, with heavier world generation, more detailed terrain and more objects held in memory at once. For a single map, 16GB is the realistic minimum and 32GB is the comfortable level.
| Game | Minimum | Comfortable | Our plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Survival Evolved | 6GB | 8 to 12GB | Dodo to Trike |
| Survival Ascended | 16GB | 24 to 32GB | Therizino to Giga |
Why a cluster gets expensive quickly
A cluster is not one server with several worlds, but several servers that exchange players and creatures. Each map runs as its own process with its own memory. Four maps on Ascended therefore means four times at least 16GB. That is the main reason clusters on Ascended cost considerably more than people expect.
If you want multiple maps without that bill, consider Survival Evolved. It plays differently, but a four-map cluster there is a fraction of the price.
Settings that keep memory in check
- Structure limit per tribe. Large bases are the biggest memory cost. A limit stops one tribe from eating the server.
- Structure decay. Turn it on so abandoned bases disappear over time.
- Maximum tamed creatures. Every tamed creature stays in memory, even with nobody nearby.
- Scheduled restarts. A daily restart keeps memory usage predictable.
Frequently asked questions
Can I move an Evolved world to Ascended?
No. The save formats differ too much. You start fresh on Ascended.
Is 16GB really the minimum?
For a single map with a small group, yes. Below 16GB you get startup problems and stutters as the world grows.
Why is my server slow to start?
Ascended loads considerably more at startup. Several minutes is normal, especially on a grown world.
Both games have their own plans on ARK hosting, with separate tabs for Survival Ascended and Survival Evolved.
