Get the right build
Download the experimental Palworld build from Okaetsu's RE-UE4SS releases on GitHub — the July 10, 2026 release is the one tracking the 1.0 client. Do not install UE4SS through Vortex: it currently deploys broken or outdated builds for Palworld, and half of the 'UE4SS does nothing' reports trace back to that.
Install into Win64 (or WinGDK)
Extract the zip into Palworld\Pal\Binaries\Win64 so dwmapi.dll and the UE4SS folder sit next to Palworld-Win64-Shipping.exe. On Game Pass the folder is called WinGDK instead; everything else is identical. If the game launches and a UE4SS console window opens with it, the loader is in.
The two settings that matter
Open UE4SS-settings.ini inside the UE4SS folder and set GraphicsAPI = dx11 (Palworld 1.0 renders on DirectX 11 by default and the loader must match) and bUseUObjectArrayCache = false (the object cache causes random crashes with the current Palworld build). Save, and leave every other default alone for now.
Enable mods in mods.txt and mods.json
Script mods live in Palworld\Pal\Binaries\Win64\Mods, one folder per mod. UE4SS enables them through mods.txt (one mod name per line) and per-mod state in mods.json. Most downloads ship ready-made entries — copy them as instructed, and only run one new mod at a time while testing.
If nothing happens
Check the console window first: UE4SS logs every mod it loads. A missing console means the dll is not next to the executable or antivirus ate it; a console with no mods means your entries in mods.txt do not match the folder names exactly. Case and spelling count.