Port 6073Microsoft DirectPlay 8

Legacy Windows games use DirectPlay 8 for networked play, commonly over UDP on port 6073.

transport: tcp · udp
in transit: cleartext
assignment: official
risk: 2/10
lookups: 0

Technical Details

what runs on :6073

DirectPlay 8 provides networking for multiplayer games. The IANA assignment covers TCP and UDP, but DirectPlay 8's TCP/IP provider is commonly encountered using UDP on 6073; game sessions exchange connection and gameplay messages with a host or peers. The application must be running and using DirectPlay for the port to listen, and behavior can vary by game and configuration. Older DirectPlay versions and games may also use other ports, so 6073 alone does not identify every DirectPlay session.

Security Information

exposure of :6073

risk score

2/ 10safe

routine exposure. this port is rarely the way in on its own — keep it patched and logged and move on.

gaming averages 3.5 across 159 ports — this one sits 1.5 below.

in transit

cleartext

credentials and payloads are readable by anyone on path

assignment

official

registered with iana for this service — scanners fingerprint it by number

reachable over

tcp · udp

udp is connectionless — source addresses are trivially spoofed and it is a reflection favourite

security overview

This is not a remote-administration service, and it is rarely encountered in current internet scans. When a legacy game is hosting, its listener can still expose the game process to unsolicited or malformed network traffic; DirectPlay traffic is not encrypted by default. Allow it only when needed for a game, preferably limited to trusted peers or the required network profile.

Record

iana registry entry

port: :6073
service: Microsoft DirectPlay 8
transport: TCPUDP
encryption: cleartext
assignment: iana registered
risk: 2/10safe
category: Gaming
usage: This port is associated with DirectPlay 8, Microsoft's legacy game-networking API, and may be opened by older Windows games hosting or joining network sessions. It is uncommon in current internet-wide scans; an open port may indicate a legacy game or application using DirectPlay.
lookups: 0rank 993
added: 2026-10-09
updated: 2026-10-09
references: IANA service name registry — port 6073

Something wrong?

This record is maintained by the engineers who use port 6073. Every field on it is editable — change what's wrong, say how you know, and a reviewer publishes it, usually within a minute. Last touched 2026-10-09.

01edit any field on a page of its own
02a model checks it for accuracy and spam
03clean and confident goes live immediately

edit this record →back to the registry

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risk mix of the 8 listed

caution100%

0 of 8 encrypted

Port :6073Microsoft DirectPlay 8

Technical Details

Security Information

Related Ports

Port 6073Microsoft DirectPlay 8