Microsoft has updated PlayFab for Unreal Engine with v3.1.3, adding Unreal Engine 5.8 support alongside changes to multiplayer sessions, voice, networking, lobbies, dedicated servers, and XBOX development workflows. Microsoft says its PlayFab for Unreal Engine v2 Unified integration is production ready across Windows, XBOX One, XBOX Series X|S, XBOX Cloud Gaming, Steam Deck, PS4 and PS5, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2.
PlayStation support arrived earlier this year with v3.1.0, followed by Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 in v3.1.2. Version 3.1.3 builds on that wider platform support with changes to the multiplayer systems developers can use across those devices.
PlayFab For Unreal Engine Spans XBOX Cloud And Major Consoles
PlayFab for Unreal Engine connects Unreal Engine’s Online Subsystem to PlayFab. Studios can use it for accounts, lobbies, matchmaking, voice, leaderboards, and other online systems while working with Unreal Engine code across supported XBOX, PC, Steam Deck, PlayStation, and Nintendo platforms.
Microsoft lists XBOX Cloud Gaming alongside XBOX One and XBOX Series X|S in its XBOX support lineup. That means developers can use the same PlayFab integration across XBOX consoles and XBOX Cloud Gaming.
We’ve previously covered Microsoft’s cloud-aware UI and resolution tools, which help developers adapt interfaces for different screens and devices. PlayFab tackles another part of multi-device development by providing online systems that can work across its supported platforms.
Multiple Sessions Change How Parties Move Between Matches
Version 3.1.3 adds support for several named sessions running at the same time. A group can remain together in a persistent social session while a separate gameplay session handles the match. Previously, joining a match meant tearing down the session the group was already using and rebuilding it afterwards.
Each named session can also have its own PlayFab Party network for game data and voice chat. Only one session can have voice enabled at a time, with developers controlling which session uses it. That lets party chat remain active while a separate match session runs.
Dedicated servers can now create and own PlayFab lobbies using a server identity without requiring a signed-in console or PC account. Developers can also decide which Unreal session settings are searchable through PlayFab Lobby, including game mode, playlist, skill tier, and map.
Unreal Engine 5.8 Brings GDK Workflow Improvements
PlayFab for Unreal Engine v3.1.3 now builds and ships against Unreal Engine 5.8 using GDK 2604 Update 2. That removes a compatibility gap for teams that had been waiting for PlayFab support before moving to Unreal Engine 5.8.
There are several XBOX workflow changes as well. Friend lobby searches now work through GDK. Console-shell game invites can activate the game correctly, and supported flows can be tested through a single Play-in-Editor instance in Unreal Engine 5.8 instead of packaging a build for each test.
Microsoft has also updated authentication retries, matchmaking lobby creation, Game Save behaviour, Party networking, voice, and general stability. Developers moving to v3.1.3 need to account for breaking changes around voice, Game Save callbacks, login status, entity handles, and Party calls.
Microsoft notes that the public v3.1.3 GitHub release has been validated for XBOX on PC, Steam, and XBOX Series X|S. Teams working on other NDA-protected platforms need to confirm access and version compatibility through PlayFab support.
For XBOX Cloud Gaming, the practical benefit is consistency. Developers working in Unreal Engine can use the same PlayFab integration for accounts, lobbies, matchmaking, voice, and other online systems across XBOX consoles and XBOX Cloud Gaming.
It doesn’t automatically make every Unreal Engine game cross-platform. However, it does give studios a common foundation for supporting those online features across more devices. As XBOX continues expanding across console, PC, handhelds, and cloud gaming, updates like this give developers more of the tools needed to support that wider ecosystem without building separate online systems for each platform.
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