Quickstart: PlayFab Multiplayer Unity plugin

Article
02/01/2024

Get started with the PlayFab Multiplayer Unity plugin. Follow steps below to install the package and try out example code for a basic task.

This quickstart helps you make your first API calls using the PlayFab Multiplayer SDK for Unity. Before continuing, make sure you complete Quickstart: PlayFab Client library for C# in Unity, which ensures you have a PlayFab account and are familiar with logging into PlayFab from your game and the PlayFab Game Manager.

Note

If you intend to use this plugin to develop games based on the Microsoft Game Development Kit (GDK) you need to acquire and install the GDK separately. Please also see details about Unity add-on for Game Core on Xbox consoles.

Requirements

A PlayFab developer account.
An installed copy of the Unity Editor. To install Unity for personal use via Unity Hub, or Unity+ for professional use, see Download Unity. Check on Unity support in documentation of your specific platform if needed. The minimum supported Unity version is Unity 2017 LTS.
A Unity Project – this can be any of the following:
- A brand new project: For more information, see Starting Unity for the first time.
- A guided tutorial project. For more information, see Getting Started with Unity.
- An existing project.
The PlayFab "core" Unity3D SDK (also included in Multiplayer Unity plugin). For information about installing the Unity3D SDK, see the "Download and install PlayFab SDK" section of Quickstart: PlayFab Client library for C# in Unity.

Download and install the PlayFab Multiplayer Unity plugin

Following the steps to download and install the PlayFab Multiplayer Unity plugin.

Download the PlayFab Multiplayer Unity Plugin Asset Package (use a distribution point depending on your platform).
Important! See information in README file published with plugin. It's tailored to each particular version and might include important instructions specific to your platform.
Open your Unity Project.
Navigate to the location where you saved the .unitypackage and double-click it to open the import dialog.
To import the PlayFab Multiplayer Unity Plugin into your project, select Import.

Note: you might need to install a newer version of PlayFab "core" Unity SDK if necessary.

Set up your scene

This part of the guide shows you how to add the PlayfabMultiplayerEventProcessor to your scene to enable you to call PlayFab Multiplayer APIs from Unity.

Before you can use Multiplayer API, you must have a PlayFab player logged in. For information about logging in a player, see Making your first API call in Quickstart: PlayFab Client library for C# in Unity.

In the Unity editor, in the Project window, navigate to Assets > PlayFabMultiplayerSDK > Prefabs.
From the Prefabs folder, drag and drop the PlayfabMultiplayerEventProcessor into your scene in the Hierarchy window.
Create an empty Game Object in your scene called "HelloMultiplayerLogic".
Select the HelloMultiplayerLogic Game Object to open the Inspector.
Select Add Component.
Type "HelloMultiplayerLogic" and press enter to show the new script menu.
Press enter again to create the new script, HelloMultiplayerLogic.cs.
Find the script in the Project window and double-click it to edit the script.

Add the following using statement to your script:

using PlayFab;
using PlayFab.Multiplayer;
using PlayFab.ClientModels;

Add the following code in the Start method to log into PlayFab.

// Log into playfab
var request = new LoginWithCustomIDRequest { CustomId = UnityEngine.Random.value.ToString(), CreateAccount = true };
PlayFabClientAPI.LoginWithCustomID(request, OnLoginSuccess, OnLoginFailure);

Add the following methods to the class.

private void OnLoginSuccess(LoginResult result)
{
}

private void OnLoginFailure(PlayFabError error)
{
}

Note

You might receive the following errors:

Error    CS0227    Unsafe code may only appear if compiling with /unsafe
The plugin requires unsafe code because it interops with a native DLL.

Mismatch between the processor architecture of the project being built "MSIL" and the processor architecture of the reference "XGamingRuntime", "AMD64".

The Microsoft GDK and Windows only support x64.

To resolve these issues:

In the Unity Editor, select File > Build Settings.
Select your platform. Then from the Architecture dropdown, select either x86_64 or x64.
Select Player Settings.
In the right pane, select Other Setting.
Find the Allow unsafe Code setting and select it.
Close the Build Settings and Project Settings windows.

Create and Join a lobby

This part of the guide shows you how to Create and Join a lobby.

Open the HelloMultiplayerLogic.cs script. In the OnLoginSuccess method, add the following code to create and join a lobby:

string entityId = ...; // PlayFab user's entity Id
string entityType = ...; // PlayFab user's entity type

PlayFabMultiplayer.OnLobbyCreateAndJoinCompleted += this.PlayFabMultiplayer_OnLobbyCreateAndJoinCompleted;
PlayFabMultiplayer.OnLobbyDisconnected += this.PlayFabMultiplayer_OnLobbyDisconnected;

var createConfig = new LobbyCreateConfiguration()
{
    MaxMemberCount = 10,
    OwnerMigrationPolicy = LobbyOwnerMigrationPolicy.Automatic,
    AccessPolicy = LobbyAccessPolicy.Public
};

createConfig.LobbyProperties["Prop1"] = "Value1";
createConfig.LobbyProperties["Prop2"] = "Value2";

var joinConfig = new LobbyJoinConfiguration();
joinConfig.MemberProperties["MemberProp1"] = "MemberValue1";
joinConfig.MemberProperties["MemberProp2"] = "MemberValue2";

PlayFabMultiplayer.CreateAndJoinLobby(
    new PFEntityKey(
        entityId,
        entityType),
    createConfig,
    joinConfig);

To define the OnLobbyCreateAndJoinCompleted event handler, add the following code to the class:

private void PlayFabMultiplayer_OnLobbyCreateAndJoinCompleted(Lobby lobby, int result)
{
    if (LobbyError.SUCCEEDED(result))
    {
        // Lobby was successfully created
        Debug.Log(lobby.ConnectionString);
    }
    else
    {
        // Error creating a lobby
        Debug.Log("Error creating a lobby");
    }
}

To define the OnLobbyDisconnected event handler, add the following code to the class:

private void PlayFabMultiplayer_OnLobbyDisconnected(Lobby lobby)
{
    // Disconnected from lobby
    Debug.Log("Disconnected from lobby!");
}

Save and select Play in the Unity Editor. The lobby connection string displays in the Console window.

Join a lobby

This part of the guide shows you how to join an existing lobby that another client created.

Open the HelloMultiplayerLogic.cs script. In the OnLoginSuccess method, add the following code to Join a lobby:

PFEntityKey entityKey = ...; // PlayFab user's entity key

string connectionString = "<your lobby connection string>";

PlayFabMultiplayer.JoinLobby(
        entityKey,
        connectionString,
        null);

To define an event that fires when your local client joins the lobby, add the following code to the OnLoginSuccess method:
```
PlayFabMultiplayer.OnLobbyJoinCompleted += this.PlayFabMultiplayer_OnLobbyJoinCompleted;
```

To define the OnLobbyJoinCompleted event handler, add the following code to the class:

private void PlayFabMultiplayer_OnLobbyJoinCompleted(Lobby lobby, PFEntityKey newMember, int reason)
{
    if (LobbyError.SUCCEEDED(reason))
    {
        // Successfully joined a lobby
        Debug.Log("Joined a lobby");
    }
    else
    {
        // Error joining a lobby
        Debug.Log("Error joining a lobby");
    }
}

Save and select Play in the Unity Editor. The string "Joined a lobby" displays in the Console window.

Find lobbies

This part of the guide shows you how to find existing lobbies that other clients created.

Open the HelloMultiplayerLogic.cs script. In the OnLoginSuccess method, add the following code to find lobbies:

PFEntityKey entityKey = ...; // PlayFab user's entity key

LobbySearchConfiguration config = new LobbySearchConfiguration();
PlayFabMultiplayer.FindLobbies(entityKey, config);

To define an event that fires when your local client finds lobbies, add the following code to the OnLoginSuccess method:
```
PlayFabMultiplayer.OnLobbyFindLobbiesCompleted += this.PlayFabMultiplayer_OnLobbyFindLobbiesCompleted;
```

To define the OnLobbyFindLobbiesCompleted event handler, add the following code to the class:

private void PlayFabMultiplayer_OnLobbyFindLobbiesCompleted(
    IList<LobbySearchResult> searchResults, 
    PFEntityKey newMember, 
    int reason)
{
    if (LobbyError.SUCCEEDED(reason))
    {
        // Successfully found lobbies
        Debug.Log("Found lobbies");

        // Iterate through lobby search results
        foreach (LobbySearchResult result in searchResults)
        {
            // Examine a search result
        }
    }
    else
    {
        // Error finding lobbies
        Debug.Log("Error finding lobbies");
    }
}

Save and select Play in the Unity Editor. The string "Found lobbies" displays in the Console window.

Create a matchmaking ticket

This part of the guide shows you how to Create a matchmaking ticket. Run it with the scenario "Join a matchmaking ticket" on another client below.

Open the HelloMultiplayerLogic.cs script. In the OnLoginSuccess method, add the following code to create a matchmaking ticket:

PFEntityKey entityKey = ...; // PlayFab user's entity key
PFEntityKey remoteEntityKey = ...; // another PlayFab user's entity key
string remoteUserAttributesJson = ...; // JSON string with another PlayFab user's attributes for matchmaking

PlayFabMultiplayer.OnMatchmakingTicketStatusChanged += PlayFabMultiplayer_OnMatchmakingTicketStatusChanged;

List<MatchUser> localUsers = new List<MatchUser>();
localUsers.Add(new MatchUser(entityKey, remoteUserAttributesJson));

List<PFEntityKey> membersToMatchWith = new List<PFEntityKey>();
membersToMatchWith.Add(remoteEntityKey);

PlayFabMultiplayer.CreateMatchmakingTicket(
    localUsers,
    "QuickMatchQueueName",
    membersToMatchWith);

To define the OnMatchmakingTicketStatusChanged event handler, add the following code to the class:

private void PlayFabMultiplayer_OnMatchmakingTicketStatusChanged(MatchmakingTicket ticket)
{
    // Store and print matchmaking ticket
    Debug.Log(ticket.TicketId);

    // Examine matchmaking ticket status
    Debub.Log(ticket.Status)

    // Share matchmaking ticket with other clients taking part in matchmaking

    // Examine ticket
}

Save and select Play in the Unity Editor.

If membersToMatchWith is specified, one OnMatchmakingTicketStatusChanged event handler will be triggered and the Status will be WaitingForPlayers. In that case, once another client calls JoinMatchmakingTicketFromId a new OnMatchmakingTicketStatusChanged event handler will be triggered and the status this time will be WaitingForMatch.

Alternatively, one OnMatchmakingTicketStatusChanged event handler will be triggered and the status will be WaitingForMatch.

Join a matchmaking ticket

This part of the guide shows you how to join an existing matchmaking ticket that another client created. Run it with the scenario "Create a matchmaking ticket" on another client above.

Open the HelloMultiplayerLogic.cs script. In the OnLoginSuccess method, add the following code to join a matchmaking ticket:

PFEntityKey entityKey = ...; // PlayFab user's entity key
string ticketId = ...; // Matchmaking ticket obtained from the client that created the ticket

PlayFabMultiplayer.OnMatchmakingTicketCompleted += PlayFabMultiplayer_OnMatchmakingTicketStatusChanged;

// Create JSON string with PlayFab user's attributes for matchmaking. This will need to be shared with other clients taking part in matchmaking
string uniqueId = System.Guid.NewGuid().ToString();
string userAttributesJson = "{\"MatchIdentifier\": \"" + uniqueId + "\"}";

PlayFabMultiplayer.JoinMatchmakingTicketFromId(
    new MatchUser(entityKey, userAttributesJson),
    ticketId,
    "QuickMatchQueueName",
    new List<PFEntityKey>());

To define the OnMatchmakingTicketStatusChanged event handler, add the following code to the class:

private void PlayFabMultiplayer_OnMatchmakingTicketStatusChanged(MatchmakingTicket ticket)
{
    // Store and print matchmaking ticket
    Debug.Log(ticket.TicketId);

    // Examine matchmaking ticket status
    Debub.Log(ticket.Status)

    // Share matchmaking ticket with other clients taking part in matchmaking

    // Examine ticket
}

Save and select Play in the Unity Editor.

One OnMatchmakingTicketStatusChanged will be triggered with the Status being WaitingForMatch.

Complete a matchmaking ticket

This part of the guide shows you how matchmaking is completed. Run it with the scenario "Create a matchmaking ticket" on another client above. Optionally, you can run it with the scenario "Join a matchmaking ticket".

A match will be found once multiple tickets in the same queue are eligible to be matched. In that case, OnMatchmakingTicketCompleted event handler is triggered.

Subscribe to OnMatchmakignTicketCompleted handler

PlayFabMultiplayer.OnMatchmakingTicketCompleted += PlayFabMultiplayer_OnMatchmakingTicketCompleted;

To define the OnMatchmakingTicketCompleted event handler, add the following code to the class:

private void PlayFabMultiplayer_OnMatchmakingTicketCompleted(MatchmakingTicket ticket, int result)
{
    if (LobbyError.SUCCEEDED(result))
    {
        // Successfully completed matchmaking ticket
        Debug.Log("Completed matchmaking ticket");

        // Examine matchmaking details
        MatchmakingMatchDetails details = ticket.GetMatchDetails();
    }
    else
    {
        // Error completing a matchmaking ticket
        Debug.Log("Error completing a matchmaking ticket");
    }
}