PlayFab Digest: January Feature Updates
Take a closer look at the enhancements to PlayFab for the month of January.
Welcome to the PlayFab Digest! We’re excited to share the latest PlayFab updates. This month’s updates focus on smoother iOS integrations, improved Unreal Engine support, and new Game Manager tools that make development and live ops even easier. From upgraded Multiplayer libraries to fresh Unreal plugin releases, let’s look at what’s new for the month of January!
PlayFab Online Subsystem v2.3.7 Released for UE 5.6
What’s New:
PlayFab Online Subsystem v2.3.7 is now fully compatible with Unreal Engine 5.6. This update includes upgraded Multiplayer (1.8.0) and Party (1.10.12) SDK libraries, along with key plugin and configuration changes required for UE 5.6. We updated the OnlineSubsystemPlayFab.uplugin to use PlatformAllowList, renamed OnlineSubsystemSwitch to OnlineSubsystemNintendo, and incremented the plugin version. Additionally, Unreal Engine 5.6 now requires the “/Script/” prefix for DriverClassName settings.
How to Get Started:
- You can find the new update with full release notes here: Release PlayFab Online Subsystem v2.3.7 ? PlayFab/PlayFabMultiplayerUnreal
- Learn more about PlayFab OSS here: PlayFab Online Subsystem (OSS) - PlayFab | Microsoft Learn
- Get Started with PlayFab Online Subsystem (OSS) Quickstart - PlayFab | Microsoft Learn
PlayFab Unreal Marketplace Plugin Released for UE 5.6 and 5.7
What’s New:
The PlayFab Unreal Marketplace Plugin now offers full compatibility with Unreal Engine 5.6 as well as Unreal Engine 5.7, ensuring developers can work confidently with the latest engine updates. The plugin now integrates more smoothly across both versions, providing a consistent and reliable development experience.
How to Get Started:
- You can find the latest version of the plugin on UE Marketplace here: PlayFab SDK | Fab
- Learn more about PlayFab OSS here: PlayFab Online Subsystem (OSS) - PlayFab | Microsoft Learn
- Get Started with PlayFab SDK Unreal Engine Marketplace Plugin Integration Guide - PlayFab | Microsoft Learn
PlayFab MLP C++ v1.8.5 for iOS
What’s New:
This release improves symbol visibility handling on iOS by hiding internal symbols within the PlayFab Multiplayer Library. This prevents name collisions with other libraries or game code, reducing the risk of linking issues or runtime crashes. The update enhances overall compatibility and stability when integrating PlayFab Multiplayer into complex iOS projects.
How to Get Started:
- Find the new release on IOS here: Release PlayFab Multiplayer C++ v1.8.5 for iOS ? PlayFab/PlayFabMultiplayer
- Learn more about PlayFab Multiplayer here:Multiplayer with PlayFab - PlayFab | Microsoft Learn
- Get Started with Matchmaking SDK quickstart - PlayFab | Microsoft Learn and Lobby SDK Quickstart - PlayFab | Microsoft Learn
- Download the version of PlayFab Multiplayer you need for your specific platform/middleware:Azure PlayFab Lobby and Matchmaking SDKs - PlayFab | Microsoft Learn
Game Manager page for API rate limits
What’s New:
Initially launched last September, PlayFab Game Manager now includes a dedicated page in the title settings to view per-entity API rate limits. It’s now a bit easier to view the API rate limits for entity types. Developers can use this page to see rate limits for each API and how these rate limits apply to each player. These API rate limits have always existed, but now they are transparently displayed so they can be more readily considered during feature development and live ops planning.
How to Get Started:
- Visit Game Manager and navigate to the new API Rate Limits page under Settings > Limits.
- Learn more about throttling in PlayFab here.
Lobby Minor Updates
What’s New:
We’ve continued to add more access control to the Lobby feature, increasing the backend service access to client-owned lobbies using title entity to include GetLobby. This builds on the previous release back in June to add more functionality you might need in these scenarios.
With the previous addition of the RestrictInvitesToLobbyOwner property, we now allow you to use UpdateLobby to change this value after setting it in CreateLobby. This gives greater flexibility if you want to have lobby owners toggle this setting in different experiences.
For the SDK, the changes to set and update RestrictInvitesToLobbyOwner are coming in a future release.
How to Get Started:
- Grab the latest SDK: Azure PlayFab Lobby and Matchmaking SDKs - PlayFab | Microsoft Learn
- If instead you need direct REST access: PlayFab Lobby REST APIs
- For more information on Lobby: Azure PlayFab Lobby overview
Thanks for checking out the great features that we’ve delivered in January! We’ll see you next month for more exciting updates in our upcoming PlayFab Digest. Happy Developing!
Ready to dive deeper? Explore PlayFab and discover how it can level up your game development journey.
Please visit the official PlayFab getting started guide to learn more!