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Azure PlayFab Party overview

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Azure PlayFab Party is a low-latency chat and data communication solution for cross-platform and cross-device multiplayer games. The voice and text features in Party can be used as a standalone chat solution.

For multiplayer games that use a server-client authoritative architecture to curtail competitive cheating concerns or support devices with limited resources, consider multiplayer servers like PlayFab multiplayer servers to host custom, dedicated game logic in a dynamically scaling cloud environment and use Party for chat communication.

This topic provides a high-level overview of Party features. For details, see Party features.

Features

Party is designed for use on many platforms like Android, iOS, Linux, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation®, PC, and Xbox. Party also provides C/C++ SDKs and SDKs for use with game engines like Unity and Unreal. For a complete list, see Party SDKs.

  • Interoperable multiplayer infrastructure
    • Cross-network/cross-platform multiplayer game experiences.
  • Low-latency secure data communication
    • Industry-standard encryption and authentication.
    • Cross-platform mesh: automatic low-latency cloud relay or select regions yourself, choosing from Azure regions distributed across the globe
    • Direct peer-to-peer functionality.
    • Background Quality of Service (QoS) measurements.
  • Flexible topology design possibilities
    • Everyone-to-everyone.
    • Constrained to "teams" or game-defined "channels" and more.
  • Accessible voice and text chat
    • Real-time speech-to-text and text-to-speech.
    • Real-time translation for text and voice by using Azure Cognitive Services.
    • Ability to add real-time custom voice effects like spatial sound.
  • Capabilities designed for multiplayer games
    • Efficient game states and logic delivery.
    • Integrates with custom discovery systems—players finding other players.
    • Policy enforcement for connectivity and communication.

Party is a managed game service. Discounts are available when you use Party with Xbox Live. For pricing information, see PlayFab pricing. To learn about the meters that drive billing, see Party pricing.

If you are interested, here is a video of our presentation at Microsoft Game Dev 2021. The presentation explains the above Party features in greater detail with demos and includes a quickstart tutorial.

“PlayStation” is a registered trademark or trademark of Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.

See also