Quickstart Guide | Unreal Containers

What would you like to achieve?

Can't see what you're interested in? Check out the full list of documented use cases.

The type of Unreal Engine container image you’ll need is a development image. Start here:

Verify that containers are suitable for your use case, and if so whether you want to use Linux containers or Windows containers.
Learn what a development image is and how it differs from a runtime image.
Make sure you understand the legal restrictions that govern how development images can be distributed.
Discover where to obtain development images.
Configure your host environment for running the obtained images.

Once you have the images you need, take a look at the things you can do with them:

Continuous Integration and Deployment (CI/CD)

Use reproducible environments to build and deploy Unreal Engine projects and plugins.

The type of Unreal Engine container image you’ll need is a runtime image. Start here:

Verify that containers are suitable for your use case, and if so whether you want to use Linux containers or Windows containers.
Learn what a runtime image is and how it differs from a development image.
Discover where to obtain runtime images.
If you want to access graphics hardware then familiarise yourself with how to use GPU acceleration in containers.
If you want to use the Engine’s audio mixer functionality then familiarise yourself with how to enable audio output in containers.
Configure your host environment for running the obtained images.

Once you have the images you need, take a look at the things you can do with them:

Pixel Streaming

Render video and stream it to web browsers in real-time over WebRTC for interactive use.
Microservices

Build and deploy cloud native microservices powered by Unreal Engine technology.
AI and Machine Learning

Run Unreal Engine simulations alongside machine learning workloads in the cloud.
Dedicated Servers

Run Unreal Engine dedicated servers for multiplayer experiences.
Multi-Display Output

Display rendered output from Unreal Engine projects on multiple displays.

The type of Unreal Engine container image you’ll need is a development image. Start here:

Verify that containers are suitable for your use case, and if so whether you want to use Linux containers or Windows containers.
Learn what a development image is and how it differs from a runtime image.
Make sure you understand the legal restrictions that govern how development images can be distributed.
Discover where to obtain development images.
If you want to access graphics hardware then familiarise yourself with how to use GPU acceleration in containers.
If you want to use the Engine’s audio mixer functionality then familiarise yourself with how to enable audio output in containers.
Configure your host environment for running the obtained images.

Once you have the images you need, take a look at the things you can do with them:

Rendering Linear Media

Perform batch rendering of images or video for non-interactive use.
Linux Installed Builds

Use container images as a source of pre-built binaries in lieu of the Epic Games Launcher under Linux.
Linux Sandboxed Editor

Run the Unreal Editor inside a container and interact with it directly from the host system.