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Set Up for Platform Development with Unreal Engine

Updated: Apr 17, 2026

This guide walks you through setting up your Unreal Engine (UE) development environment and checking the user’s entitlement.

Unlike other environments, the Unreal Platform SDK supports both Blueprint and native C++ APIs.

Create an app

Before you can integrate the Platform SDK, you’ll need to create an app in the developer dashboard if you haven’t already. See the Creating and Managing Apps page to create an app.

Configure your development environment

Review the Meta Quest onboarding for UE development in the Unreal Engine Guide. Once you’re comfortable using UE to develop Meta Quest apps, you can implement Meta Horizon platform features.

Note: Meta Horizon OS platform features are integrated directly into the Unreal Editor. To check which platform version is included with your version of Unreal Engine, see Version Compatibility. To use the latest version of the platform, you can Download it separately.

Install the Platform SDK plugin

Choose the method to install the Platform SDK depending on which version of Unreal Engine you are using.

Using Epic Launcher Version for Unreal Engine 5

Download and install UE5 following the instructions on the Installing Unreal Engine⁠ page in the UE5 documentation.

Download the Platform SDK plugin for UE5 .zip file.

Extract the .zip file contents to the following UE5 installation folder: \Engine\Plugins\Marketplace\MetaXRPlatform. For example: C:\Program Files\Epic Games\UE_5.3\Engine\Plugins\Marketplace\MetaXRPlatform.

Note: The above instructions apply to Unreal Engine 5. For legacy Unreal Engine 4 instructions, see Legacy: Unreal Engine 4 Installation.

Using the GitHub Fork

Install the GitHub Meta Fork of Unreal Engine, which includes the Platform SDK for UE5.

Enable the Platform SDK Plugin

In the editor, select Edit > Plugins > Online Platform > Meta XR Platform, and check Enabled. The editor prompts you to restart Unreal Editor.

Adjust your DefaultEngine.ini file to use Meta Quest:

If your project does not have a DefaultEngine.ini file, create one under [ProjectDirectory]/Config/.

[OnlineSubsystemOculus]
bEnabled=true
MobileAppId=[quest_app_id_here]
RiftAppId=[rift_app_id_here]

MobileAppId is the unique App ID for your Meta Quest app, retrieved from the API page⁠ of the Meta Horizon Developer Dashboard.

RiftAppId is the App ID for testing your app on PC using Meta Quest Link. This ID is different from the MobileAppId.

If you enable the Meta XR Platform Plugin, your app will require access to the User ID and User Profile and will require the Data Use Checkup process as part of your submission to the Meta Horizon Store. For more information, see Complete a Data Use Checkup.

Configuring your app for local development

The configuration steps in this section allow developers to run local builds of the application during the development process. This process is required, otherwise local versions of the app will not pass the entitlement check that you’ll integrate below.

Add the user(s) to your team. See the Manage Your Team and Users for information about managing your team.

If some of your developers are not part of the application’s team, and they need to run your application outside the normal install directory, add the registry key AllowDevSideloaded as DWORD(1) to the registry folder at HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Oculus\Oculus. This does not bypass having a valid entitlement, it just bypasses the directory check.

Once the steps above are completed, the entitlement check will succeed when running a local build of your application.

Using Meta XR Platform SDK

1. Creating a GameInstance

Your project likely already has a custom GameInstance designed to support your application. If there isn’t one, you must add one and ensure the project uses it. In the Maps & Modes part of the Project Settings, click the + sign to create a new Blueprint.

Create the new Game Instance class and assign it to the project in the Project Settings > Maps & Modes > Game Instance

Once completed, the empty Blueprint editor will appear.

2. Starting the system

You must enable the Meta XR Platform to process messages and generate events. You can only call the Platform Nodes once the subsystem is running.

Initializing the platform subsystem raises an event indicating whether the process succeeded or failed. To respond to this event, create a custom event named OvrPlatformSubsystemStarted in the GameInstance Blueprint and attach the execution pin to the nodes to handle the success or failure of the subsystem’s initialization. The custom event name must be exactly OvrPlatformSubsystemStarted and within the GameInstance Blueprint.

Create the custom OvrPlatformSubsystemStarted event.

Add the OvrPlatformReady variable.

OvrPlatformSubsystemStarted event Blueprint

3. Handling events

The message pump described above raises events that may interest you as your application runs. You should bind event handlers to each of the events you care about.

To respond to these events, create custom event nodes and connect them to bind event nodes. You must do this before starting the message pump.

Bind platform event handlers in Blueprint

Some of the events include:

Abuse Report Button Pressed

Application Lifecycle Launch Intent Changed

Asset File Download Update

Group presence invite sent, join intent received, leave intent received

Live Streaming status change

Net sync sessions and connection status changes

VOIP system state and microphone availability changes

4. Starting the message pump

Start the message pump to begin processing messages and generating events. Start message pump Blueprint node

Advanced: Asynchronous Platform Initialization

The default initialization path is one that blocks while the Platform SDK does its work. While initialization time continues to improve, it can take a few seconds to complete. At the cost of some added complexity, you can choose to use the Platform SDK’s asynchronous start up path. This can help app launch time and development iteration time.

The flow is largely the same as the standard synchronous path described above. The differences are that the initialization won’t start until you start the message pump, and that your game instance subclass’s OvrPlatformSubsystemStarted custom event will not be called until after the initialization attempt completes (and thus it will also be after the message pump is started).

To opt into the asynchronous start up path, add a DoAsyncInit=true line to the [OnlineSubsystemOculus]DefaultEngine.ini block you used to enable the Platform SDK Plugin.

Check the entitlement

One of the first things you must do when a user launches your app is verify that they own a legitimate copy of your app.

See Entitlement Check for instructions on how to check the user’s entitlement.

Testing

Before you can test the Platform SDK features, you must upload a shipping build of your app to the developer center. You only need to do this once and may then test locally and make changes without re-uploading. See Upload Apps For Meta Quest.

Unreal Engine specific settings

Sign your app. See Mobile App Signing⁠ Unreal subsection.

Modify the following settings in the editor under Edit > Project Settings > Platforms > Android

Android Package Name - This should match developer center settings

Store Version - Every upload of your apk requires a unique store version number, which can be a number you manually increment. See Testing above.

Install Location - Automatic

Ensure you have properly set up your app signing settings. See Sign Your App above.