Why add PlayFab now
- Cross-platform identity: Link XBOX, Steam, PSN, mobile, and custom logins under a single PlayFab player account.
- Live game services: Leaderboards, statistics, player segments, scheduled tasks, and A/B experiments.
- Multiplayer infrastructure: PlayFab Lobby, Matchmaking, and Party for cross-platform play.
- Economy: Catalog v2, Inventory v2, and Microsoft Store reconciliation through Economy v2.
- Analytics: PlayStream events, dashboards, and Insights through Analytics.
Get started
1
Create a PlayFab title
Sign in at developer.playfab.com and create a title. Record the Title ID. You pass it to the SDK.
2
Install the PlayFab GDK SDK
Add the PlayFab GDK SDK to your project. It links cleanly alongside XSAPI and shares libHttpClient.
3
Sign in players with XBOX identity
Call
LoginWithXbox from the PlayFab Authentication API using the XSTS token your title already acquires through XUser. PlayFab creates or links a master account on the first call.4
Select the services you need
Add Economy, Lobby, Matchmaking, Leaderboards, or Analytics as your design requires. Each service is opt-in.
When PlayFab is optional
If your title only needs XBOX-side features (achievements, presence, social, MPSD multiplayer, or Game Chat 2), you can ship without PlayFab using XBOX services directly. Most live, cross-platform titles still benefit from PlayFab.Next steps
You have a project building and a plan for backend services. Select the curated path that matches what you’re shipping.Getting started guides
Seven curated paths that lead into Build, Develop, Services, and Publishing.