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Unreal Cloud vs your own build machine
Most teams start with a spare PC, the engine and a build script, and someone who keeps it going. Unreal Cloud replaces that machine with ours, so builds keep coming without anyone looking after them.
Build machines
Yours: buy it, set it up and keep it running
None: we run them, with the engine already installed
Setup
Install the engine and build tools, write the build scripts and trigger
Connect GitHub or Perforce, pick a platform and engine version
Unreal support
Whatever your scripts do, usually BuildCookRun
Built for it: compile, cook, package and automation tests
Upkeep
OS and engine updates, full disks, the machine down on release day
None on your side
Platforms
Anything you have the hardware and SDKs for, including consoles
Windows, Linux and Android. No iOS, macOS or consoles yet
Custom build steps
Anything you can script
Not yet: the build pipeline is fixed
Sharing builds
Copy builds off the machine and upload them somewhere
Download links anyone can open, no account needed
Steam
Run steamcmd yourself, or script it
Passing builds upload to a Steam beta branch
Cost
The hardware up front, plus power and someone’s time
$20 per seat per month, build minutes included
Choose your own build machine if
You ship on iOS, macOS or consoles
You build a custom or source-built engine, or dedicated servers
Your builds have to stay on your own network
Someone on the team enjoys looking after the machine
Choose Unreal Cloud if
You ship on Windows, Linux or Android with a standard engine version
Nobody on the team wants to look after a build machine
You want builds on every push this week, not after a setup project
You'd rather pay per seat than buy and run hardware
Freeing up the machine
Your build machine probably runs a script around BuildCookRun. In Unreal Cloud, that becomes a preset: a platform, an engine version and a branch. Run both until the builds match, then give the machine back to someone who needs a fast PC.
Questions
Isn’t my own build machine cheaper?
It can be, if you already own one and nobody counts the time. The hardware is only part of it: setting it up, updating the engine and fixing it when it breaks often add up to more than the machine itself.
What does Unreal Cloud build on?
Every build runs on its own 8 vCPU machine in Google Cloud, with the engine already installed. The machine is gone when the build finishes, so there is nothing to clean up.
Can I keep my machine for some builds?
Yes. You can use both, for example your own machine for console builds and Unreal Cloud for Windows, Linux and Android.
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