Getting Started

Photon is the foundation and infrastructure to develop and run real-time multiplayer at global scale. This page explains the ecosystem, helps you choose the right Photon product & topology, and shows the fastest path to running your first match.

Photon has been independently innovating real‑time multiplayer tech for three product generations – from the original Photon Realtime released in 2009 to today’s Fusion and Quantum. Photon now runs the world’s largest purpose‑built multiplayer cloud, powering thousands of live titles and ~1.4 billion players every month.

Your First Match in 10 Minutes

Create Your Photon Account and First App

1. Create a free Photon account.
2. In the dashboard, create a new Application. The new application is for development and for up to 20 CCU (= concurrent user)
3. Copy the generated App ID. You will paste this later.
4. Develop as long as you need free.
5. Go live with 100 CCU with Fusion or Quantum free (Games only**)**.
6. Subscribe to more CCU anytime instant.

Your App ID is the link between your game client and your app in the Photon Cloud.

You don’t need to set up or maintain any servers; your game will automatically run on our global infrastructure with 15+ regions, auto-scaling, and built-in DDoS protection.

Download the SDK

Once you know which SDK you’ll use:

1. Go to the Photon SDK download page.
2. Download the SDK that matches your engine and platform (e.g., Fusion for Unity, Quantum for Unity, Realtime for .NET, C++, JavaScript, etc.).
3. Import or install the package into your project as described in the SDK’s setup guide.

All Photon SDKs include:

• Example projects and sample scenes
• Integration details for engines like Unity, Unreal, and several native platforms

Open a Quick-Start Sample

The fastest way to see Photon in action is to run a built-in sample:

1. Open one of the Quick-Start or Starter projects included with the SDK (for example, Fusion Starter, Fusion Simple FPS or Quantum Asteroids).
2. Locate the App ID setting in the sample (usually in a Photon or Network settings script / asset).
3. Paste in the App ID you created in the dashboard.
4. Press Play in your engine (e.g. Unity) to start the game.
5. Run a second instance or build & run to connect multiple players.