FAQs

General questions

Why should I use Xsolla Launcher when I can create my own launcher?

Xsolla Launcher saves time and resources during the final stage of development or after the development of the game is completed. Xsolla Launcher is free for partners, excluding payment fees. Xsolla Launcher regularly releases new features for users and works with other Xsolla products, including in-game store, website builder, and login. Xsolla follows market trends.

How much is Xsolla Launcher going to cost me?

The price of Xsolla Launcher is already included in the Xsolla fee. Additional costs may apply when delivering games. However, using a P2P balancing system reduces shipping costs by an average of 80%.

How do I deliver game updates to Steam if I'm using Xsolla Launcher?

If you use the Steam launcher, you download the game build and launcher directly to Steam. In this case, Steam delivers and updates the game. If you want to deliver content using Xsolla Launcher and its CDN on Steam, please contact your project manager or email csm@xsolla.com.

Do I need to maintain two separate builds for Steam and a stand-alone? Or is it the same build that gets uploaded to Steam?

The number of builds depends on the method of integration with Steam. However, one assembly is often enough. The launcher allows you to collect user data into a single database if you support game delivery via multiple platforms. The launcher also supports end-to-end registration: if a user launches the game through Steam for the first time, they do not have to enter their data.

In this case, the user can visit your site outside the Steam system. They can authenticate using their Steam OpenID and become a member of your official community. After this, the user can write on forums, read news, find new games, etc.

I’m using Steam’s tools, including their launcher, and I have no CDN costs. What will change if I start using Xsolla Launcher?

Adding Xsolla Launcher to Steam with the game does not change the distribution logic; Steam is still responsible for distributing and updating games. The launcher CDN is not used in this case.

If you want to distribute the game yourself and use the launcher regardless of platform, Xsolla Launcher distributes game builds and updates using its CDN (G-core by default) or any other you request. Payment for traffic is not included in the standard payment commission and is paid separately on a monthly basis.

Xsolla has a special enterprise price for G-core that applies to all its customers.

Do you have a list of CDNs that are pre-integrated with your Xsolla Launcher? Do I need to contact the companies that provide CDNs for further integration? Can I use a CDN that is not on your list?

If you want to use another CDN provider, please contact your Customer Success Manager or email csm@xsolla.com.

Which games are displayed in the game list in Xsolla Launcher? All added games or only the ones purchased by a user?

The list contains all the games that have been added to Xsolla Launcher. The games purchased by a user have the Play button and the rest of the games have the Buy button or different buttons depending on game distribution type.

Can particular users get free game keys? How can they use them?

Yes, you can download game keys from Publisher Account and send them to your users for free in any way you wish. The users will be able to activate their keys in Xsolla Launcher.

Can users be authenticated in games automatically after they authenticate in Xsolla Launcher?

Yes, this is possible. To transfer user data from Xsolla Launcher to the game, use the –xsolla-login-token parameter. To get user data, you need to decode the parameter value.

What can I do if the Xsolla Launcher icon in the tray hasn’t changed after I changed it and rebuilt Xsolla Launcher?

Reinstall Xsolla Launcher.

Where can I find launcher logs?

To find the launcher logs:

1. Open your launcher.
2. Go to the launcher settings.
3. Click Browse logs in the General section.

How does the game integrate with Xsolla Launcher?

To integrate the game with Launcher, create a project in your Publisher Account and download the game assembly. After that, you can add images for your game and configure additional settings in the interface.

Is there some kind of IPC solution in the SDK?

There is currently no IPC, as Xsolla Launcher doesn’t have features that require IPC communication. But we do plan to add features such as live streaming and a game store in the overlay that will require IPC (via SDK), at which time we’ll add it.

Is Xsolla Launcher supported on mobile or Mac?

Xsolla Launcher supports Windows and MacOS OS.

How is content populated on a game’s page in Xsolla Launcher?

You can fill out information for the content in the settings of each game in the Game Info section. You can also fill out content for the game page in the Game Titles section of Xsolla Launcher. To find out more, read the instructions.

Build Loader

When I upload a game patch via Build Loader, I receive the following error: "Attention! File path longer than 260 characters." How do I fix this?

In Windows, there is a limitation on the maximum length of the full path, so we recommend moving the game directory higher up in the directory tree, for example, C:/Patch. After that, pass the updated path to the game build using the command –game-path <path-to-game>. To learn more, please read the instructions.

I can’t start Build Loader. How do I fix this?

Build Loader is a command-line utility. Open the command-line interpreter, such as cmd.exe, in the directory with the build_loader.exe file and run the file using the following command: ./build_loader.exe To learn more, please read the instructions.

Unknown problem with Build Loader. How do I fix this?

Contact Xsolla integration team through the chat in the bottom right corner of Publisher Account and provide the log.txt file located in the same directory as the build_loader.exe file.

Publisher Account

When I log in to Publisher Account, it shows that I’m still using an old version of Launcher and need to create a new launcher. But, when I click the Try New Launcher button, our launchers show up. How do I fix this?

At the moment, Publisher Account allows working with the v2.x.x and v3.x.x versions of Launcher, but creating a v2.x.x launcher is no longer available. When you switch to the new version of the launcher, the settings are saved on your device. However, if you log in from a new device, the settings applied will be for the user of the old version of Launcher.

If the created launchers are not displayed in the Launcher section of Publisher Account, how can this be fixed?

Delete the data and cookie files of the Publisher Account website in your browser settings.

I can't change any settings in Publisher Account. How do I fix this?

Check that you have an owner or developer role. Users of other roles have read-only permissions

I’ve changed the role in Publisher Account but still don't have permissions to change the launcher settings. How do I fix this?

To update permission settings, please log in to Publisher Account again.

Launcher generation is stuck. How do I fix this?

Contact the Xsolla integration team through the chat in the bottom right corner of Publisher Account.

How can I quickly see the changes I have made in Xsolla Launcher?

You can generate a draft of Xsolla Launcher. All settings and customization changes you save in your Publisher Account are automatically applied in the draft.

How can I distribute my free-to-play with microtransactions game through Xsolla Launcher?

To distribute a free game:

1. Go to your project in your Publisher Account.
2. In the side menu, click Launcher.
3. On the card for the project, click Edit Launcher.
4. In the Games section, click Set up.
5. Click Distribution and select Free-to-play.
6. In the top menu, click Store and turn the Show store in launcher switch to On.

Once you have completed these steps, the Store tab should appear in the launcher to play. To find out more, read the instructions.

Customization

The Figma tokens plugin doesn't work correctly. How do I fix this?

Open settings in Figma tokens and change Token storage to local document.

What can I change in Figma?

Figma allows to set up:

• Buttons rounding and colors
• Font colors
• Window rounding and colors
• Articles rounding and colors
• Inputs rounding and colors
• Panel colors

Images are just for preview, you should upload them in Publisher Account. Other settings like position of elements, size of image are not customizable.

Is there a way I can download the source code for the launcher provided by Xsolla, and directly modify that, instead of the limited options on the website?

At the moment, we do not provide the source code for the launcher. The launcher is customized only through a Publisher Account and Figma after you sign an agreement.

I would like to disable login functionality on launcher. How it works?

This functionality will become available in Publisher Account.

I can't change the launcher name. How do I fix this?

We can change it manually on our side, but auto-updating the launcher will be affected. The users will need to install the launcher from the installer. We don’t recommend changing the name only for live launchers.

How can I change the order of the games in launcher?

At the moment there is no way to change the order of the games.

Can I move the Download button around?

Elements can’t be moved, but you can customize their roundning and color via Figma and upload the settings in Publisher account.

Installer

Should I add a launcher download link to my website? Can I implement user registration via the launcher instead of the website?

Yes, it’s the main channel of launcher distribution for all our partners. But they need not forget to update this link along with every new launcher generation. Also, launcher has a registration feature.

Can I add the launcher download link to the sign up confirmation email?

There os no way to do it now because the link to download the launcher changes every time a new version is generated.

How can I change the name of the installation file?

To change the installation file name, refer to the instruction.

Can I receive information about whether the launcher is installed for a user?

Unfortunately no, and at the moment we do not have such functionality.

The launcher installation fails while the web installer is executing a stand-alone installer, how can I fix this?

Some of the most popular solutions to this issue are:

• Try changing the installation directory.
• If changing the directory on the current drive didn’t work, try installing the launcher on a different drive.
• Disable your antivirus, restart your computer, and then try to install the launcher.
• Try installing the launcher via an offline installer.

How can I get an offline installer?

1. Go to the Launcher build page in Publisher Account.
2. Select a draft or published build.
3. Select an operational system and click Get a link to a stand-alone installer.

I get the “Your internet connection seems to be not permitted or dropped out” error, how do i fix this?

Try disabling your antivirus and firewall, restart your computer, and try again.

Games launching

Does the game require Xsolla Launcher to be running to work?

Xsolla Launcher is always running. When it is used to launch your game, it hides in the system tray so it’s not using up resources. A gamer can terminate the Xsolla Launcher’s process without stopping the game as there is no connection during the actual gameplay session.

Is there a solution to connect PCs on the same LAN via P2P connection, so that data would only be transferred within this LAN?

No, there’s no such solution for now.

When a user starts a game in the launcher, is there any way to pass the login information to the game?

Yes. Launcher passes JWT as a command-line argument.

I want to set up a prod version of launcher and have multiple test branches for my game, how many environments can you support?

At the moment each game can have only one launcher build. You can use another game build for the draft version of launcher, but it can not be shared with end users.

The antivirus shows a warning window or blocks downloading when a user downloads a game. How do i fix this?

This is a false positive reaction of the antivirus to the download via P2P (peer-to-peer). The launcher uses P2P connections for downloading game files, so it connects to users through a shared public IP address that is used by multiple users or websites.
If you are using Malwarebytes software, please refer to their official comment regarding this matter.
To fix the error, the user should go to the launcher settings and disable the Use P2P (peer-to-peer) network option.

Do you support running browser games in the launcher?

Yes, for configuring the launch of browser games, please refer to the instruction.

Is it possible to add additional arguments to the game executable file to run?

At the moment, our system does not support this functionality. You can make a script that will run the game with the necessary arguments and specify the script as an executable file in Publisher Account.

I get the "Game files are missing or damaged" error when starting the game in the launcher. How do i fix this?

1. Check that the executable file is set in Publisher Account.
2. Check the that the name and relative path to the executable file are set up correctly.
3. Make sure that you are using the draft launcher build to view changes in real time. If you are using the published launcher build, make sure a new version was generated and published.

Can I provide free keys to players who already own the game on other platforms (e.g. Steam, Epic Games) to transfer them to the Xsolla platform?

You can take any number of game keys from the Store section of Publisher Account and send them manually by email to the users. Users will be able to redeem these keys in the launcher.

Can I upload an SFX archive as a redistributable file?

It’s possible If the SFX archive is packed as EXE file.

When is a redistributable file installed?

Redistributables are only installed during game installation. When the game is updated or repaired, redistributables are not reinstalled.

Is there a possibility to add achievements to the launcher?

Launcher doesn’t have the achievements feature at the moment.

Does the game store in the launcher support coupons?

We support only promo codes in store cart.

Can I sell subscriptions via the launcher?

At the moment, the launcher does not support subscriptions. Let us know if you have a request for this functionality.

Does Launcher support game mods?

At the moment, Launcher does not support game mods. Let us know if you have a request for this functionality.

Migration from Launcher v 2.x to Launcher v 3.x

Can I create a feature request for Launcher 2.x?

We only accept feature requests only for Launcher 3.x. now.

Can I download Launcher from Github and set it up via configuration files?

GitHub was used only for Launcher version 2.x. For Launcher v3.x, all settings are available in Publisher Account.

Are the news from Launcher 2.x automatically transferred to the content tiles in the Launcher 3.x?

At the moment, Launcher does not have such functionality. These are 2 separate news systems.

Tabs

Users get a “Try again” error when opening a tab in the launcher. How do i fix this?

Possible reason: your website returns the x-frame-options: SAMEORIGIN that blocks the site from being shown in the launcher. Remove the x-frame-options header and add the Content-Security-Policy: frame-ancestors file://* header.

Ownership and keys

How can Xsolla Launcher users access games? Can games be distributed via subscriptions, coupons, or promo codes?

Currently, access to games is available only with game keys. We plan to add subscriptions to Xsolla Launcher in 2024.

Can Xsolla Launcher users download game updates if they don’t have any game keys purchased?

No. Games and game updates are not available without purchasing game keys. If you have free-to-play games, it is possible.

What happens with the user access to the game if the user makes a refund?

The user loses access to the game. They will be able to buy the game again via Xsolla Launcher using the Buy button.Last updated: February 21, 2024