About Unity Transport
The Unity Transport package (com.unity.transport) is a low-level networking library geared towards multiplayer games development.
It is used as the backbone of both Unity Netcode solutions: Netcode for GameObjects and Netcode for Entities but it can also be used with a custom solution.
All the platforms supported by the Unity Engine are seamlessly supported by Unity Transport thanks to a connection-based abstraction layer (built-in network driver) it provides over either UDP sockets or WebSockets. Both can be setup with or without encryption, embodied by the closed and open padlocks in the above block diagram.
Cherry on top, pipelines offer additional optional functionalities like reliability, packet ordering, and packet fragmentation.
Using Unity Transport
- If you are a first user of the package, the first sections of this manual will walk you through the installation of the package and the creation of your first client and server.
- If you are upgrading from a previous version of the package, you may want to refer to our 1.X migration guide.
Requirements
Unity Transport supports all platforms supported by the Unity Engine. For WebGL, only WebSocket connections in client mode are supported (it is however still possible to host games if using Unity Relay).
Editor compatibility matrix
The page you are reading is the documentation for Unity Transport 2.X, which is only compatible with Unity Editor 2022.2 and later. Older editor versions are supported by Transport 1.X. Here is the compatibility matrix:
| Editor Version | 2021 LTS | 2022.2 and LTS | 2023.1 and later |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transport 1.X | Yes | Yes | No |
| Transport 2.X | No | Yes | Yes |
Which version should I use?
If you are using Unity Transport on its own, we recommend using version 2.X if your editor version supports it. If you are using Unity Transport as part of one of Unity's Netcode solutions, refer to the table below for the minimum supported version for each solution:
| Editor Version | 2021 LTS | 2022.2 and LTS | 2023.1 and later |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netcode for GameObjects (1.2.0+) | Transport 1.X | Transport 1.X | Transport 2.X |
| Netcode for Entities (1.0.0+) | N/A | Transport 2.X | Transport 2.X |
| Recommended for custom solutions | Transport 1.X | Transport 2.X | Transport 2.X |
Note
This package should not be confused with the NetworkTransport abstraction in Netcode for GameObjects. Please see the transports section of its documentation for more information.