BP Network Cross-Plat Question?

Thanks for checking out this question! I have seen it asked 6+ times but only some components were addressed, so this should be helpful for a lot of people attempting the same thing.

End-Goal: To create two unique applications using UE4 - one for Android acting as a gamepad, and one for PC acting as the main game - which communicate over LAN. If possible, using UE4 and Blueprints only.


This tutorial series on YouTube is great, but raised a few more questions.

The Editor’s Play button and it’s options (# of instances, dedicated, etc.) run the same game. This is not ideal since I don’t want the entire game on mobile, just a light-weight controller. Most of BP’s networking functionality seems to rely on this implicit network structure. This tutorial does not cover communication between two different UE4 applications, which led me to believe the correct approach was communication via network sockets (which might require C++?).

I know this is possible since I found a video on YT of someone who had accomplished exactly this goal using the gyroscope data as input, but he provided no information other than the Android app was coded in Java. I’m really trying to avoid coding right now, but if there is no other way then can someone point me in the right direction?


If someone is willing to spell it out for me, that would be fantastic since I am focusing much more on learning/developing in UE4 with no other focus on networking at the moment.

Otherwise, if you could at least clear up the best method to accomplish this goal I can try to dig futher, and if I ever solve it I will post the answer here for other people since this seems to be a relatively common question from newb hobbyists like me, with pretty in-explicit answers from professionals!

Please help! Thanks!!

You could make it all the same project, but omit a lot of stuff on the android build using information on these types of pages:

Yes, that’s the theory. Good luck!

nah, you need 2 separate apps, and use some middleware api. Abandon all hope, you’ll need to code.

Err thanks, that conflicts a little with what CleanCut said - why do I need two apps and middleware to communicate? I’m currently tinkering with it, having some trouble exporting to Android anyways… This is getting quite frustrating compared to the ease of Unity, not to mention the information available for Unity is much clearer and extensive… But I would really prefer to use the superior engine

oh you want LAN. Then it’s possible yes. And yeah, you can cook whatever you want specifically for android / iOS / PC . accept clenacut answer then, it’s correct.

If it is possible under one project then:
What is the best way to achieve this networking in BP? Can the Client/Phone’s level replicate variables to the PC/Server if it has a different level loaded? I did finally achieve this in Unity with some C#, but again, I REALLY want to use Unreal instead of Unity. Any further help is appreciated.

Or should I do it using RPC’s? If one blueprint (phone) contains a function labelled “Run on Server” under Replication, then when that function is called on the phone, will the Server also call it even from within a different level?..

There are so many possibilities and so little documentation - I’d have to try everything?

um…no…only if they are on the same level.