Select your cookie preferences

We use essential cookies and similar tools that are necessary to provide our site and services. We use performance cookies to collect anonymous statistics, so we can understand how customers use our site and make improvements. Essential cookies cannot be deactivated, but you can choose “Customize” or “Decline” to decline performance cookies.

If you agree, AWS and approved third parties will also use cookies to provide useful site features, remember your preferences, and display relevant content, including relevant advertising. To accept or decline all non-essential cookies, choose “Accept” or “Decline.” To make more detailed choices, choose “Customize.”

Preferences
Contact Us
Feedback
AWS Documentation
Create an AWS Account

Setting up a web server and client with Amazon GameLift Streams

PDF
Focus mode
Setting up a web server and client with Amazon GameLift Streams - Amazon GameLift Streams
PrerequisitesDownload the Web SDKSet up your streaming resourcesSet up a backend serverLaunch a web clientClean up streaming resources

In this tutorial, you will set up a web client application that integrates Amazon GameLift Streams' streaming service. Then, you will use the Amazon GameLift Streams Web SDK, a JavaScript library, and sample code that you can start with. The sample code includes a simple Amazon GameLift Streams backend web server and a simple web client. By the end of this tutorial, you can start a stream by using the sample code.

If it's your first time using Amazon GameLift Streams, we highly recommend starting with the Starting your first stream in Amazon GameLift Streams tutorial, which walks you through uploading a game to Amazon S3 and testing streaming it from within the Amazon GameLift Streams console in your browser.

Prerequisites

Download the Web SDK

For this tutorial, you will need to download the following materials from the Getting Started product page:

  • Amazon GameLift Streams Web SDK bundle: This includes sample code for a simple backend service and web client.

  • Amazon GameLift Streams Web SDK API Reference: This API reference documents Amazon GameLift Streams API wrappers for JavaScript.

Set up your streaming resources

You must have stream resources—an application and a stream group—to start a stream. Specifically, you must have:

  • An application in Ready status.

  • A stream group in Active status with available stream capacity.

To set up an application and a stream group using either the Amazon GameLift Streams console or Amazon GameLift Streams CLI, refer to Prepare an application in Amazon GameLift Streams and Manage streaming with an Amazon GameLift Streams stream group, respectively. Alternatively, for an end-to-end walkthrough in the Amazon GameLift Streams console, refer to Starting your first stream in Amazon GameLift Streams.

Set up a backend server

The backend server is responsible for handling tasks such as authenticating users, configuring stream parameters, and performing Amazon GameLift Streams service API calls on behalf of end-users. Review the sample code and the Amazon GameLift Streams Web SDK API Reference to learn more about setting this up. Specifically, see the server.js file in the Amazon GameLift Streams Web SDK package.

Important

This code is example code for testing and evaluation purposes only and should not be used in a production capacity. For guidance on creating production client applications, including proper testing and evaluation procedures, refer to .

To run the sample backend service

  1. Open a terminal or command prompt and navigate to the folder AmazonGameLiftStreamsWebSDK\GameLiftStreamsSampleGamePublisherService\.

  2. Run the following commands: 

    
npm install
node server.js

With the sample backend service running, end-users can connect to a stream through the web client. Test the web client in the next step.

Launch a web client

The web client application is responsible for receiving and decoding Amazon GameLift Streams streams, streaming to end-users, and providing the web browser UI for end-users to engage with the application. Review the sample code and the Amazon GameLift Streams Web SDK API Reference to learn more about how to integrate the JavaScript Amazon GameLift Streams Web SDK into your own web client application. Specifically, see public/index.html in the Amazon GameLift Streams Web SDK package. You can also look at the web page source when you launch a web client in your browser.

To launch a web client application

  1. Open a web browser and navigate to http://localhost:port/. The port number is set by the backend server; by default, this is HTTP port 8000.

  2. Play the game or use the software.

    1. To attach input, such as your mouse, choose Attach input.

    2. To exit the game, choose the Esc key.

    3. To stop the server process, choose Ctrl+C key.

Clean up streaming resources

Warning

A stream group incurs costs when it has allocated streaming capacity, even if that capacity is unused. To avoid unnecessary costs, scale your stream groups to your required size. We suggest during development that you scale always-on capacity in your stream groups to zero when not in use, or use on-demand capacity. For more information, refer to Scale stream groups to zero capacity.

After you complete the tutorial and no longer need to stream your application, follow these steps to clean up your Amazon GameLift Streams resources.

Deleting a stream group

When you delete a stream group, Amazon GameLift Streams works to release all stream capacity.

To delete a stream group using the Amazon GameLift Streams console

  1. Sign in to the AWS Management Console and open the Amazon GameLift Streams console.

  2. To view a list of your existing stream groups, in the navigation pane, choose Stream groups.

  3. Choose the name of the stream group that you want to delete.

  4. On the stream group detail page, choose Delete.

  5. In the Delete dialog box, confirm the delete action.

Amazon GameLift Streams begins releasing compute resources and deleting the stream group. During this time, the stream group is in Deleting status. After Amazon GameLift Streams deletes the stream group, you can no longer retrieve it.

Deleting an application

You can only delete an application that meets the following conditions:

  • The application is in the Ready or Error state.

  • The application is not the default application of any stream groups. You must first delete the stream group by using the Amazon GameLift Streams console, or by using DeleteStreamGroup in the Amazon GameLift Streams API.

  • The application is not linked to any stream groups. You must first unlink the stream group by using the Amazon GameLift Streams console, or by using DisassociateApplications in the Amazon GameLift Streams API.

  • An application is not streaming in any ongoing stream session. You must wait until the client ends the stream session or call TerminateStreamSession in the Amazon GameLift Streams API to end the stream.

To delete an application using the Amazon GameLift Streams console

  1. Sign in to the AWS Management Console and open the Amazon GameLift Streams console.

  2. In the navigation bar, choose Applications to view a list of your existing applications. Choose the application you want to delete.

  3. In the application detail page, choose Delete.

  4. In the Delete dialog box, confirm the delete action.

Amazon GameLift Streams begins deleting the application. During this time, the application is in Deleting status. After Amazon GameLift Streams deletes the application, you can no longer retrieve it.

On this page

PrivacySite termsCookie preferences
© 2025, Amazon Web Services, Inc. or its affiliates. All rights reserved.