https://github.com/neelfrostrain/unreallauncher
A lightweight Electron desktop app for discovering, launching, and managing Unreal Engine installations and projects.
https://github.com/neelfrostrain/unreallauncher
epic-games gameengine unreal-engine unreal-engine-4 unreal-engine-5 unreal-launcher
Last synced: 26 days ago
JSON representation
A lightweight Electron desktop app for discovering, launching, and managing Unreal Engine installations and projects.
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/neelfrostrain/unreallauncher
- Owner: NeelFrostrain
- License: other
- Created: 2026-03-13T14:22:09.000Z (3 months ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2026-05-24T04:59:18.000Z (about 1 month ago)
- Last Synced: 2026-05-24T06:36:55.390Z (about 1 month ago)
- Topics: epic-games, gameengine, unreal-engine, unreal-engine-4, unreal-engine-5, unreal-launcher
- Language: TypeScript
- Homepage: https://neelfrostrain.github.io/UnrealLauncher/
- Size: 8.63 MB
- Stars: 14
- Watchers: 1
- Forks: 2
- Open Issues: 0
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- Changelog: CHANGELOG.md
- Contributing: CONTRIBUTING.md
- License: LICENSE
- Code of conduct: CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md
- Security: SECURITY.md
Awesome Lists containing this project
README
# Unreal Launcher
> A lightweight, cross-platform Electron desktop app for discovering, launching, and managing Unreal Engine installations and projects — no Epic Games Launcher required.
[](https://github.com/NeelFrostrain/UnrealLauncher/releases/tag/v2.2.4)
[](https://github.com/NeelFrostrain/UnrealLauncher)
[](LICENSE)
[](#-distribution)
[](https://github.com/NeelFrostrain/UnrealLauncher)
[](https://github.com/NeelFrostrain/UnrealLauncher/commits/main)
[](https://github.com/NeelFrostrain/UnrealLauncher/issues)
[](https://github.com/NeelFrostrain/UnrealLauncher)
[](https://nodejs.org/)
[](https://www.electronjs.org/)
[](https://react.dev/)
[](https://www.typescriptlang.org/)
[](https://napi.rs/)
**Quick Links:**
[](https://neelfrostrain.github.io/UnrealLauncher/)
[](https://github.com/NeelFrostrain/UnrealLauncher/releases)
[](https://discord.gg/vq4UDfevG2)
[](https://github.com/NeelFrostrain/UnrealLauncher/issues)
---
## What It Does
**Unreal Launcher** is a full replacement for the Epic Games Launcher for day-to-day Unreal Engine development. It auto-scans your drives for installed engines and `.uproject` files, lets you launch them with one click, browses your Fab marketplace assets, and stays completely out of your way. No bloat, no login, no waiting.
Supports **Windows**, **macOS**, and **Linux** with native performance optimizations and platform-specific features.
**Tech Stack:** TypeScript · React 19 · Electron 39 · Vite 7 · Tailwind CSS 4 · Zustand · Framer Motion · Rust (napi-rs)
---
## Project Stats
[](https://github.com/NeelFrostrain/UnrealLauncher)
[](https://github.com/NeelFrostrain/UnrealLauncher/fork)
[](https://github.com/NeelFrostrain/UnrealLauncher/issues)
[](https://github.com/NeelFrostrain/UnrealLauncher/pulls)
[](https://github.com/NeelFrostrain/UnrealLauncher/commits/main)
---
## Core Features
### Engine Management
- **Auto-Scan Engines** — Discovers UE4 & UE5 installations across common paths
- **Windows Registry Discovery** — Reads registry via `reg.exe` to find Epic-installed engines automatically
- **Manual Engine Add** — Browse and validate any custom engine folder
- **Engine Alias** — Set custom nicknames for engine instances to tell duplicates apart
- **One-Click Launch** — Start any engine version instantly
- **Background Size Calculation** — Folder size computed without blocking the UI
- **Marketplace Plugin Browser** — Lists all installed marketplace plugins per engine
- **Engine Deletion** — Remove engines from the list (files remain untouched)
### Project Management
- **Auto-Scan Projects** — Recursively finds all `.uproject` files across your drives
- **Batch Import** — Add up to 20 projects at once from a single folder
- **One-Click Launch** — Open any project in its matching engine editor
- **Game Mode Launch** — Launch projects directly in `-game` mode
- **List & Grid View** — Toggle between flat list and thumbnail grid (preference persisted)
- **Favorites System** — Pin projects with a star; dedicated Favorites tab
- **Hidden Projects Tab** — Hide projects non-destructively; restore any time
- **Advanced Sorting** — Sort by name, last opened, date created, size, or engine version (asc/desc, persisted)
- **Real-Time Search** — Filter projects by name instantly
- **Per-Project Size Calculation** — Background calculation with live progress
- **Log Viewer** — Tail the latest `.log` file from `Saved/Logs/` directly in the app
- **Git Integration** — Detect branch, remote URL, initialize repos with UE-ready `.gitignore`
- **File Editor** — Edit `DefaultEngine.ini` and `.uproject` files in-app with find/replace
- **Rich Context Menu** — Git tools, project tools, organize options via right-click menu
- **Open in Explorer** — Jump to project folder or open in terminal
### Fab Marketplace Browser
- **Auto-Detect Fab Cache** — Finds Epic/Fab vault cache in common paths
- **Custom Folder Support** — Point to any custom Fab download directory
- **Asset Scanning** — Extracts name, version, description, icon, compatible UE versions
- **Asset Type Detection** — Classifies assets as Plugin, Content Pack, or Project
- **Asset Thumbnails** — Browse with visual previews
- **Direct Fab Links** — Click to open assets on Fab marketplace
### UE Tracer (Windows)
- **Background Tracking** — Rust executable runs silently and records engine/project usage
- **Data Merging** — Tracer data merged with saved data on every scan
- **Windows Startup** — Optionally auto-start tracer with Windows via registry
- **Process Detection** — Check if tracer is currently running
- **Data Directory Access** — View and manage tracer data from Settings
### Appearance & Theming
- **Built-in Themes** — Dark, Darker, Midnight Blue, Warm Dark presets
- **Per-Token Color Overrides** — Customize any individual color token
- **Saveable Theme Profiles** — Save, rename, apply, and delete custom combinations
- **Font Customization** — Choose font family and size for the entire UI
- **Border Radius Control** — Slider syncs border radius across all UI elements
- **UI Scale Adjustment** — Adjust overall UI scale factor
- **One-Click Reset** — Reset all appearance customizations to defaults
### System & UX
- **Auto-Updates** — GitHub Releases-based updates via `electron-updater`
- **Manual Version Check** — Compare against latest GitHub release
- **Single Instance Lock** — Second launch focuses existing window
- **Animated Splash Screen** — Loading screen on startup
- **Resizable Sidebar** — Drag handle to resize or collapse
- **Stacking Toasts** — Real-time notifications with auto-dismiss and close button
- **Error Boundary** — Recoverable crash screen instead of blank window
- **Auto-Close on Launch** — Optionally close app when launching engine/project
- **Discord Feedback** — Send bug reports directly to Discord via webhook
- **Cross-Platform Support** — Windows, macOS, and Linux with platform-specific optimizations
---
## Feature Summary
| Category | Count |
| ----------------------- | ----- |
| Engine Management | 8 |
| Project Management | 14 |
| Fab Marketplace Browser | 6 |
| UE Tracer | 5 |
| Appearance & Theming | 7 |
| System & UX | 10 |
| **Total** | **50**|
---
## Architecture
### System Overview
```
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Renderer Process (React) │
│ React 19 + TypeScript + Tailwind CSS + Zustand │
│ Pages: Engines · Projects · Settings · About │
│ Components: Cards · Toolbars · Dialogs · Toasts │
└────────────────────────┬────────────────────────────────────┘
│ IPC (contextBridge)
┌────────────────────────▼────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Main Process (Node.js) │
│ Electron 39 + TypeScript │
│ IPC Handlers: engines · projects · fab · tracer · misc │
│ Data Store: engines.json · projects.json · settings.json │
│ Worker Threads: scan · size calculation │
└──────────┬──────────────────────────┬───────────────────────┘
│ │
┌──────────▼──────────┐ ┌──────────▼──────────────────────┐
│ Rust N-API Module │ │ Rust Tracer (Windows only) │
│ native/dist/*.node │ │ resources/unreal_launcher_ │
│ - scan_engines │ │ tracer.exe │
│ - find_uproject │ │ - Tracks engine/project usage │
│ - get_folder_size │ │ - Writes to Tracer/*.json │
│ - git_status │ │ - Runs detached in background │
└─────────────────────┘ └─────────────────────────────────┘
```
### Startup Sequence
1. App launches → single instance lock acquired
2. Chromium memory optimizations applied (V8 heap cap, disabled background networking)
3. `local-asset://` custom protocol registered (serves local files to renderer)
4. Main window created with custom frameless titlebar
5. IPC handlers registered across 7 modules
6. Saved data loaded from `%APPDATA%/Unreal Launcher/save/` (or platform equivalent)
7. Tracer data merged if `tracerMergeEnabled` is set
8. Renderer loads → splash screen shown → React app bootstraps
9. Default route navigates to Engines page
10. Background tasks deferred: native module warmup, tracer startup, update check
### Scanning Flow
When you click **Scan** for engines or projects:
1. Main process spawns a **Worker Thread** (off the main thread)
2. Worker loads the Rust N-API native module
3. Native module performs fast filesystem traversal
4. Results returned to main process via `worker.once('message')`
5. Tracer data merged into results (if enabled)
6. Saved to `engines.json` / `projects.json`
7. Renderer receives the array and updates the UI
### Size Calculation Flow
Size calculation runs entirely in the background:
1. Worker thread spawned per engine/project (or batch for all projects)
2. Rust `get_folder_size()` walks the directory tree (skips `.git`, `node_modules`)
3. Results pushed back to renderer via `onSizeCalculated` IPC event
4. Cards update in-place without re-rendering the full list
### Data Persistence
All data lives in Electron's `userData` directory:
```
Windows: %APPDATA%\Unreal Launcher\
macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Unreal Launcher/
Linux: ~/.config/Unreal Launcher/
Structure:
├── save/
│ ├── engines.json ← saved engine list
│ ├── projects.json ← saved project list
│ ├── settings.json ← app settings + fab path
│ ├── engine-scan-paths.json ← custom engine scan paths (Linux)
│ └── project-scan-paths.json← custom project scan paths (Linux)
└── Tracer/
├── engines.json ← tracer-collected engine data
└── projects.json ← tracer-collected project data
```
On each scan, tracer data is merged with saved data. Tracer provides `lastOpenedAt` timestamps; saved data takes precedence for all other fields.
---
## Tech Stack
### Frontend
| Library | Version | Purpose |
| ------------- | ------- | -------------------------------------- |
| React | 19 | UI framework |
| TypeScript | 5.9 | Type safety |
| Tailwind CSS | 4 | Styling |
| Zustand | 5 | State management (navigation) |
| Framer Motion | 12 | Animations |
| Lucide React | 1.8 | Icons |
| React Router | 7 | Page routing |
| React Window | 2 | Virtualized lists (large project sets) |
### Backend (Main Process)
| Library | Version | Purpose |
| ---------------- | ------- | ------------- |
| Electron | 39 | Desktop shell |
| Node.js | 18+ | Runtime |
| electron-updater | 6.8 | Auto-updates |
| discord-rpc | 4.0 | Rich presence |
### Build Tools
| Tool | Version | Purpose |
| ---------------- | ------- | --------------------------- |
| Vite | 7 | Bundler |
| electron-vite | 5 | Electron + Vite integration |
| electron-builder | 26 | Packaging & distribution |
| Prettier | 3 | Code formatting |
| ESLint | 9 | Linting |
### Native (Rust)
| Crate | Purpose |
| ------------------ | -------------------------- |
| napi / napi-derive | N-API bindings for Node.js |
| serde / serde_json | JSON serialization |
---
## IPC Handler Reference
The main process exposes the following IPC channels to the renderer:
### Engines
| Channel | Description |
| -------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------- |
| `scan-engines` | Scan filesystem + registry + merge tracer data |
| `select-engine-folder` | Open dialog, validate, add engine |
| `launch-engine` | Spawn engine executable |
| `delete-engine` | Remove from store |
| `calculate-engine-size` | Background folder size |
| `scan-marketplace-plugins` | List plugins in `Engine/Plugins/Marketplace` |
### Projects
| Channel | Description |
| ----------------------------- | ------------------------------------------ |
| `scan-projects` | Find `.uproject` files + merge tracer data |
| `select-project-folder` | Open dialog, batch import (max 20) |
| `launch-project` | Open in editor |
| `launch-project-game` | Launch in `-game` mode |
| `open-directory` | Open folder in Explorer/Finder/File Manager|
| `delete-project` | Remove from store |
| `calculate-project-size` | Background folder size |
| `calculate-all-project-sizes` | Batch size calculation with push events |
### Project Tools
| Channel | Description |
| -------------------- | ------------------------------------- |
| `project-read-log` | Tail latest `.log` file (64KB chunks) |
| `project-git-status` | Read branch, remote URL from `.git/` |
| `project-git-init` | `git init` + create UE `.gitignore` |
| `project-read-file` | Read file content (config, uproject) |
| `project-write-file` | Write file content with validation |
| `open-terminal` | Launch terminal in project directory |
### Fab Marketplace
| Channel | Description |
| ---------------------- | ----------------------------------- |
| `fab-get-default-path` | Find first existing Fab cache path |
| `fab-select-folder` | Open dialog for custom Fab folder |
| `fab-scan-folder` | Scan folder, extract asset metadata |
| `fab-save-path` | Persist custom path to settings |
| `fab-load-path` | Load saved Fab path |
### Tracer (Windows only)
| Channel | Description |
| ---------------------- | -------------------------------------- |
| `tracer-get-startup` | Check Windows registry Run key |
| `tracer-set-startup` | Enable/disable + registry sync + spawn |
| `tracer-is-running` | Check via tasklist |
| `tracer-get-data-dir` | Return tracer data directory |
| `tracer-get-merge` | Get merge-on-scan setting |
| `tracer-set-merge` | Set merge-on-scan setting |
| `engines-get-registry` | Get registry scan setting |
| `engines-set-registry` | Set registry scan setting |
### Updates
| Channel | Description |
| ---------------------- | ------------------------------------- |
| `check-for-updates` | Trigger electron-updater check |
| `download-update` | Download pending update |
| `install-update` | Quit and install |
| `get-app-version` | Return current version string |
| `check-github-version` | Compare against latest GitHub release |
### Window & System
| Channel | Description |
| ---------------------- | ------------------------------------ |
| `window-minimize` | Minimize window |
| `window-maximize` | Maximize / restore window |
| `window-close` | Quit app |
| `window-is-maximized` | Check window state |
| `open-external` | Open HTTPS URL in browser |
| `send-discord-webhook` | Proxy webhook with multipart support |
| `get-native-status` | Check if Rust module loaded |
| `clear-app-data` | Wipe engines, projects, settings |
| `clear-tracer-data` | Wipe tracer data |
---
## Project Structure
```
UnrealLauncher/
├── docker/ # Docker build files
│ ├── Dockerfile
│ ├── .dockerignore
│ ├── build-docker.sh
│ └── build-docker.ps1
├── docs/ # Documentation
│ ├── BUILD.md
│ ├── BUILD_INSTRUCTIONS.md
│ ├── CONTRIBUTING.md
│ ├── CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md
│ ├── DONATE.md
│ ├── SECURITY.md
│ └── OPTIMIZATION_REPORT.md
├── native/ # Rust N-API native module
│ ├── src/lib.rs # scan_engines, find_uproject, get_folder_size, git_status
│ ├── Cargo.toml
│ └── dist/ # Compiled .node binary
├── resources/ # Packaged assets
│ ├── icon.ico / icon.png
│ └── unreal_launcher_tracer.exe (Windows only)
├── scripts/ # Build helper scripts
│ ├── build-admin.ps1 # Windows — elevate + build:win
│ ├── build-installer.bat # Windows — admin installer build
│ ├── build-installer.ps1 # Windows — PowerShell installer build
│ └── build-linux.sh # Linux — AppImage + deb build
├── src/
│ ├── main/ # Electron main process
│ │ ├── index.ts # Entry, protocol, single instance, memory opts
│ │ ├── ipcHandlers.ts # Registers all IPC modules
│ │ ├── store.ts # Data persistence (engines/projects/settings)
│ │ ├── storeTracerMerge.ts
│ │ ├── updater.ts # electron-updater setup
│ │ ├── types.ts # Shared TypeScript types
│ │ ├── logger.ts # Logging system
│ │ ├── discordPresence.ts # Discord Rich Presence
│ │ ├── ipc/ # IPC handler modules (25+ files)
│ │ ├── utils/ # Utility modules (15+ files)
│ │ ├── scanWorker/ # Worker thread implementations
│ │ └── window/ # Window management (4 files)
│ ├── preload/
│ │ ├── index.ts # contextBridge — exposes electronAPI to renderer
│ │ └── index.d.ts # Type definitions for window.electronAPI
│ └── renderer/
│ └── src/
│ ├── App.tsx
│ ├── main.tsx
│ ├── pages/ # Engines, Projects, Settings, About
│ ├── components/ # Organized by feature (engines/, projects/, settings/, layout/, ui/)
│ ├── hooks/ # Custom React hooks
│ ├── types/ # Renderer-side type aliases
│ ├── store/ # Zustand state management
│ └── utils/ # Theme, settings, asset resolution
├── tracer/ # Rust tracer source (Windows only)
├── build/ # electron-builder assets (icons, entitlements)
├── CHANGELOG.md
├── README.md
├── LICENSE
├── package.json
├── electron-builder.yml
├── electron.vite.config.ts
└── tsconfig*.json
```
---
## Quick Start
### Prerequisites
- **Node.js** 18+ (check with `node --version`)
- **Rust toolchain** (for native modules & tracer) — [Install](https://rustup.rs/)
- **npm** (comes with Node.js)
### Setup
```bash
git clone https://github.com/NeelFrostrain/UnrealLauncher.git
cd UnrealLauncher
npm install
```
### Development
```bash
npm run dev
```
The app will launch in development mode with hot reload enabled.
### Preview Production Build
```bash
npm run start
```
---
## Building
### Full Production Build
```bash
# Build tracer + app for current platform
npm run build
```
### Platform-Specific Packages
```bash
npm run build:win # Windows NSIS installer (.exe)
npm run build:mac # macOS DMG (.dmg) — Coming Soon
npm run build:linux # Linux AppImage + DEB
```
### Unpacked Build (for testing)
```bash
npm run build:unpack
```
**Build Status Badges:**
See [docs/BUILD.md](docs/BUILD.md) for the full build guide including native modules and the Rust tracer.
---
## Available Scripts
| Command | Description |
| ---------------------- | ------------------------------ |
| `npm run dev` | Start in development mode |
| `npm run start` | Preview production build |
| `npm run build` | Build for current platform |
| `npm run build:win` | Windows installer |
| `npm run build:mac` | macOS package |
| `npm run build:linux` | Linux package |
| `npm run build:native` | Build Rust N-API native module |
| `npm run build:tracer` | Build Rust tracer executable |
| `npm run typecheck` | TypeScript type checking |
| `npm run lint` | Run ESLint |
| `npm run lint:fix` | Fix ESLint issues |
| `npm run format` | Format with Prettier |
| `npm run clean` | Remove build artifacts |
---
## Distribution
| Platform | Format | Architecture | Status | Badge |
| :--- | :--------------------- | :----------- | :---------- | :---- |
| Windows | NSIS installer `.exe` | x64 | Stable |  |
| macOS | `.dmg` | x64, arm64 | Coming Soon |  |
| Linux | AppImage | x64 | Stable |  |
| Linux | `.deb` | x64 | Stable |  |
Published to GitHub Releases: [NeelFrostrain/UnrealLauncher/releases](https://github.com/NeelFrostrain/UnrealLauncher/releases)
---
## Contributing
See [docs/CONTRIBUTING.md](docs/CONTRIBUTING.md) for the full guide.
### Quick Contribution Steps
1. Fork the repo
2. Create a feature branch: `git checkout -b feature/your-feature`
3. Run type checking and linting: `npm run typecheck && npm run lint`
4. Commit your changes
5. Open a pull request
---
## License
Copyright (c) 2026 NeelFrostrain. All rights reserved.
This project uses a **proprietary license**. You may download and run the compiled binary for personal use, but you may **not** copy, modify, redistribute, or use the source code in your own projects.
See [LICENSE](LICENSE) for full terms.
---
## Support & Community
| Channel | Contact & Support Link |
| :--- | :--- |
| **🐛 Bug Reports** | [](https://github.com/NeelFrostrain/UnrealLauncher/issues) |
| **💬 Q&A & Ideas** | [](https://github.com/NeelFrostrain/UnrealLauncher/discussions) |
| **🎮 Community** | [](https://discord.gg/vq4UDfevG2) |
| **✉️ Direct Mail** | [](mailto:nfrostrain@gmail.com) |
| **☕ Support Me** | [](https://ko-fi.com/neelfrostrain) |
**Community Badges:**
[](https://discord.gg/vq4UDfevG2)
[](https://github.com/NeelFrostrain/UnrealLauncher/discussions)
[](https://ko-fi.com/neelfrostrain)
---
## Acknowledgments
Built with by [Neel Frostrain](https://github.com/NeelFrostrain)
Special thanks to the Unreal Engine community and all contributors who have helped shape this project.
---
### Recent Changes
- **PR #15 Merged** — Linux pre-release v2.2.4 merged into main
- **3 files changed** in merge commit
- **Parent commits:** `6abb82a` + `133fe34`
For detailed changelog, see [CHANGELOG.md](CHANGELOG.md)
---