UE 4.24 + Quest : Error reading .pak file

Development Platform & Builds XR Development
1

Hi,

on UE 4.24 with a Quest, I tried to download, mount and read a .pak file.
The processus works perfectly on windows but crash on quest.

Parameter for android are good because all the rest of my application works perfectly on the quest
C++ code seem allright because works perfectly on windows, and don’t contains any windows specificity.

I known after taking a long time in developpement for windows, that my application need to be packaging on shipping and use the packaging parameter “use pak file”

When i check the log of the quest launcher i see


 BuildCookRun -project="D:/UnrealProject/Workspace Portable/4.24/test c++ QUEST/MyGame.uproject" -noP4 -clientconfig=Shipping -serverconfig=Shipping -nocompile -nocompileeditor -installed -ue4exe=D:\Unreal_engine\UE_4.24\Engine\Binaries\Win64\UE4Editor-Cmd.exe -utf8output -platform=Android -targetplatform=Android -cookflavor=ASTC -ini:Game:[/Script/UnrealEd.ProjectPackagingSettings]:BlueprintNativizationMethod=Disabled -cook -map= -unversionedcookedcontent -compressed -stage -deploy -cmdline=" -Messaging" -device=Android_ASTC@********* -addcmdline="-SessionId=18DB21CE41B275A8A6956EB989FE1B00 -SessionOwner='gargarrel' -SessionName='Quest (**********)'  " -run

I do not see the -pak parameter, and when i explore folder on the quest i don’t see any .pak file.

My question :

  • Is it technically possible, android support the pak file system ?
  • I am new in the android world, does i need specific signature or parameter for having a real shipping launch with pak file ? Meaning i just generate a standart keystore from google and put it on /build/android, it is enough ?
  • Does i need to have my application validated on the quest store for having the pak reader ?
2

A few things. You don’t need any signing keys for testing locally. Pak files work on Android/Quest by default, there aren’t any strange things you have to do.

When you are finished packaging, the output should be 4 files,

  • install/uninstall batch files
  • an apk
  • an obb

Open the obb in 7z and make sure your pak file is in there.

Also, last I could find, Target SDK Version maxes out at 25 for the Quest. Also, you should be building for arm64 only starting in 4.24 - previously arm64 builds were broken in 4.23 but they are now working in 4.24 and Oculus store now only accepts 64-bit apps. You should also support Vulkan, it gave us a huge performance boost.

I don’t know exactly what you’re doing SDK-wise and what the crash is, but you might consider that running a packaged project vs running in the editor have very different code paths as they startup. Perhaps test your code as windows-shipping to make sure you aren’t displacing the root problem.