PlayStation and Kubernetes: How to Solve a Problem Like Real-Time

Challenges of running real-time game servers in a Kubernetes cluster

• Real-time game servers require stable connections and low latency
• Kubernetes can be a good fit for hosting websites and APIs but may not work well for real-time game servers
• PlayStation is using Agones, an open source project, to run game servers in a Kubernetes cluster
• Agones allows for fine-grain control and game-specific logic in scaling game servers
• Multi-region deployment can be achieved through a ping-based approach and a Matchmaker software can group players together based on various parameters

Real-time game servers require stable connections and low latency, which can be challenging to achieve in a Kubernetes cluster. At PlayStation, we are using Agones, an open source project, to run game servers in a Kubernetes cluster. Agones allows for more fine-grain control and game-specific logic in scaling game servers, which is important for providing a great shared-world game experience. Multi-region deployment can be achieved through a ping-based approach and a Matchmaker software can group players together based on various parameters. By using these tools, we hope to get all the benefits of the Kubernetes ecosystem without sacrificing the ability to provide great shared-world game experiences.

Kubernetes can be a natural fit for hosting things like websites and APIs - but hosting something that requires sets of long-lived stable connections may not work as well in the shifting sands that is a Kubernetes cluster. Realtime video game servers are one of these things, as a group of friends would not enjoy being booted out of their 30 minute match because the pod they were playing in got autoscaled. At PlayStation we're trying to use an open source project, Agones, to run game servers in a Kubernetes cluster. We hope to get all the benefits that come with the Kubernetes ecosystem, without sacrificing the ability to provide great shared-world game experiences.