Mouse Handling in Unreal Pixel Streaming

In Unreal Engine Pixel Streaming applications, mouse input can be managed at two distinct layers:

1. Inside the Unreal application (Unreal mouse cursor)

2. In the web browser (Browser mouse cursor)

Understanding how these two interact is important for achieving smooth and responsive Pixel Streaming experience.

Option 1. Enable Mouse Cursor Inside the Unreal Game

In this approach, the mouse cursor is enabled directly inside the Unreal Engine project (for example using Show Mouse Cursor in the Player Controller).

Behavior

• The cursor is rendered inside the the streamed video output

• Mouse movement is sent from the browser to Unreal and then rendered back as video

Drawbacks

• The cursor becomes part of the video stream

• This introduces visible latency between mouse movement and cursor position

• The cursor may feel slow or slightly delayed, especially on higher-latency networks

Recommendation

❌ Not recommended for Pixel Streaming

Because the cursor is rendered inside the video stream, any network delay directly affects cursor responsiveness. This can result in a poor user experience, especially for UI-heavy applications.

Option 2. Enable Browser Mouse Cursor (Recommended)

In this approach, the mouse cursor is handled entirely by the browser while Unreal receives only the input events.

Behavior

• The browser displays the mouse cursor locally

• Unreal receives mouse input instantly without rendering the cursor

• Cursor movement feels immediate and smooth

Advantages

• No visible cursor latency

• Much smoother UI interaction

• Ideal for menus, UI panels, configurators, and interactive tools

Recommendation

✅ Strongly recommended for Pixel Streaming

Using the browser mouse provides the best user experience and avoids the latency issues associated with rendering the cursor inside the streamed video.

How to Enable Browser Mouse

To enable and configure the browser mouse for Pixel Streaming, please follow the official Eagle 3D Streaming guide:

Enable Browser Mouse

Option 3. Enable Both Unreal Mouse and Browser Mouse

Enabling both cursor systems at the same time can cause conflicts and unpredictable behavior.

Issues You May Encounter

• Two visible cursors (one from the browser, one from Unreal)

• Cursor misalignment

• Inconsistent click behavior

• Increased user confusion

Recommendation

❌ Do not enable both at the same time

This setup leads to a degraded experience and should be avoided in production environments.

Summary

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