Updated on Nov 12, 2023 · 3 mins read

Unreal Engine vs. Unity - Which Game Engine to Choose?

Adam Grachek
Adam Grachek

urbanist and engineer with an affinity for good techno music

Unreal Engine vs. Unity - Which Game Engine to Choose?

Game development involves many moving parts to get a finished product. After all, it includes a concept, storylines, character design, world design, building, testing, and finally releasing. A huge part of this process is the game engine or the basic software you use to design your game.

Choosing the best game engine can be stressful. But luckily, there are some good options to create in this industry. There are two main competitors on the scene — Unreal Engine vs. Unity. Keep reading for the ultimate comparison between these two giants!

What Is Unreal Engine

Unreal Engine 4 was first released in 2014. Who uses Unreal Engine? Generally, games that use Unreal Engine are created by larger AAA studios. Due to this, you can expect more of a learning curve, and it requires knowledge of the more difficult coding language of C++ for game development. In return, you get a great ability to scale and the best graphics currently possible when you create Unreal Engine games. You won’t be limited by much besides compatibility.

While Unity tends to get more customers for its 2D capabilities, Unreal has the Paper2D plugin, so you won’t be held back. Now, if you’re looking for 3D modeling software, we’ve got a great comparison for you!

The other consideration is that generally Unreal Engine can provide better graphics and visuals than Unity, if you are really maximizing the available features. Unity and Unreal Engine are on the same level for the most part with animation and visualization, but more veteran users will be able to enhance the quality of their creations in Unreal Engine from a technical perspective.

If you are new to Unreal Engine, you should definitely check out our list of learning tutorials to get started. You can find this in our article Top Tutorials for Learning Unreal Engine 4.

  • Compatibility: Windows 7 and up.
  • System Requirements: Visual Studio 2017, 500 GB Solid State Drive, 8 GB RAM, Quad-core Intel or AMD processor - 2.5GHZ, and DirectX 11 or DirectX 12 compatible graphics card.
  • Pros: High graphic quality, open-sourced, more scalable.
  • Cons: More complex interface, uses C++, high minimum requirements for faster rendering in Unreal Engine.
  • Price: Free, but 5% of earnings.

What Is Unity

Currently, Unity leads the market in game development. When it comes to Unity game development, you can make both 2D and 3D games with ease. The interface works perfectly to guide beginners and requires little additional learning for pros. If you are starting out with these game engines, it may be easier to start with Unity and then work your way up to Unreal Engine if you so choose.

It even has tools to limit the amount of coding you need to do, and the rest uses C#, which is familiar to most. When it comes to 2D, while both engines have the capability, Unity is generally considered more robust.

Who uses Unity? Generally, Unity is favored by Indie developers. It also has a larger community, but both engines still have good-sized communities.

If you are new to Unity and looking to get started, you can see our top picks for learning tutorials in Unity in the post Top Tutorials for Learning Unity. Definitely worth a look for beginners!

  • Compatibility: Windows 7 and up, macOS High Sierra 10.13+, Linux Ubuntu 20.04/18.04/CentOS 7.
  • System Requirements: Processor with x64 architecture, DirectX10 compatible graphics card.
  • Pros: large community, beginner-friendly, cross-platform.
  • Cons: Difficult to create big worlds, lower quality graphics.
  • Price: Free unless annual revenue exceeds $100,000 (then it’s $35 per month and includes additional features).

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