Unity vs Unreal Engine: The Battle of The Gaming Engines

A game engine is the most essential component when it comes to building or developing a game because it is the game engine that brings the in-game characters to life. Not only that, but it also helps in building the scenes, animation, graphics, and characters around the game. 

For game developers, the game engine works like an IDE or Integrated Development Environment that provides them with pre-built standard tools and various software components necessary for creating the game.

The work of a game engine is to simplify the complex task of game development while giving an abstract layer to the developers. This way the developers can freely use the tool to develop their games while the game engine does the heavy task in the background. Game developers mainly utilize the game engines to produce games for PCs, consoles, mobile devices, etc.

If you are someone who wants to pursue your career in game development then you should be aware of the two most popular game engines used by seasoned game developers, namely Unity 3D and Unreal Engine. In this article, we will know more about Unity 3D and Unreal Engine as game engines and compare them with each other.

Current Status of the Global Gaming Market

In the year 2020, the global gaming market was worth 203.13 billion US dollars. The COVID-19 pandemic had a massive impact on the entire gaming industry, which was shocking for the game developers and gaming studios. According to different market research agencies and multiple reports, the worldwide gaming market showcased a massive growth of 38.24 percent in 2020. 

As per the previous market prediction, the growth of the gaming industry was projected at 229.16 billion dollars in 2021 to 545.98 billion dollars in 2028 with a CAGR of 13.20 percent during the entire period. A large number of people all over the world have been inclining toward games as their primary source of entertainment.

Through video games, people are releasing their stress and it also provides the gamers with a sense of joy as well as the experience of working together in a team. Moreover, studies have proven that you can calm down playful kids and simultaneously entertain adults with the help of video games.

Game engines work as the major software for developing a video or computer game. There are multiple important functions that you can get from a game engine such as scripting, artificial intelligence, animation, physics engine, sounds, memory management, collision detection, etc. Game engines are the medium through which you can not only have full command over a game but at the same time, you can have total control over the game settings.

In the year 2017, the global game engine market was worth 1717.2 million dollars and by 2026 it is expected to reach 4186.9 million dollars, which showcases a CAGR of 10.6 percent between the same period. 

The implementation of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) is going to have a huge impact on the global gaming market. We can already see the impact of AR and VR in Pokémon Go. Niantic, the company behind the game, has successfully made billions of dollars in revenue by implementing the same technology in the game. Let’s deep dive and understand the major difference between Unity vs Unreal in detail.

What is Unity 3D?

Unity 3D is a powerful IDE and game engine platform for developers. Unity has multiplied prebuilt- features that can help in making a game work. These built-in features include 3D rendering, physics, collision detection, etc. If we look through a developer’s eye then we won’t have to manually build everything from scratch while developing or creating a game. While starting a new project you won’t have to apply new physics laws by separately calculating their movement to decrease the level of surrealism in the game.

Moreover, the reason Unity is considering among the best game engines by developers is because of its asset store. It is a community-based section in the game engine platform where the game developers can upload their work and the whole community can utilize the same. 

For example, if you need a beautiful fire effect but don’t have enough time to build everything from scratch, in Unity 3D you will be easily able to find the fire effect you are searching for directly from the asset store. While working on Unity, the game developers can freely concentrate on their projects while coding for the feature that is extremely unique to the game. Unity game development allows for building robust and scalable gaming applications.

What is the Unreal Engine?

Unreal Engine, as its name suggests, is a game development engine that was developed in the year 1988 by the famous gaming studio Epic Games. Initially, the platform was a first-person shooter game but right now it is being utilized to create and develop games of different genres including Stealth, RPG (role-playing games), MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing games), fighting games, etc.

The platform only supports C++ as its coding language and it is immensely popular among seasoned game developers and gaming studios. The basic development technique offered by Unreal Engine is extremely helpful for beginners and freshers in the game development industry. The tools available in Unreal Engine provide the users the license to develop and create their games.

Unreal Engine is counted among the best game engines and is famous for its easy customization, in addition to the tools readily available to create HD AAA games without a lot of effort. Most of the freshers in this industry utilize the Unreal Engine platform to initiate their career in the gaming industry and create a portfolio for presentation.

It has various unique mechanisms through which users can run the game on their own. Not to mention, the editors and systematic set of tools available on the platform can help the developers modify the properties of the game and create the necessary artwork. 

Unreal Engine has different parts including an online module, input, graphics engine, physics engine, gameplay framework, sound engine, etc. The editors available in the Unreal Engine are necessary to develop games on the platform.

Unreal engine games are widely available and are some of the most played ones in the world. 

Unique Characteristics of Unity 3D that Make it One of the Best Game Engines

Here is a list of Characteristics of Unity in detail:

Easy Access Unity Asset Store

The adage “Easier said than done” stands true for Unity 3D as no game development software at present offers its audience a fully inbuilt and easily accessible asset store. The Unity Asset Store makes it one of the most popular features among game developers due to its multiple pre-designed assets. 

Before this, who would have thought accessing 2D/3D animation renders, pre-designed 3D models, and gaming tutorials will be just one click away?  The Unity Asset Store is an ideal characteristic that enables developers and designers to purchase assets according to their upgraded requirements and design needs.

Multi-Platform Developers’ Game Engine

Unity 3D is a platform that enables developers to build multiple projects for multiple gaming devices including Console (PS4 or Xbox), PC, AR/VR experiences, and mobile devices. It is currently the only suitable integration game engine for gamers across all major platforms. Developers can both build and port their games from one gaming platform to another with great ease. 

The processes of rendering and transferring assets also function smoothly in Unity 3D. Particularly graphics rendering is one of the most exciting features in Unity. This is because other platforms have their personalized system settings but in Unity, rendering from other engines like Direct 3D, OpenGL, Adobe, etc. are the simplest.

Rich Variety of Online Tutorials

Gamers feel that one of the most helpful characteristics of Unity 3D is the repository of online tutorials and learning materials. This bulk of rich learning resources in Unity boasts well-documented processes, detailed steps, multilingual texts, and video forums that enable a comprehensive understanding of gaming concepts. 

Among other varieties of resources, video tutorials are the most preferred as gamers can pause, apply, rewind, and forward the video as per their learning pace, giving them full flexibility to learn the different tools and processes. These tutorials on Unity 3D have allowed amateur game developers to access lessons relating to various aspects of gaming such that no novice will be afraid to start from scratch to master the development skills.

Multiple Coding Languages

Unity 3D is the most highly rated game engine owing to its ability to let developers use multiple coding languages based on their familiarity. The platform allows the hands-on experience of C#, BOO, and JavaScript (referred to as Unity Script), which is usually at the fingertips of any game developer.

Unique Features of Unreal Engine 

• Pipeline Integration
• Platform tools
• Animation
• World Building
• Simulations & Special Effects
• Gameplay & Interactivity Authoring
• Rendering & Lightening
• Integrated Media Support
• Developer tools

Major Differences Between Unity and Unreal Engine

Here is the list of key differences between Unity vs Unreal Engine:

After the above deliberation, it is safest to say that game development would be extremely difficult without both Unity and Unreal Engine. Unity and Unreal Engine have their own specific sets of advantages and disadvantages that cater to their relative audiences who make choices based on their requirements. 

While Unity is renowned for its huge clientele, performance development, and 2D/3D simulations, Unreal Engine is more preferred when gamers are building bigger games with superior quality graphics, leading to unreal engine games being among the most popular ones among gamers. 

Major Similarities Between Unity and Unreal Engine

Here is the list of similarities between Unity vs Unreal Engine:

Unity vs Unreal Engine: Comparison of Features and Functionality

Unity vs Unreal Engine offer a rich set of features for game development. Unity engine vs Unreal engine: Unity boasts a user-friendly interface, robust 2D and 3D capabilities, extensive asset store, and cross-platform support. Unreal Engine shines with its advanced graphics rendering, visual scripting system, realistic physics simulation, and powerful cinematic tools. Also read about Gaming and Esports and A Comprehensive Guide for Becoming a Game Developer.

Unity vs Unreal Engine: Ease of Use and Learning Curve

Unity provides a more beginner-friendly environment with its intuitive interface and simplified scripting language, C#. Unreal Engine, while more complex, offers a Blueprint visual scripting system that enables non-programmers to create gameplay mechanics easily. Unreal Engine has a steeper learning curve due to its advanced features. Explore Why Game Development is Getting Sudden Recognition in India? And career-in-game-design.

Unity vs Unreal Engine: Platforms and Deployment

Unity vs Unreal Engine both support multiple platforms, including PC, consoles, mobile devices, and virtual reality (VR). Unity’s multi-platform compatibility and seamless deployment options make it an excellent choice for indie developers. Unreal, emphasizes high-end graphics and is well-suited for AAA game development and cutting-edge experiences.

Unity vs Unreal Engine: Performance and Optimization

Unity Engine and Unreal Engine offer robust performance. Unity excels in delivering efficient performance for mobile and lightweight games. Unreal, renowned for its visual fidelity and realistic physics simulation, caters to high-end PC and console games, although it requires more optimization efforts for optimal performance.

Unity vs Unreal Engine: Pricing and Licensing Models

Unity follows a subscription-based pricing model, with different tiers based on the organization’s needs. It also offers a free version for beginners and small-scale projects. Unreal adopts a royalty-based approach, where developers pay a percentage of their game’s revenue once it surpasses a certain threshold, but it is free to use upfront.

Unity vs Unreal Engine: Community and Support

Both Unity Engine vs Unreal Engine boast thriving communities with extensive documentation, forums, tutorials, and asset stores. Unity has a larger community due to its wider user base, providing ample resources for troubleshooting and learning. Unreal, smaller in size, offers dedicated support from Epic Games and an active community of experienced developers.

Unity vs Unreal Engine: Case Studies and Examples

Unity has powered games like “Pokémon Go” and “Cuphead,” showcasing its versatility. Unreal has been behind acclaimed titles such as “Fortnite” and “Gears of War,” highlighting its graphical prowess and AAA capabilities.

Unity vs Unreal Engine: Choosing the Right Engine for Your Project  

Now we have understood the major difference between Unity vs Unreal Engine. Choosing between Unity and Unreal Engine depends on factors like project requirements, team skills, target platforms, asset pipeline, and community support. Unity offers accessibility and flexibility, while Unreal Engine excels in high-end graphics and cinematic experiences. Consider these factors to make the best decision.

Conclusion

In the Unity vs Unreal Engine battle, both engines have their strengths and cater to different types of game development. Unity shines in its accessibility and flexibility, while Unreal Engine excels in stunning graphics and AAA capabilities. 

For an aspiring gaming developer, learning Unity and Unreal Engine can reap long-term career benefits in a variety of wildly popular game-based careers like Game Designer, Visual Artist, Narrative Designer, Animator, AI Programmer, Audio Engineer, Game Developer, DevOps Engineer, Game Tester, and Game Journalist/Critic. 

Irrespective of the career choice, every game developer needs to have adept programming skills that they can receive from degrees like Advanced Diploma in Game Design and Development Application, B.Tech in Computer Science, B.Sc in Animation and Game Design, and M.Sc in Multimedia and Animation. 

Besides these, the game developer is expected to have a comprehensive understanding of AI, Operating Systems, Computer interfaces, 3D animation, Drawing, Game physics, Gaming architecture, and Audio foundation.

The Certificate Program in Gaming & Esports by Hero Vired and NODWIN Gaming is an excellent choice to get started in the world of gaming. You can learn about game engines, game development, and more key concepts with the program and help set the foundation for a successful career in the field of gaming and esports.