With the rapid advancement of technology, video game development engines have evolved significantly. Mobile game developers now rely on powerful tools and frameworks within these engines to create immersive, high-quality games. A game engine serves as the foundation for building video games, offering a wide range of features such as libraries, plugins, customization options, and built-in tools that help bring your game idea to life across various platforms.
Among the most popular game engines are Unity and Unreal Engine—two industry giants that dominate the mobile game development space. Choosing between them can be challenging, as each offers unique strengths. While some developers prefer Unreal Engine for its stunning visuals and performance, others are drawn to Unity for its accessibility and flexibility.
In this blog, we’ll break down the key features, advantages, and limitations of both Unity and Unreal Engine to help you make an informed decision and choose the right engine to turn your game concept into reality.
What is Unity Game Engine?
To facilitate mobile game development, Unity was launched in 2005 by Unity Technologies. Since its launch, it has progressed a lot and is now among the most preferred game engines used by indie game developers. With the easy-to-learn user interface coupled with a vast active community, Unity climbed to the top and is now dominating the mobile game market. Various prominent mobile games like Pokemon GO and Fall Guys were developed with the help of the Unity game engine.
Moreover, in 2020, Unity launched its Mixed and Augmented Reality Studio known as MARS which is capable of leveraging advanced technologies like AR/VR and developing next-gen mobile games with Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality.
What are the Key Features of the Unity Game Engine?
- Beginner-friendly interface with advanced features
- Architecture to facilitate quick game development
- Immersive graphics, seamless frame rates, and crisp sound design
- Precise control over game features with Unity Scripting API
- Innovative Game Development Tools for Next-Gen Games
- Simplified game publishing workflow.
- Pre-built assets accessible in an extensive asset library
- Optimized game performance with render pipeline options
- Destroy and create custom game objects
- Create Unity VR Game
What are the Advantages & Disadvantages of Unity Game Engine?
Now, let’s take a look at the various pros and cons of Unity game engine so you can clear all your doubts regarding Unity game engine, and can make an informed choice.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Free Game Engine( Pro and Plus versions are paid) | Lack of open-source codes |
| Quick game development with C# code | Not popular with AAA game publishers |
| Active Community | Lack of real-time multiplayer capabilities |
| AR/VR Support | Unreal Engine is more graphic-intensive |
| Rich Asset Store | Asset quality is varied |
| Easy-to-use | Advance features for games |
Now that we have familiarised ourselves with the Unity Engine, let’s also look at the Unreal game engine and its features.
What is Unreal Game Engine?
The first edition of Unreal Engine was launched in 1998 by Tim Seveeny. Unreal, an FPS shooter, was the very first game developed using the Unreal engine for game development. It is owned by Epic Games and the popular engine is widely known for its portability and compatibility with various platforms including Android, iOS, Windows, Xbox, PlayStation, etc. One of the most prominent benefits of game development with the Ue is it allows the creation of high-quality graphics and robust game mechanics.
The accessibility and compatibility of Unreal Engine allow developers to import 3D-rendered graphics and Shadow maps to create realistic and lifelike graphics in mobile games.
What are the Key Features of Unreal Game Engine?
- Optimized for best-in-class consoles like PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X
- Unreal Audio Engine and MetaSounds for immersive and rich game audio
- Additional support for AR, VR, and MR.
- Unreal Editor facilitates world-building and landscape editor.
- Machine Learning eases character animation and development
- Nanite engine for rendering, lights, and shadows
- Unreal motion graphics UI
- C++ source code access
- Support all major platforms including Android, iOS, Windows, Xbox, PlayStation, macOS, etc.
What are the Advantages & Disadvantages of Unreal Game Engine?
Here is the list of the pros and cons of the Unreal game engine so you can clear all your doubts.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Open-source game engine | Unity’s asset store is better |
| Top-notch graphics | Lacks in 2D game development |
| The preferred choice of AAA publishers | Python is a professional language which is hard to learn |
| Real-time multiplayer support | Doesn’t support outdated hardware |
| Better rendering than the Unity game engine | Small User Base |
Unreal Engine vs Unity Engine: Side-by-Side Comparison
Below we have made a table comparing Unity and Unreal, let’s explore this to learn more about these two engines.
| Feature | Unity | Unreal Engine |
| Graphics and Speed | Great for simple 2D and 3D games, runs smoothly on mobile and small games. | Best for detailed, high-quality 3D graphics and big, complex games. |
| Ease of Use | Easy to learn and use, good for beginners and fast development. | Harder to learn, better for people with more experience. |
| Community Help | Big community with lots of guides, videos, and forums to learn from. | Smaller community but still has good support and resources. |
| Cost | Free for small teams; charges start if you make over $200K a year. | Free until your game makes $1 million; then, you pay 5% of your revenue. |
| Best For | Great for making simple 2D games, mobile games, and small projects. | Best for high-end 3D games, VR, and movie-like graphics. |
Popular Games Made with Unity
Unity is a widely used game engine by developers, it is also known as one of the best engines to work with. Here below, let’s have a look at the games that are made with the Unity engine.
Among Us
In this game, the players work as crewmates on a spaceship, completing tasks while trying t o uncover impostors. Impostors try to ruin the mission and secretly get rid of the crewmates without being noticed.
Pokémon Go
In Pokemon Go, players can explore real-world locations to catch Pokemon using AR technology, the game includes geolocation, multiplayer elements, and gamified exploration.
Hollow Knight
An amazingly hand-drawn game with difficult levels, challenging combat, and an atmospheric world filled with secrets. This is one of the most loved games by every age players.
Cuphead
Cuphead is known for its 1930s-inspired cartoon art style and punishing difficulty, The game is very challenging and provides different hurdles and tricky platforms on every stage.
Popular Games Made with Unreal
The Unreal Engine is known for creating visually stunning and performance-intensive games. Here’s a list of some popular games made with Unreal, along with their descriptions:
Fortnite
It is a culture-based game with a blend of royalty in it including building mechanics. Players compete in a shrinking play area, collecting weapons and materials to outlast opponents.
Gears of War Series
A milestone series that defined cover-based shooting gameplay, Gears of War combines extreme action, gripping storytelling, and cooperative multiplayer modes.
PUBG: Battlegrounds
Who doesn’t love PUBG? Of course everyone does, this game is one of the trending and most loved games among players. In this game, players are dropped onto an island where they scavenge for weapons and fight to be the last one standing in this tactical and realistic battle royale.
Final Fantasy VII Remake
Final Fantasy is an RPG game that is feature-rich, action-packed combat and stunning game. Its visuals are the center of attraction that grabs every player’s attention.
How Unity is Best for Mobile Game Development
Unity is the best choice for mobile game development which offers lightweight solutions and optimization for smaller devices.
Cross-platform Compatibility
More players indeed prefer a game that can be played on multiple devices which includes PCs, mobiles, consoles, and more. So every developer must prefer mobile game engines that are compatible with cross-platform game development. Here Unity wins the game, it supports development for iOS, Android, and other platforms as well.
Efficient and Lightweight
Unity is specially designed for smaller devices which consumes fewer resources while maintaining performance. There are many popular games created by using Unity are: Angry Birds2, Temple Run, and more.
AR/VR Integration
AR/VR is the new trend, every player likes to play games like Pokemon Go and more that are rich in features and give real-life-like experiences in the game. Unity is a pro in Augmented Reality game development.
Seamless Debugging
Debugging is an important part of mobile game development, the game is only successful when it runs smoothly on a platform. With the help of Unity, the game programmer can easily update the game without any hassle.
How Unreal Engine is Best for AAA Games?
Unreal engine is a perfect pair for AAA games as its ultimate focus is to deliver top-notch visuals and high-performance mechanics.
Photorealistic Graphics
Unreal’s advanced rendering features, like Nanite and Lumen( introduced in Unreal Engine5), allow a photorealistic environment and vibrant lighting, an idea for large-scale games with high visual fidelity.
Robust Performance
Unreal Engine is great at managing detailed 3D designs, huge game worlds, and smooth, high-quality animations. This makes it ideal for games like Fortnite, Final Fantasy VII Remake, and Gears of War.
Built-in Features for Large Projects
Unreal provides tools for managing complex AI systems, physics-based interactions, and advanced cinematic experiences, which are essential for AAA games.
Wrapping Up
Over time a lot of technological advancements have been seen in the competitive gaming world. It has given rise to the various mobile game development engines that have facilitated game development. These mobile game engines have made lives easy for developers by providing various features and tools that promote the creation of games across different platforms.
Unreal and Unity are two of the engines that are preferred by the game developers. Both Unreal and Unity are proficient in their various verticals. This depends on what type of game you want, as developing a game by Unity Engine means you might be focusing on a mobile audience, and if you are developing games using Unreal Engine then you might have a great budget!
Whether you prefer Unity or Unreal to make your game, BR Softech holds the expertise to polish your requirements into a world-class game. Contact us today if you have a fabulous game idea and we can help in capitalizing on that idea.
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)
Ans. Yes, we offer 2D game development with Unity. Our Unity game developers have years of experience working with the game engine and can develop 2D and 3D games.
Ans. The cost of developing a game with Unity is not fixed, it depends on various factors. However, you can contact us if you want to know the exact cost of the Unity game development.
Ans. Both game engines (unity or Unreal Engine) are capable of developing indie games flawlessly. However, if you are a beginner developer, you can choose Unity as it is fairly easy to learn and can be used by beginner developers.
Ans. Unity game engine is known for its user-friendly interface and simple navigation, and even beginners can use it easily. It also offers you a huge community, tutorials, guides, and lots of lessons for any kind of help. Meanwhile, Unreal engine has an advanced user interface that makes it hard to use and to dive in-depth, you have to use C++ language which is tough to learn in comparison to C#.
Ans. To develop 2D games, Unity is the best game engine because it has excellent tools and plugins to create simple and engaging 2D games.
Ans. Unity’s asset store is larger than Unreal, it offers a wide variety of ready-to-use assets and tools. Unreal Engine’s marketplace has high-quality assets, especially for photorealistic projects, but it is comparatively smaller.
Ans. Switching engines mid-project is highly impractical due to differences in architecture, scripting languages, and workflows. It’s best to carefully evaluate both engines before starting your project.
