Unity VS UE4, how do virtual reality development engines choose?

The VR wave is swept, and compared to the enthusiasm of capital, what is really needed in reality is a strong VR hardware R&D team and professional content Production team. For entry-level developers, the choice of game engine has become a big problem.

Currently there are many types of virtual reality game development engines. The two mainstream engines are Unity and Unreal Engine. These two engines currently support the largest VR platforms, such as Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Gear VR and Playstation. VR and so on. This article will analyze the advantages and disadvantages of Unreal Engine and Unity engine, and provide some suggestions for entry-level developers to choose.

Unity-the world of mobile games

Unity 3D is developed by Unity Technologies A multi-platform comprehensive game development tool that allows players to easily create interactive content such as 3D video games, architectural visualization, and real-time 3D animation. It is a fully integrated professional game engine. At first, it could only run under the Mac system, but later it began to support the Windows system, and it can publish games to Windows, Mac, Wii, iPhone and Android platforms.

Unity advantages

• The first choice for mobile games, there are many tutorials and documents on the website (especially for entry-level developers);
• Use C# and JavaScript coding (C++ can be used in specific fields, but it is not recommended);
• More friendly, with more plug-ins available, and high development efficiency;
• Simple and intuitive UI interface and easy-to-learn settings;
• Suitable for low-configuration hardware.

Insufficient Unity

• Compared with Unreal Engine4 (UE4), the 3D image quality is not the best;

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• The source code is not open;
• Unity is free, Unity Pro and Unity iOS Pro only provide a 30-day full-featured trial period;

Unreal Engine (UE)-Developer’s Paradise

When it comes to game engine development, I have to mention Unreal (UE). UE is currently the world’s most well-known and most licensed top game engine, occupying the world 80% market share of commercial game engines. As analyzed by industry insiders, according to the project type and budget, if the budget is sufficient, use Unreal, and if you want to develop quickly, use Unity. Unreal is more suitable for large-scale game projects.

UE advantages

• Entry-level developers can find many tutorials and documents on the Internet;
• There are dedicated design resources and optimization companies to create high-end and immersive VR;
• Use blueprints (visual programming) . Drag and drop nodes and customize C++ code. However, it’s not as easy as it sounds. Blueprints have their own learning curve;
• Free;
• Pre-built frameworks, rapid creation of environments and particle systems, and millions of renderings;

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• Better picture quality, better material editor;
• The source code of the engine can be downloaded from the Github open source community, which means that developers can modify virtually anything, including the physics engine , Rendering and graphical user interface.

Insufficient UE

• C++ (only for junior developers not familiar with this language);
• Long loading time;
• Real-time processing is poor.

Summary

In general, the two engines are the mainstream engines for the development of VR. Unity 3D is relatively light and more suitable for developing lightweight experiences or demos. However, it can have better support for VR functions. UE4 is the heavyweight. Unity seems to be more suitable for developers, and UE4 is more suitable for designers who are interested in animation and art. The choice of an engine mainly depends on what kind of project is to be developed. See what kind of engine is needed according to the project. If you have enough time, you can try the two development engines, and then make the choice that suits you.