Why I'm not switching to Unreal Engine | Unity vs Unreal

Summary

In this video, Brandon, a game developer with seven years of experience, discusses the classic debate between Unity and Unreal game engines. He highlights the advancements in both engines, making it harder to choose based on skill sets alone. Brandon emphasizes that both engines are highly capable, and the choice often comes down to personal preference and familiarity. He shares his reasons for sticking with Unity, despite the allure of new features in Unreal, citing his proficiency and custom tools developed over the years. The video encourages viewers to choose the engine that aligns with their goals and expertise.

Takeaways

• 🎮 Game developers often debate whether Unity or Unreal is the better engine.
• 🧑‍💻 The speaker, Brandon, has been making games for seven years and shares his perspective.
• 🙏 The speaker acknowledges other engines like Godot, which are also popular among indie developers.
• 🔀 The distinction between Unity for programmers and Unreal for artists is becoming less clear.
• 📜 Unreal's C++ and Unity's visual scripting tools have evolved, allowing non-programmers to create games.
• 🌟 Unity and Unreal both offer robust tools and free assets for game development.
• 🚀 Unity's Entity Component System (ECS) and Unreal's Nanite and Lumen are notable advancements.
• 🎨 Beautiful games can be made with both engines, regardless of art style or size.
• 🛠️ The choice between engines often comes down to personal preference and familiarity.
• 👨‍🏫 The speaker prefers Unity due to his extensive experience and efficiency with the engine.
• ⚙️ Switching engines frequently can hinder progress and efficiency in game development.
• 📈 Both Unity and Unreal continue to improve and compete, benefiting developers.

Q & A

Who is the speaker in the video and what is the main topic?

The speaker is Brandon, who makes game development videos with his wife Nikki. The main topic is the debate between using Unity or Unreal Engine for game development.

What is the classic debate in the game development space mentioned in the video?

The classic debate is whether to use Unity or Unreal Engine for game development.

Why does the speaker focus on Unity and Unreal, and not other engines like Godot?

The speaker focuses on Unity and Unreal because the debate has traditionally been between these two engines, although Godot is rising in popularity.

How was the choice between Unity and Unreal clearer in the past?

It used to be clearer because Unity was preferred by programmers for its use of C#, while Unreal was favored by artists for its visual scripting solutions.

How have Unity and Unreal changed to blur the lines between them?

Unity now has native visual scripting, and Unreal has improved its C++ solutions, making both engines more accessible to developers regardless of their programming knowledge.

What are some of the advanced features recently introduced by Unity and Unreal?

Unity introduced the Entity Component System and Visual Effect Graph, while Unreal released Nanite for high-poly models and Lumen for real-time lighting without light map baking.

Why does the speaker believe there is no clear distinction between Unity and Unreal now?

Because both engines offer a wealth of free assets and tools, and are continually improving, making either a viable choice for game development regardless of experience level.

What does the speaker think about the perception that Unreal produces better-looking games by default?

The speaker disagrees with this perception, noting that beautiful games can be made with both engines and that Unreal's default post-processing effects can make it seem like it produces better visuals out of the box.

Why does the speaker continue to use Unity despite the ongoing improvements in Unreal?

The speaker continues to use Unity because of his familiarity and proficiency with it, having developed custom utilities and coding solutions specific to Unity over seven years.

What is the speaker's main goal in choosing an engine?

The speaker's main goal is to efficiently achieve his game development goals, which he believes is best accomplished by mastering one engine rather than frequently switching between engines.

What does the speaker say about the transferability of skills between different game engines?

The speaker acknowledges that skills learned in one engine can be transferred to another, but emphasizes the efficiency and proficiency gained from deep familiarity with a single engine.

What would make the speaker consider switching from Unity to another engine?

The speaker would need a very compelling reason, such as a project that Unity cannot handle, to consider switching engines.