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Unity vs Unreal Engine VR

Unity logo

Unity

Game Development

Create beautiful interactive content with the world's leading real-time engine

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Unreal Engine VR logo

Unreal Engine VR

AR/VR & Metaverse

AAA-quality VR development with Unreal Engine

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Unity unity Personal is free only for businesses with under $200,000 in funding or annual revenue; above that a Pro subscription is required; Unreal Engine VR steep system requirements with demanding GPU and CPU for rendering high-quality VR experiences
  • They diverge on capability: Unity covers Visual editor, Unreal Engine VR covers Photorealistic rendering.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Unity and Unreal Engine VR actually diverge.

Attributes where Unity and Unreal Engine VR differ
AttributeUnityUnreal Engine VR
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
PlatformsWindows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, WebglWindows, macOS, Linux
CategoryGame DevelopmentAR/VR & Metaverse
Founded20041995

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Unity

  • Visual editor
  • Physics engine (PhysX)
  • Animation system
  • Particle system
  • Built-in audio engine
  • Scripting with C#
  • Asset Store
  • Version control integration

Only in Unreal Engine VR

  • Photorealistic rendering
  • Physics simulation
  • Blueprint scripting
  • Motion controllers
  • SteamVR
  • Oculus
  • OpenXR
  • PSVR

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Unity

  • Building 2D and 3D games for desktop, mobile, web, AR and VRnot Unreal Engine VR
  • Shipping console titles under a Pro or Enterprise licencenot Unreal Engine VR
  • Real time 3D for manufacturing, automotive and retail visualisationnot Unreal Engine VR
  • Live operations and in-app purchase management for mobile gamesnot Unreal Engine VR

Unreal Engine VR

  • VR Gamingnot Unity
  • AR Marketingnot Unity
  • Virtual Trainingnot Unity
  • 3D Visualizationnot Unity
  • Immersive Experiencesnot Unity

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Unity

  • Unity Personal is free only for businesses with under $200,000 in funding or annual revenue; above that a Pro subscription is required
  • Unity Pro costs $210.00 per month or $2,310.00 per year per seat
  • Businesses with more than $25M in annual revenue are required to be on Unity Enterprise, which is custom priced and requires contacting sales
  • Deploying to game consoles and to Apple Vision Pro requires Unity Pro or above
  • Splash screen customization is not available on Unity Personal
  • Unity Personal is licensed for gaming and entertainment applications only
  • Read-only engine source code access is an Enterprise feature and carries an additional cost
  • Asset Manager storage on Personal is capped at 10 GB per organization
  • Unity AI tools are free for a 14 day trial on Personal, after which a paid subscription is required
  • Enterprise terms note that minimum subscription or spending commitments may apply

Unreal Engine VR

  • Steep system requirements with demanding GPU and CPU for rendering high-quality VR experiences
  • Only free with 5% royalty after $1 million in revenue, which may impact indie developers at scale

Pricing, plan by plan

Unity

Free
  • PersonalFree
    • Full engine access
    • Asset Store access
    • Community support
  • Professional$399/month
    • All Personal features
    • Priority support
    • Advanced analytics

Unreal Engine VR

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Unreal Engine VR review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Unity if

  • You need visual editor.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Webgl.
  • You also want physics engine (physx).
Unity review

Choose Unreal Engine VR if

  • You need photorealistic rendering.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want physics simulation.
Unreal Engine VR review

Questions people ask

Is Unity or Unreal Engine VR better?
Neither clearly leads. Unity starts at Free and Unreal Engine VR at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Unity or Unreal Engine VR?
Unity starts at Free and Unreal Engine VR at Free.
Does Unity or Unreal Engine VR run on more platforms?
Unity runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Webgl. Unreal Engine VR runs on Windows, macOS, Linux.
Can I use Unity for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Unity best used for?
Unity is most often used for building 2d and 3d games for desktop, mobile, web, ar and vr, shipping console titles under a pro or enterprise licence, real time 3d for manufacturing, automotive and retail visualisation, live operations and in-app purchase management for mobile games. Of those, building 2d and 3d games for desktop, mobile, web, ar and vr and shipping console titles under a pro or enterprise licence are not what Unreal Engine VR is typically brought in for.
What can Unity do that Unreal Engine VR cannot?
Unity covers Visual editor, Physics engine (PhysX), Animation system, Particle system. Unreal Engine VR covers Photorealistic rendering, Physics simulation, Blueprint scripting, Motion controllers.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Unreal Engine VR: Does Unreal Engine support VR and AR development?

Yes. Unreal Engine provides the highest-quality solution for creating augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR) experiences, supporting development for VR, AR, gaming consoles, PCs, and mobile devices.

Source
Unreal Engine VR: Is Unreal Engine 5 free to use?

Unreal Engine 5 is free for most uses with no upfront cost. If a project earns over $1 million, a 5% royalty applies to future sales.

Source
Unreal Engine VR: What platforms does Unreal Engine support for VR development?

Unreal Engine supports macOS and Linux development with some limitations, though Windows 10 (64-bit) is the primary development platform. It supports VR development targeting various VR headsets.

Source
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