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Unity

Unity

Overview

What is Unity?

Unity Technologies headquartered in San Francisco offers the Unity real-time 3D and 2D development platform.

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Recent Reviews

TrustRadius Insights

Unity has found extensive use in the realm of game development, offering software developers and CTOs the tools to create immersive AR and …
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Unity Review

10 out of 10
February 23, 2022
We use Unity to develop school projects, especially 3D videogames with virtual reality, the project that was developed for us, had the …
Continue reading
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Pricing

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Enterprise

$200

On Premise
per person/per month

Plus

$399

On Premise
per person/per year

Pro

1,800

On Premise
per person/per year

Entry-level set up fee?

  • No setup fee

Offerings

  • Free Trial
  • Free/Freemium Version
  • Premium Consulting/Integration Services
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Product Demos

Unity GDC demo - Adam - Part I

YouTube
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Product Details

What is Unity?

Unity is a game engine designed to support 2d and 3d games, using either C# or JavaScript.

Unity Videos

Unity Feature Preview
Prefabs are the building blocks of any Unity project. Prefabs are essential for saving developers time, and maximizing efficiency. We go over how to create a prefab, how to instantiate one in code, and show an example of prefabs in action.

Unity Technical Details

Deployment TypesOn-premise
Operating SystemsWindows, Linux, Mac
Mobile ApplicationNo

Frequently Asked Questions

Unity Technologies headquartered in San Francisco offers the Unity real-time 3D and 2D development platform.

Reviewers rate Support Rating highest, with a score of 9.1.

The most common users of Unity are from Small Businesses (1-50 employees).
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Comparisons

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Reviews and Ratings

(18)

Community Insights

TrustRadius Insights are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, 3rd-party data sources. Have feedback on this content? Let us know!

Unity has found extensive use in the realm of game development, offering software developers and CTOs the tools to create immersive AR and VR experiences. Users appreciate Unity's ability to write code once and deploy it across multiple platforms, resulting in efficient code re-use. Integration with Android Studio and Xcode is seamless, simplifying the process of integrating Unity projects with these platforms. The software's power, flexibility, and smooth learning curve have made it a preferred choice for game development, particularly for 3D games. Additionally, Unity's pricing model based on revenue has been beneficial for organizations that provide free games to the population, allowing them to maximize their resources.

Furthermore, Unity is utilized beyond the gaming industry. It is widely employed in architectural visualization and virtual production, enabling designers and owners to gain a better perspective on projects before construction begins. In educational settings, Unity has proven valuable in school projects, assisting individuals with conditions like Asperger Syndrome by creating 3D videogames with virtual reality. Unity's comprehensive tutorials and vast asset library have also made it accessible for students and newcomers to game development.

Additionally, Unity addresses the need for accessible and fun mobile games on Google Play, appealing to users of all ages. The software is employed in various industries outside of gaming as well; for example, in Digital Media Communications programs, it is used to create 2D and 3D applications such as video games and interactive graphical interfaces. Moreover, Unity's capabilities for building 3D simulations and its gamification features make projects engaging and appealing to users across different fields.

Overall, Unity offers a versatile platform for developers looking to create immersive experiences in AR/VR or develop games across multiple platforms. With its intuitive interface and extensive features, Unity continues to be widely utilized across industries due to its efficiency in code re-use, seamless integration with other platforms, powerful capabilities for game development, accessibility for beginners, and versatility beyond gaming.

Effective 3D Space Design: Users have found Unity to be particularly effective for creating 3D spaces, whether for games or educational experiences. Several reviewers have praised its smooth transition between desktop and VR development, allowing them to easily immerse themselves in their creations using devices like the HTC Vive or Oculus Rift.

Wide Range of Reusable Assets: The availability of a wide range of reusable code and libraries in Unity's asset store has been highly appreciated by users. Many reviewers have mentioned that this feature saves a significant amount of time by offering pre-built solutions for common problems. They also appreciate the frequent updates from the Unity community, ensuring developers stay up to date with the latest VR and AR developments.

User-Friendly Interface: Unity's user-friendly interface has received praise from many reviewers. Its simplicity and ease of use make it accessible to beginners and contribute to a smoother learning curve. Additionally, helpers and shortcuts provided within the software facilitate common tasks in game development, further enhancing the user experience.

Overwhelming Interface: Some users have found Unity's interface to be overwhelming and complex, particularly for beginners. They feel that the abundance of options and the ability to attach specific code to objects in the scene can make navigation and organization challenging.

Unidirectional Mobile App Workflow: There is criticism that Unity's mobile app workflow is unidirectional, requiring a lengthy build process and making it difficult to make changes in Unity and see them reflected in Android Studio or Xcode in real-time. This has been mentioned by several reviewers as a drawback.

Shift from C++ to C#: Experienced professionals coming from other game engines may feel annoyed by the shift from using C++ to C# in Unity. While this transition may not be an issue for beginners starting with Unity, some users have expressed concern about having to learn a new programming language if they decide to switch to another game engine in the future.

Users commonly recommend the following three things when using Unity:

  1. Start with Unity Personal and upgrade to Professional if substantial revenue is generated.
  2. Utilize Unity's extensive library of tutorials and resources, and be patient and persistent in learning how to code in Unity.
  3. Take advantage of responsive forums for help, embrace the power of prefabs, and explore the Unity Asset Store for custom tooling and tips.

These recommendations highlight the cost efficiency of Unity compared to its competitors. The users suggest starting with the free version and upgrading to the Professional edition if their projects generate substantial revenue. They also emphasize the importance of utilizing Unity's extensive library of tutorials and resources to learn how to code effectively in Unity, while maintaining patience and persistence throughout the learning process. Seeking help from responsive forums, embracing the power of prefabs, and exploring the Unity Asset Store for custom tooling are also suggested strategies for maximizing productivity with Unity.

Attribute Ratings

Reviews

(1-10 of 10)
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Griffin Fils | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I currently use unity for architectural visualization and virtual production. One of the best use cases for us is to be able to utilize our existing 3d renderings and create a 1 to 1 environment that you can walk through in virtual reality. This has given both the designers and owners a better perspective on what is being built. This has also been utilized in pre-construction meetings to determine any underlying design issues and catch them before there are issues in the field. This has saved thousands of dollars and a tone of time in our schedule not having to deal with change orders.
  • 3D Rendering
  • 3D walk through in Virtual Reality
  • Interactive menus and UI within the environments
  • A larger marketplace
  • More Assets added to the base software
  • Better instructional videos
Some great situation in which unity is good is the ability to visualize environments in real-time. This gives us the ability to work on detailed environments quicker and not have any rendering downtimes. Something I would not recommend using in unity is its native shaders and lightmapping. I will usually utilize 3rd party adds ons for these types of needs.
February 23, 2022

Unity Review

Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
We use Unity to develop school projects, especially 3D videogames with virtual reality, the project that was developed for us, had the purpose to help people who suffer from Asperger Syndrome. However, we are currently trying to implement those games on 3D and mobile with Unity. We did it for virtual reality because of the interest and features this new technology has to offer.
  • Collaborative features.
  • New technologies implementation features.
  • Easy to use
  • Friendly user interface
  • Learning tutorials.
  • Implement emulators for those technologies that are expensive.
  • Some of the packages for installation are wrong.
I think Unity is a powerful tool when someone wants to develop simple applications, in 3D and 2D. Because all the elements and features provided by the tool are very intuitive. However, if we want to put a solid defined texture or other elements (Well define tree), other software can do it better than Unity.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
I am using Unity for Game Development. I used VR tools of Unity using library OpenVr. Unity is perfect for creating 3D simulations, and because Unity is a game engine, gaming of a project is really simple, and gamification makes the project not only engaging but also appealing for the user.
  • User Friendly
  • Assest Library
  • Pricing
  • Screen play and GUI Quality
  • To create an app, you'll need to integrate a variety of technology.
  • Compatibility Issues arises sometimes after update
  • Continue to develop ML learning models for AI.
Unity is ideal for small game studios who wish to create high-quality games without having to invest in developing their own engine or charge a high price for a third-party engine. Unity is also better adapted for 2D games and handheld games, as it is likely to be more powerful and cost-effective in these areas than its major rival, Unreal Engine.
Sarah Ciras Rousseau | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Unity has been used in my classroom for a couple of years at this point. Students have used it to create professional products for gaming. It has a massive amount of comprehensive tutorials as well as a vast asset library. This allows for accessibility even for those new to creating games.
  • The asset library has a lot of great options
  • The educational licensing is comprehensive
  • The user interface is very busy, which can be overwhelming.
  • Navigation and organization can be challenging to manage.
Unity is a fantastic program for those who are serious about game development and design. Unity is not necessarily where I would begin for game development, as it can have a steep learning curve. Still, the capabilities it offers make it an excellent choice for someone with some experience under their belt.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Currently, I use Unity to develop an AAA MMORPG with an amazing team of experienced developers. In the past though, I've used it for VR games where Unity was the only good option available. I've also built a few mobile games and plenty of non-game applications for companies in a variety of industries. Unity makes it easy to build just about anything with great visuals and cross-platform deployment.
  • Rapid development
  • Professional, high quality visuals
  • Games
  • Better network stack for real-time games built-in
  • Not much else, maybe a cheaper pro price?
It is well suited for game development, VR development, and augmented reality development.
Andy Turner | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Unity Technologies is a piece of software that you can use to publish your game to Google Play. Google Play requires a signed certificate to publish your application. I'm using unity alongside Visual Studio 2019 to edit existing game templates that I have purchased on the unity asset store. I am using it as an independent developer. The business problem that it addresses is the need for accessible and fun games for all ages.
  • Billing
  • Quality
  • Security
  • Integration of disparate technologies required to build an application.
  • Streamline the versioning process using the hub, it's great so far.
  • Keep improving the ML learning models for AI.
I am recommending using Unity and Visual Studio 2019 for any developer looking to publish an app or game to Google Play. I am comparing this to Corona and Crey game frameworks.
Raphael Sanguinete | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use Unity to develop modern video games titles for the main gaming platforms like Android, iOS, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PCs. We are an independent game studio with 2 years experience in video game development and right now we are working on two titles, one for cell phones and the other for the major gaming platforms.
  • Great and simple interface.
  • Good pricing model for independent developers.
  • Powerful and flexible tool for making video games.
  • Great library of assets to save time in the asset store.
  • The Linux version of the Unity editor can be improved.
  • There are some aspects in the development process that Unity is not as good as Unreal Engine.
  • Some of the core functions of the tool, like the Mecanin State Machines could have some improvements to match the competition.
Unity is well suited for independent game studios that want to make world-class games without having to commit to making its own Engine or paying top dollar for a third party engine. Unity is also well suited for 2D games and mobile games because, in these fields, Unity probably will be more efficient with less expensive production than its main competitor, Unreal Engine.
Dan Talvi | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
As an instructor for a Digital Media Communications program in a Career and Technical educational facility, Unity is one of the software students can choose to focus in. Our students utilize Unity to create 2D and 3D applications, including video games and UIs / interactive graphical interfaces, some of which are for local clients, organizations, and businesses that request services from our program (which our students develop as part of an internship program).
  • Free Version Available
  • Educational Resources Available
  • Versatile Software
  • Built-in tutorials to teach new users to learn software
  • Large install with frequent updates
  • Many features locked behind Pro (paid) version
Unity is a great software for beginners to enter into the game design and programming field as users can download and use the Unity Personal Edition for free (with registration on the Unity website) to learn the ins and outs of the software. Many features and functionalities, however, are locked behind the Professional (paid) edition of the Unity software which more advanced creations may require to function properly.
Jonah Dempcy | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Unity is used by our software developers and CTO to produce rich, immersive AR and VR experiences. We use Unity to produce cross-platform content that is usable in a number of ways: as standard 2D and 3D desktop apps, on desktops for VR platforms such as HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, and on mobile devices as both 2D and 3D apps as well as AR and VR experiences.

The business needs that Unity meets are being able to write code once that can be rendered on a number of platforms. While we do have specific code integration paths for Android versus iOS, and there are unique differences when writing code for different use cases, our ability to reuse assets and much of the business logic in the apps is simply incredible. Unity gives us tremendous efficiency in code re-use and allows us to meet business needs such as being able to rapidly prototype, as well as integration with Android Studio and Xcode. We are also able to easily update 3D assets in Blender and view changes in realtime in Unity, thanks to Unity's excellent integration with Blender.
  • 3D space design is especially easy in Unity, whether for 3D games or educational experiences.
  • VR development is one of Unity's greatest strengths. The ability to be working in a 3D environment on the desktop and then hit Play and be immersed in that environment in the HTC Vive or Oculus Rift is incredible.
  • Reusable code from the asset store is a huge plus. Being able to find libraries which solve the problems you are trying to solve can save an incredible amount of time.
  • Staying up to date with changes in VR and AR development is a big plus. Unity has such a strong community that libraries are always being updated.
  • Finding example code is not very hard, and there are "scenes" that other developers have created that you can import and view, to see how they achieved particular goals. This makes learning Unity by reverse-engineering others' publicly available code a great way to learn.
  • There are so many free video tutorials in Unity that it is much easier to learn than some of its competitors in the space.
  • Unity's AR plugins are still in their infancy and as they grow more robust, Unity will only get better.
  • Unity's VR development requires the use of much third-party functionality that could be included in core Unity libraries in order to create less external dependencies.
  • Unity's mobile integration requires building for mobile devices in a one-way movement. It would be nice if you could be coding in Android Studio or Xcode, and making changes in Unity in realtime, then running the apps from AS or Xcode. In short: Unity's mobile app workflow is unidirectional right now and requires a lengthy build process, which could be vastly improved if you were able to make changes in Unity and hotswap code.
Unity is excellent for 2D and 3D games and educational experiences. It is well-suited for VR and AR development. It is also a great platform for mobile games. It is less-suited for non-game purposes (although it can certainly be used for those as well), or educational experiences. It is also less-suited for AR experiences that are highly complex, where you will probably want to write the native code in Android Studio or Xcode, as the case may be. It is theoretically less-suited for cases where performance is a huge concern as well, although, in my experience, performance has never been a problem.
Marcelo de Vasconcellos | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I work in a public health institution in Brazil and since 2012 we have started to develop games mainly for health communication. At first, 2D game engines were enough for our projects, but soon we were in need of a more powerful solution, able to deal with 3D games. We tried other engines, but Unity's power, flexibility and, particularly, its smooth learning curve proved to be decisive in our choice. Since our games are given free of charge to the population, Unity's price model, based on revenue, allows us to use the engine freely and maximize our resources in benefit of the population. Right now there are at least four other teams in my institution using Unity for their projects.
  • Unity is a multiplatform game engine. It has more than 20 options for exporting your game, ranging from desktop, mobile, console, web and, lately, VR and AR. Unity was one of the first game engines able to export games playable on internet browsers and it helped to cement the World Wide Web as a place fit for gaming.
  • Unity has a very smooth learning curve for beginners. It is easy to start and soon you are seeing some tangible results of your efforts. The game engine has all sorts of helpers and shortcuts to facilitate some frequent tasks in game development.
  • Another of Unity's advantage is the access to Assets Store from within the game engine, allowing the user to import instantly objects, scripts and textures from the store into their projects. Such easy access to these elements from inside a project greatly enhances speed production and is particularly helpful to beginners.
  • Since game development is so complex in itself, Unity also has a lot of complexity in its interface. Despite the efforts of its creators, the many options in Unity's interface can be overwhelming to the beginner, particularly, taking into account that each object in the scene can have its specific piece of code attached. It takes time and practice to learn to navigate the interface.
  • Unity operates with C#, which is easier to grasp than C++. However, traditionally, C++ has been the standard in the game industry for many years and some experienced professionals coming to Unity can feel a bit annoyed with this change. On the opposite side, if you start in Unity and for some reason, you decide to change to another game engine (like Unreal, for example), you will have to be prepared to learn C++.
  • The Asset Store, at the same time it is an advantage, is accused by many critics of encouraging "asset flippers", which are games made completely by getting ready-made assets at the store, where the "creator" does not actually create anything. It is not a disadvantage of Unity in itself, but it is advisable to the beginner to be careful to not use too many third-party game assets.
Unity can cover most of the needs of game development, both for 2D and 3D. It is particularly well suited to games designed to be played presented and played on web pages, but it can create high-end content as well. Perhaps it would be less suited in high-end games which depend to much of sophisticated lighting effects since Cryengine and Unreal are more evolved in this area. On the other extreme, in the case of very simple 2D games for web pages, like newsgames, simpler game engines probably would be more advisable for a faster production, like Construct (2 or 3) or even Twine (in case of text adventures)
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