Over time the usage of mobiles has increased due to their easy accessibility, portability, and amazing user interface. People can video call, chat with their friends, and socialize with different people around the globe.
One more important activity done by the people and their favorite pastime is playing online games. Have you ever wondered how these games look so fascinating and engaging? The answer is, the technology used behind this. One of the popular and most used engines to create these creative games with bespoke features is Unreal Engine.
If you are new to mobile game development then you must read this article to know Unreal Engine is best for game development. Let’s start to know the key aspects of Unreal Engine so you can clear all your doubts to make an informed decision to create your mobile game. But, before this, let’s know about the Unreal Game Engine.
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Unreal Engine is a popular development platform that was developed by Epic Games in 1998. At first, it was launched as a first-person shooter game. Rich features, readymade source code, cost-effective solutions, game portability, ease of use, professional documentation, and a huge community of developers have made it a perfect engine to develop your games. Both 2D and 3D games, you can develop using Unreal Engine. The best part of this engine is rich assets help you efficiently execute your game projects.
In the last 25 years, Unreal Engine has gone through various updates and now, it offers you advanced and innovative tools and resources to give a perfect shape to game apps.
Now, let’s start to know why you should choose Unreal Engine to create your mobile games.
After market research, we found that Unreal 5 is the best engine and has the efficiency in top-notch AAA Game Development. Because of its photorealistic graphics, efficiency in development, high fidelity across platforms, and because of its advanced animation system this engine is one of the most used engines by the game development company.
To understand why Unreal Engine 5 (UE5) mobile game development is considered to be the best option, you must first learn how it works. Earlier, the Unreal game engine was only compatible with PCs and console game development. However, today, the UE5 also added support for mobile game development. Hence, Unreal engine mobile game development gained popularity among developers worldwide. Today, mobile game developers of all sizes rely on the Unreal Engine mobile game development to create innovative and feature-rich mobile games. Injustice 2, Fortnite, and Mortal Kombat Mobile are some of the mobile games that have been developed using Unreal Engine.
Unreal Engine game development is among the best mobile game engines in the world. The toolkit contains various tools for creating 2D and 3D mobile games and AAA game development. This is the ideal platform for creating quality-rich mobile games, thanks to its powerful graphics and user-friendliness. An unreal game engine helps developers to be more innovative and creative. From cinematic experiences and design visualizations to high-quality games across mobile, PC, Console, AR, and VR; the unreal game engine provides mobile game developers with a strong foundation to develop top-notch game applications.
Game Development is a time-consuming process, which requires the collaborative efforts of mobile game developers, designers, and programmers. However, the most important element that plays a key role in the process is a mobile game engine. Apart from superior rendering speed, Unreal Game Engine offers outstanding features and realistic graphics. This makes it a highly preferable game engine for indie or enterprise-level game developers trying to develop high-quality games.
The superb graphics, features, and capabilities of the Unreal Engine will surely leave you in awe. This engine is filled with incredible characteristics. Unreal Engine 5 is a next-generation game engine when it comes to realistic graphics, features, and functionalities. With advanced particle simulation systems and dynamic lighting, the engine is ideal for AAA game development, offering a seamless gameplay experience.
Every engine has its significance in the gaming world as they all have different and dynamic features from each other. Below let’s see how these two versions are different from each other.
| Features | Unreal Engine 5 | Unreal Engine 4 |
| Prime Features | Nanite, Lumen, World Partition, MetaHuman, Chaos Physics | Cascade, Matinee, PhysX, Lightmass, LODs |
| Graphics Quality | Advanced photorealism with Nanite and Lumen | High-quality visuals but lacks real-time global illumination (Lumen equivalent) |
| Lighting System | Lumen (real-time global illumination, dynamic lighting) | Lightmass (static lighting with baked global illumination) |
| Geometry Handling | Nanite (virtualized geometry, no manual LODs required) | Manual Level of Detail (LOD) creation needed |
| Animation Tools | Control Rig, Full-Body IK, Motion Warping | Basic IK systems, dependent on external tools |
| Asset Library | Quixel Megascans integration (free for UE users) | Limited Quixel support; required separate setup |
| Supports Platforms | PC, Console, Mobile, VR/AR | PC, Consoles, Mobile, VR/AR |
| Best For | Film production, Gaming, large-scale open worlds | Current-gen games, VR/AR projects, smaller teams |
There are plentiful features that make the Unreal engine ideal for developing mobile games. Here we have listed some of the major features, including:
With the use of billions of polygons, Nanite creates a realistic and detailed environment in a game without any performance issues. It renders and streams what is visible to the camera at any given time. With Nanite, you will not face any hassle in manually creating a Level of Detail (LOD).
Lumen provides real-time global illumination, meaning lighting in a scene adapts instantly to changes in light sources, object movement, or environmental conditions. With the use of Lumen, there is no need to use light maps.
As the name says, this system automatically organizes large loads into parts of the grid, which a player easily can see or interact with. Its biggest benefit is it simplifies the work on a large scale. This feature is beneficial for Open-world Game Development.
To create a successful game, every company needs to use the latest and trending tools, as it helps to develop a game smoothly. Tools like Control Ring create animations without depending on external software.
Unreal Engine renders incredible visuals. Its real-time ray tracing allows for realistic lighting, shadows, and reflections. Other features like a global illumination system enhance natural lightning in 3D scenes, and PBR (Physically Based Rendering) assures materials like metal, wood, and glass look realistic under diverse lighting conditions. This makes it ideal for creating visually attractive worlds.
Instead of traditional coding with this feature, the developers can use a node-based interface that allows them to create game logic. It’s user-friendly and suitable for beginners, enabling rapid prototyping of ideas. Not only beginners but the professional developers use it to speed up the workflow for certain tasks while maintaining flexibility by combining it with C++ programming when necessary.
This is one of the most useful features for developers as it provides a storehouse of assets, including 3D models, sound effects, animation, and plugins. With Unreal Marketplace the developers can purchase or download free resources to save time and reduce the cost of AAA game development. Code templates and full-fledge projects are also provided by the unreal marketplace.
Developers have access to the complete source code of Unreal Engine. This allows customization to tailor the engine to specific project needs. For instance, developers can optimize the engine for bespoke gameplay mechanics or create entirely new features that are not available out of the box.
Every engine or application needs an updation, the same goes for the unreal engine. The latest version of the Unreal is (UE5). UE5 introduces groundbreaking features that transform game development, making it easier to create highly detailed and realistic games. Here is a brief overview of its key features.
Nanite helps developers create dynamic scenes with an unbelievable level of detail by importing billions of polygons directly into the engine without manual optimization. It eliminates the need for the traditional level-of-detail (LOD) adjustments, ensuring smooth performance while rendering highly detailed environments.
Lumen gives games realistic lighting and reflections that change in real time. Developers don’t need to spend time pre-setting light effects (called baking lightmaps). Instead, Lumen automatically updates the lighting whenever objects or lights move, making it perfect for open-world AAA games and scenes that change a lot.
With this tool, you can create a photorealistic, high-quality digital human in minutes. It offers comprehensive customization options for facial features, hair, clothing, and animations, drastically reducing the time and effort required to create lifelike characters.
Many popular games are developed by using the Unreal game engine. Here’s the list of games that are made with Unreal Engine.
| Games | Genre | Publisher | Notable Feature | Unreal Engine Version |
| Fortnite | Battle Royale | Epic Games | Large-scale multiplayer, building mechanics | Unreal Engine 4 (Upgraded to UE5) |
| PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) | Battle Royale | PUBG Corporation | Realistic graphics, open-world environments | Unreal Engine 4 |
| Final Fantasy VII Remake | Action RPG | Square Enix | Stunning visuals, real-time and turn-based combat mix | Unreal Engine 4 |
| Street Fighter 6 | Fighting | Capcom | Dynamic lighting, expressive character models | Unreal Engine 4 |
| The Matrix Awakens | Tech Demo/Open World | Epic Games | Showcases Nanite and Lumen, highly realistic visuals | Unreal Engine 5 |
| ARK: Survival Evolved | Survival/Adventure | Studio Wildcard | Open-world exploration, dinosaur taming | Unreal Engine 4 |
| Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice | Action-Adventure | Ninja Theory | Psychological storytelling, realistic animations | Unreal Engine 4 |
| Gears 5 | Third-Person Shooter | The Coalition/Xbox Game Studios | Detailed environments, co-op gameplay | Unreal Engine 4 |
| Bioshock Infinite | First-Person Shooter | Irrational Games/2K Games | Unique storytelling, stylized visuals | Unreal Engine 3 |
| Sea of Thieves | Action-Adventure | Rare/Microsoft Studios | Multiplayer pirate adventure, dynamic water physics | Unreal Engine 4 |
The game development process includes several stages to create a dynamic and amazing game.
The game development process with Unreal Engine for game development starts with planning the game idea, story, and mechanics, which are written down in a game design document (GDD). Developers then set up the project in Unreal Engine by selecting templates and organizing resources. Levels and environments are built using the Level Editor, while textures and materials are created with the Material Editor to make everything look realistic. Game mechanics are added using Blueprint Visual Scripting or C++, and characters are animated with tools like Control Rig and MetaHuman Creator. Sounds and music are added to make the game more engaging.
Performance is improved using tools like Nanite, and the game is tested to fix any issues. Whether it’s a console game or mobile game development, Unreal Engine provides the flexibility to create optimized games for various platforms. Once ready, the game is prepared for release on the chosen platforms. After launch, updates and new content are added to keep players interested. Unreal Engine’s tools make the entire process faster and easier, helping developers create great games across different devices.
There are mainly three game genres that are best suited for the Unreal Engine, these are:
Unreal Engine’s advanced graphics, realistic lightning, and precise physics make it a first choice for FPS games. Its ability to handle fast-paced action, detailed environments, and engaging gameplay has made it an engine behind amazing games like Fortnite and Gears of War.
Unreal Engine is great for creating large, connected worlds using tools like World Partition, which loads parts of the game as needed, and Lumen, which provides realistic lighting in real-time. Games like PUBG and ARK: Survival Evolved show how they can manage huge environments with lots of detail.
Unreal Engine supports cutting-edge XR (extended Reality) technology, allowing the development of immersive VR and AR games. Its optimization for devices like Oculus and HoloLens and features like motion tracking and dynamic interactions make it ideal for creating lifelike virtual and augmented reality experiences.
There are a plethora of benefits one can experience by choosing an unreal engine for game development, we have listed the list of benefits. Let’s check them out.
Unreal Engine offers the latest tools like Nanite and Lumen, which allow developers to create stunning visuals, realistic lightning, and a detailed environment.
As the name says Unreal Engine supports the development of different game genres which include FPS, open-world, VR/AR, and mobile games, making it a flexible choice for any project.
This feature allows developers to develop a game without any coding, and this is best for beginners as well as experienced ones.
Unreal Engine simplifies game development across multiple platforms, including PC, consoles, mobile devices, and VR headsets.
Its marketplace provides a vast collection of ready-made assets, textures, and tools to the developers to simplify the work and save time and effort.
Here’s a table highlighting the challenges and limitations of using Unreal Engine:
| Chalenges/Limitations | Description |
| Steep Learning Curve | Unreal Engine has a complicated interface and effective tools that can be difficult for beginners to learn quickly. |
| High System Requirements | Developing with Unreal Engine requires a powerful computer, which can be costly and limit accessibility. |
| Resource Intensive | The engine’s high quality and demand for memory and processing power, make it challenging for lower-end devices. |
| Large File Sizes | The game developed in the Unreal Engine can have large file sizes due to detailed assets and high-resolution textures, potentially affecting download times and storage. |
| Complexity in C++ Coding | While Blueprint Visual Scripting is user-friendly, complex game logic often requires proficiency in C++, which can be challenging for non-programmers. |
| Performance Optimization | Achieving smooth performance across all platforms can be time-consuming, especially for mobile or VR games with high graphical fidelity. |
| License Fee for Commercial Use | Unreal Engine is free to use, but developers must pay a royalty fee of 5% on gross revenues above $1 million, which can be costly for successful games. |
| Long Build Times | Compiling and building large-scale projects can take a specific amount of time, affecting productivity. |
| Limited 2D Game Support | Unreal Engine is primarily focused on 3-D game development, so creating 2D games can be more challenging compared to other engines like Unity. |
| Documentation and Tutorials | While extensive, some users find that certain advanced topics lack detailed tutorials and comprehensive guides. |
Read More: How To Get Started With Unreal Engine Game Development?
Here is the list of aspects that will help you to know why we should choose Unreal Engine to develop feature-packed games that can create a big hype in the gaming world. Let’s start to know.
Earlier the process of game development used to be slow and at times cumbersome. Gone are the days when you had to wait while rendering, building, or placing objects with the game engine to see what the game would look like after code and objects were compiled. Unreal Engine made things simpler. With Unreal Engine, you can see all the updates and lighting effects in real-time. Besides real-time game preview, UE allows you to quickly spawn an object within the game without saving your game development progress.
Programming is an essential part when it comes to developing a game. But, Unreal Engine uses a drag-and-drop programming system, also known as blueprint visual scripting. For this, you don’t need to have professional programming knowledge. This means you can create all the assets such as animation, character, and respawns directly from blueprints.
This game engine allows users to access source code, helping them create their objects and have control over the gaming engine. Unreal Engine is known for its open-source code allowing developers worldwide to customize the gaming platform seamlessly.
Unreal Engine is known for its over-the-top graphics and outstanding photo realism. It is an extremely easy-to-use platform that uses a blueprint as per the requirements of high-end games for low-end devices. Developers use this gaming engine to develop high-end games for mobile.
Today, Virtual Reality has become a center of attraction in both tech and gaming. As we have mentioned earlier, the Unreal engine is known for its ability to create a realistic environment that provides users with a virtual reality experience. Apart from offering visual realism, Unreal Engine offers advanced cinematics, helping game designers and developers explore the new dynamics of game development.
It is affordable to make mobile games with an unreal engine. The cost of game development using Unreal Engine is around $20,000 to $40,000, which is way too affordable compared to other mobile game engines. If you are looking to develop a mobile game at a minimal cost, you must choose Unreal Engine, offering high-quality features, animation, and graphics.
Mobile game developers use the Unreal game engine to develop top-notch mobile game applications for Android, iOS, and Windows platforms. It helps them to develop smart and interactive games with enhanced support. Developers use the Unreal Engine to create ultimate gaming solutions with engaging gameplay and stunning visuals.
We hope you might have got an idea about why the Unreal engine is an ideal choice for game development. If you are enticed by the idea of developing unreal engine mobile game development, contact us. Our expert team of software developers at BR Softech is always ready to serve you with cost-effective and high-quality game development services.
Ans. The cost of mobile game development using Unreal Engine is Dependent on the features you opt and the time taken in development. There is no definite cost and it may differ depending on various factors, including the location of the developer, graphics, features, animation, etc.
Ans. Unreal Engine 4 allows game developers to handle a wide range of 3D projects. UE4 offers end-to-end solutions for virtual reality, mixed reality, and augmented reality experiences. Unreal Engine 4 allows developers to create games using a visual scripting system, which is also known as the blueprint.
Ans. Unreal Engine 5 mobile game development introduced Nanite, Lumen, and advancements in the data streaming and gaming world. Using Unreal Engine 5, developers can create detailed and high-end mobile gaming applications, offering uninterrupted and seamless gameplay.
Ans. The mobile games that are developed using Unreal Engine are Bright Memory Alive, B.O.T., Shurado, Overhit, Blade and Soul Revolution, Mortal Kombat, etc.
Ans. If you want to develop a game with Unreal Engine it needs a high-performance computer with a powerful CPU, a good amount of RAM, and a dedicated GPU. The requirements increase based on the complexity of the project.
Ans. Unreal Engine is great for VR and AR development because it supports VR tools, real-time graphics, and interactive features. Its high-quality visuals and performance optimization make it perfect for creating realistic virtual and augmented reality experiences.
