Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

BYOND VS LÖVR

Compare BYOND VS LÖVR and see what are their differences

BYOND logo BYOND

BYOND is the premier community for making and playing online multiplayer games.

LÖVR logo LÖVR

Virtual Reality for Lua
  • BYOND Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-09-30
  • LÖVR Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-02-08

BYOND features and specs

  • Community and Collaboration
    BYOND has a strong community of developers and players which encourages collaboration and sharing of resources, ideas, and feedback.
  • Ease of Use
    The platform provides a relatively easy-to-use development environment with its proprietary programming language, DM (Dream Maker), making it accessible to beginners.
  • Multiplayer Support
    Built-in multiplayer support simplifies the process of developing networked multiplayer games, which is often a complex task in game development.
  • Resource Library
    BYOND offers an extensive library of resources, including tutorials, assets, and code snippets that can accelerate the game development process.
  • Free to Use
    The platform is free to download and use, lowering the barrier to entry for aspiring game developers.

Possible disadvantages of BYOND

  • Limited Graphics Capabilities
    The graphics capabilities are relatively outdated compared to modern game engines, which can limit the visual appeal of games developed on the platform.
  • Proprietary Language
    The use of the proprietary programming language, DM, may be a barrier for developers familiar with more widely-used languages like C++ or JavaScript.
  • Performance Issues
    Performance may degrade with more complex or graphically intensive games, making BYOND less suitable for high-performance game projects.
  • Platform Dependency
    BYOND games typically need to be played through the BYOND client, which can limit the reach and accessibility compared to standalone game executables.
  • Niche User Base
    The user base, while supportive, is relatively small and niche compared to larger game development communities, which can limit exposure and potential player base.

LÖVR features and specs

  • Lightweight
    LÖVR is known for its minimalistic design and lightweight nature, making it easy to work with and efficient for creating VR applications without requiring heavy resources.
  • Lua Scripting
    The engine uses Lua, a simple and easy-to-learn scripting language, which can be appealing for developers who value flexibility and rapid prototyping.
  • VR-specific Features
    LÖVR offers built-in VR features and optimizations that are specifically tailored for virtual reality development, helping developers easily implement VR functionalities.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    LÖVR supports multiple platforms, which can help developers distribute their applications across different VR systems without substantial modifications.
  • Active Community
    There is an active and growing community around LÖVR, providing support, tutorials, and resources helpful for both beginners and experienced developers.

Possible disadvantages of LÖVR

  • Limited Documentation
    As a relatively niche engine, LÖVR may have less comprehensive documentation compared to more established engines, which can pose a challenge for new developers.
  • Smaller Ecosystem
    LÖVR has a smaller ecosystem of plugins, add-ons, and third-party tools, which may limit developers in extending functionalities or finding pre-built solutions.
  • Performance Limitations
    Although lightweight, LÖVR may not be as optimized for complex, high-performance VR applications compared to larger engines such as Unity or Unreal Engine.
  • Steeper Learning Curve for Complex Tasks
    While Lua is simple, implementing complex VR interactions or graphics may require a deeper understanding of VR concepts, which can be a challenge for beginners.
  • Niche Focus
    LÖVR's focus on VR may not be suitable for developers looking to create non-VR applications, limiting its use to only specific types of projects.

BYOND videos

My History with BYOND

More videos:

  • Review - Byond B63 unboxing and review - dual core handset

LÖVR videos

No LÖVR videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Add video

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to BYOND and LÖVR)
Game Development
75 75%
25% 25
Game Engine
61 61%
39% 39
3D Game Engine
66 66%
34% 34
Gaming
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, LÖVR seems to be a lot more popular than BYOND. While we know about 24 links to LÖVR, we've tracked only 1 mention of BYOND. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

BYOND mentions (1)

  • "I have a great idea"
    I fell for this when I was a kid on Byond. The idea guy thought he was J. R. R. Tolkien. My sprite artist friend joined me. He was vague about what he wanted and even though we had been making everything he asked of us he brought another coder in, a couple years younger than me, I was a teen and he was 13. When he was given my code he called me boring and started throwing together some stuff. He ended up writing... Source: about 4 years ago

LÖVR mentions (24)

  • Building Game Prototypes with LÖVE
    If you are looking to do VR/3d games, LÖVR (https://lovr.org/) is derived from LÖVE. - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
  • LuaJIT PR: Add Support for RISC-V 64
    It's used in LÖVE [0] (and LÖVR [1] as well, I think) for this very reason. The Lua code for a game will be quite performant. --- [0]: https://love2d.org [1]: https://lovr.org. - Source: Hacker News / 9 months ago
  • LÖVE: a framework to make 2D games in Lua
    Also do not forget the VR/3D version, LÖVR: https://lovr.org/. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Ask HN: Favorite Game Engine?
    I haven't used many engines, but I've been programming some simple games with LÖVE [0] and (to a lesser extent) LÖVR [1] and like them both. But maybe not real game engines, as you need to do quite a bit of work by yourself. I guess it depends what your definition is of a game engine. --- [0]: https://love2d.org [1]: https://lovr.org. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Is it really bad using an unpopular framework?
    Not to mention there's LÖVR as well if you want to 3D. Source: about 2 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing BYOND and LÖVR, you can also consider the following products

Godot Engine - Feature-packed 2D and 3D open source game engine.

ct.js - ct.js is a 2D game editor (desktop app) based on web technologies.

TIC-80 - TIC-80 is a fantasy computer where you can make, play and share tiny games.

RPG Maker - Make your own PC game with RPG Maker. Our easy to use tools are simple enough for a child, and powerful enough for a developer. Try it free today!

Unity - The multiplatform game creation tools for everyone.

AppGameKit - AppGameKit is a game development platform for mobile devices.