Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Unreal Engine VS LibGDX

Compare Unreal Engine VS LibGDX and see what are their differences

Unreal Engine logo Unreal Engine

Unreal Engine 4 is a suite of integrated tools for game developers to design and build games, simulations, and visualizations.

LibGDX logo LibGDX

Libgdx is a Java game development framework that provides a unified API that works across all...
  • Unreal Engine Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-23
  • LibGDX Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-07

Unreal Engine features and specs

  • High-Quality Graphics
    Unreal Engine is known for its ability to produce stunning, high-quality graphics and realistic environments, making it a preferred choice for AAA game development and high-fidelity visual projects.
  • Blueprint Visual Scripting
    Unreal Engine offers a visual scripting system called Blueprints, which allows designers to create complex game logic without any programming knowledge, streamlining the development process.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    Unreal Engine provides robust support for multiple platforms, including PC, consoles, mobile devices, and VR/AR headsets, enabling developers to reach a wider audience with minimal hassle.
  • Large and Active Community
    The Unreal Engine community is large and active, offering extensive resources, tutorials, and forums which can be invaluable for troubleshooting and learning new techniques.
  • Regular Updates
    Epic Games frequently updates Unreal Engine, adding new features, improvements, and optimizations to keep developers equipped with the latest technology advancements.
  • Marketplace
    The Unreal Engine Marketplace offers a vast array of assets, ranging from 3D models to plugins, which can significantly speed up the development process by providing ready-to-use resources.

Possible disadvantages of Unreal Engine

  • Steep Learning Curve
    Due to its extensive features and capabilities, Unreal Engine can be challenging for beginners to master, requiring a significant investment of time and effort to learn.
  • High System Requirements
    Developing with Unreal Engine often requires a powerful computer with strong hardware specifications, which can be a barrier for developers with limited resources.
  • Large File Sizes
    Unreal Engine projects can result in large file sizes, which can be cumbersome to manage, particularly in terms of storage and transfer bandwidth.
  • Complexity for Simple Projects
    For smaller or simpler projects, the capabilities of Unreal Engine might be overkill, and using it can unnecessarily complicate development when compared to lighter engines.
  • Royalty Fees
    Unreal Engine imposes a royalty fee of 5% on gross revenue after the first $1 million USD per product per year, which can impact the profitability of commercial projects.
  • Less C++ Flexibility
    While Unreal Engine supports C++, the engine imposes certain constraints and abstractions that can limit the flexibility developers might need for highly customized or optimized code.

LibGDX features and specs

  • Cross-platform development
    LibGDX allows you to write your game once and deploy it on multiple platforms including Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, and HTML5. This significantly reduces development time and effort.
  • Performance
    LibGDX is designed with performance in mind. It uses OpenGL (Open Graphics Library) for rendering, which ensures that applications run smoothly even on lower-end devices.
  • Open-source
    As an open-source framework, LibGDX is free to use and allows developers to contribute to its improvement. This also means there is a large community for support and resources.
  • Extensive documentation and tutorials
    LibGDX provides extensive documentation, guides, and tutorials to help developers get started and troubleshoot issues.
  • Modular design
    LibGDX's modular design means you can select only the parts of the framework you need, which keeps your application lightweight and efficient.
  • Rich set of features
    LibGDX offers a wide range of features, including 2D and 3D graphics, physics, input handling, audio, and more, making it suitable for various types of games.

Possible disadvantages of LibGDX

  • Steep learning curve
    LibGDX can be difficult to learn, especially for beginners who are not familiar with Java or game development principles.
  • Limited iOS support
    While LibGDX does support iOS, the process of setting up and deploying to an iOS device is more complex compared to other platforms. You might need additional tools like RoboVM as well.
  • Java-centric
    LibGDX is heavily based on Java, so if you are not familiar with the language, there might be a significant learning curve.
  • Manual memory management
    LibGDX requires developers to manually manage memory in some cases, which can be error-prone and lead to issues like memory leaks if not handled correctly.
  • Sparse high-level abstractions
    Compared to some other game engines, LibGDX provides fewer high-level abstractions, meaning developers have to write more boilerplate code to get things done.
  • Small community
    While the community is active and helpful, it is smaller compared to other more popular game development frameworks, which might limit the availability of third-party plugins and resources.

Unreal Engine videos

Why I switched over to Unreal Engine 4 From Unity 5

More videos:

  • Review - Unity vs Unreal Engine | Graphics, Workflow, Price, Level Design and More! (2017-2018)
  • Review - Game Development | Intro to Unreal Engine 4 | No Prior Programming Knowledge

LibGDX videos

A Closer Look At LibGDX

More videos:

  • Review - LibGDX Game Jam - February 2019 in Review
  • Review - libGDX Jam March 2020 in Review

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Unreal Engine and LibGDX)
Game Development
84 84%
16% 16
Game Engine
84 84%
16% 16
3D Game Engine
85 85%
15% 15
3D
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Unreal Engine and LibGDX

Unreal Engine Reviews

Top 13 Picks for Maxon Cinema 4D Alternatives in 2024
Designed by Epic Games, Unreal Engine is a comprehensive 3D graphics engine initially developed for PC gaming. Since its inception in 1998, it supports a wide array of platforms, including mobile, console, and VR. It is known for its versatility and power in a broad spectrum of industries like film and television.
Source: aircada.com
Game Engines: A Comparative Analysis
Developed by Epic Games, Unreal Engine stands as a titan in the industry, renowned for its stunning graphics and realistic visual effects. It excels in AAA game development, with a powerful rendering engine and an intuitive visual scripting system called Blueprints. Unreal Engine’s prowess lies in its ability to deliver top-notch graphics and cinematic experiences.
Source: medium.com
Best Unity alternatives for game development
Unreal Engine has become one of the most popular engines to date; it's one of the top-of-the-line gaming engines that produces high graphical fidelity and realism for many games. In fact, many mobile games (Injustice 2, Life is Strange) that look incredible are likely using the Unreal Engine. It's a number one choice that often goes head-to-head with Unity due to its great...
Best Game Engines for 2023 – Which Should You Use?
However, many game developers do report that Unreal Engine is better suited for larger projects and projects you intend to work on as a team. Additionally, as the program is heavy on the graphics end, many people will find it requires a more powerful computer compared to other engines like Unity. Beyond this, it is also noteworthy that while Unreal Engine can create 2D games...
The Best Gaming Engines You Should Consider for 2023
2022 saw the official launch of Unreal Engine 5, and it’s already shaping up to be a game changer for game development. Most next-gen consoles, including PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X are already using it, and its powerful tools such as Lumen and Nanite (an engine that imports high-detailed photographic source material – taking advantage of its past acquisition of Quixel)...

LibGDX Reviews

Best Unity alternatives for game development
LibGDX uses a Java-based game framework coupled with the OpenGL API. If you're interested in HTML/JavaScript (browser-based games) or apps for Android and iOS, consider dipping into LibGDX. Some notable examples that used LibGDX that you've may already encountered include Shattered Pixel Dungeons and Slay the Spire. It also uses the Apache 2.0 license, a permissive free...
The Top 10 Video Game Engines
The libGDX forums are alive as well, with topics that cover development with libGDX and tutorials for getting started. There’s also a “source guide” with demos and examples you can take advantage of.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, LibGDX seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 7 times since March 2021. 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.

Unreal Engine mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Unreal Engine yet. Tracking of Unreal Engine recommendations started around Mar 2021.

LibGDX mentions (7)

  • Rawdrawandroid – Build Android apps without any Java, in C and Make
    Present tense, LibGDX is still around, even though it isn't Unity or Godot like cool. https://libgdx.com/. - Source: Hacker News / 8 months ago
  • Ask HN: Released games built on FOSS engines?
    Some popular games were builtwith LibGDX[1]: Slay the Spire, Mindustry, Space Haven, and others[2]. [1]: https://libgdx.com/ [2]: https://libgdx.com/showcase/. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • What is the best 2D mobile gaming framework ?
    I am looking for a new framework to develop 2d Game on Android devices. I used Libgdx (a java framework) actually I am using flutter flame. Please send me alternative. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Ask HN: Favorite Game Engine?
    This answer is most likely based on what programming language you use most. The C++ folks will like Unreal and the JS folks have the preference as well. [0] https://libgdx.com/. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Suitability for 2D development
    I switched from godot to this: https://libgdx.com They understand 2D rendering pipeline better. Godot is just throwing everything to GPU with zero optimizations. Source: about 2 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Unreal Engine and LibGDX, you can also consider the following products

Unity - The multiplatform game creation tools for everyone.

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

Blender - Blender is the open source, cross platform suite of tools for 3D creation.

MonoGame - MonoGame is an open source implementation of the Microsoft XNA 4 Framework.

GDevelop - GDevelop is an open-source game making software designed to be used by everyone.

Corona SDK - Cross-platform mobile app development.