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Should I use Unreal Engine 4 or 5? In game development engines, one frequently encounters the dilemma of choosing between Unreal Engine 4 and Unreal Engine 5.
This unreal engine comparison is crucial when deciding on your project’s ideal game development engine. So, let’s delve into the intricacies of UE4 vs UE5 to determine which unreal engine suits your needs best!
Should I Use Unreal Engine 4 or 5?
It depends. If you are making a small or medium-sized game or if not sure if you need the new features in UE5, then UE4 is a good choice. However, if you are making a large-scale game, UE5 is the better choice.
What Is The Difference Between Unreal Engine 4 vs. 5?

One of the differences between UE4 and UE5 is the amount of polygons that can be used within the engine. The game engine uses polygons to create meshes. While UE4 could handle a few million polygons, UE5 can work with up to 10 billion polygons.
Another difference between UE4 and UE5 is the new lighting system called Lumen (a fully dynamic global illumination system that enables real-time lighting without baking lightmaps). This can save time and effort and allow for more realistic lighting effects.
UE5 also includes several other new features and improvements, such as:
- Nanite: A virtualized geometry system that allows developers to import and use massive 3D assets without any loss in quality.
- World Partition: A new system for managing and streaming large open worlds.
- MetaSounds: A new audio engine that enables developers to create more realistic and immersive soundscapes.
- Control Rig: A new animation system that makes it easier to create and control complex character rigs.
As you can see, UE5 is a significant upgrade over UE4, with several new features and improvements that make it a more powerful and versatile game engine.
>>>Read more: How to Reduce the Unreal Engine 4 File Size to Optimize Performance
Factors to Consider When Choosing Between UE4 and UE5
When choosing a game development engine, I recommend considering the type of game you want to make, your budget, your team’s experience level, and the features that are important to you.
Type of game
What game type do you want to create? If you are making a small or medium-sized game, such as a mobile game or a 2D game, then UE4 is a good choice. UE4 is a versatile engine that can be used to create various games.
If you are making a large-scale game, such as a AAA game or an open-world game, then UE5 is a better choice. UE5 offers several features that are specifically designed for developing large and complex games.

>>>Read more: [Top 10] Best PC Unreal Engine 5 Games to Play of 2023
Budget
UE4 and UE5 are both free to use for creating linear content, custom projects, and internal projects. It’s also free to get started for game development—a 5% royalty only kicks in when your title earns over $1 million USD.
Team’s experience level
If your team is new to game development, UE4 is a good choice. UE4 is a well-established engine with a lot of documentation and tutorials available.
If your team has experience with game development, then UE5 is a good choice. UE5 offers several new features and improvements that can help you create more realistic and immersive games.

Features
What features are important to you? UE4 and UE5 offer a wide range of features, but there are some key differences.
UE5 offers several new features not available in UE4, such as the ability to handle billions of polygons, the new Lumen lighting system, and the new World Partition system.
If you need these new features, then UE5 is the better choice. However, if you don’t know if you need these features, UE4 is still a great choice.
Ultimately, the best Unreal Engine version for you will depend on your specific needs and requirements. If you are not sure which version to choose, then it is a good idea to do some research and compare the features of each version before making a decision.
>>>Read more: Mesh to MetaHuman Plugin for Unreal Engine is now available
Migrating from UE4 to UE5: Is it Worth It?

Whether or not it is worth migrating from UE4 to UE5 depends on your specific needs and requirements.
If you are working on a small or medium-sized project or don’t know if you need the new features in UE5, it may be best to stay with UE4 for now.
UE4 is a well-established engine with a large community of users and developers, and many resources are available to help you get started.
If you are working on a large-scale project or need to create highly detailed and realistic environments, UE5 is the better choice.
UE5 offers several new features and improvements not available in UE4, such as the ability to handle billions of polygons and the new Lumen lighting system.
Conclusion
Should I use Unreal Engine 4 or 5? In fact, the choice between these game engines ultimately depends on my project’s specific requirements.
Both Unreal Engine versions offer unique advantages, and your decision will be based on your game’s scope, compatibility, and desired features. It’s essential to consider your project’s needs to make an informed choice.
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