Custom Physics Systems vs Unity Physics

Developers should learn or use custom physics systems when standard physics engines like Unity's PhysX or Unreal Engine's Chaos are insufficient due to performance constraints, specific artistic goals, or specialized simulation needs meets developers should use unity physics when building games or simulations that require high-performance, deterministic physics for large numbers of objects, such as strategy games, simulations, or vr/ar experiences. Here's our take.

Custom Physics Systems

Nice Pick

Developers should learn or use custom physics systems when standard physics engines like Unity's PhysX or Unreal Engine's Chaos are insufficient due to performance constraints, specific artistic goals, or specialized simulation needs

Pros

• For example, in 2D platformers requiring pixel-perfect collision detection or VR applications demanding low-latency interactions, a custom system can provide finer control and optimization
• Related to: game-physics, collision-detection

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

Unity Physics

Developers should use Unity Physics when building games or simulations that require high-performance, deterministic physics for large numbers of objects, such as strategy games, simulations, or VR/AR experiences

Pros

• It is ideal for projects leveraging DOTS to maximize CPU efficiency and multi-threading, ensuring consistent behavior across different platforms and hardware
• Related to: unity-engine, dots

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

The Verdict

These tools serve different purposes. Custom Physics Systems is a concept while Unity Physics is a library. We picked Custom Physics Systems based on overall popularity, but your choice depends on what you're building.

The Bottom Line

Custom Physics Systems wins

Based on overall popularity. Custom Physics Systems is more widely used, but Unity Physics excels in its own space.