Sprite Kit VS Unity
Sprite Kit and Unity are a game development tool for creating games. Both have their own good features for development. Unity provides both 2D and 3D development of games. Sprite kit provides 2D development of games. Unity was developed as a 3D engine, but it current versions provides full built-in 2D support as well.
Which technology to choose from is the big question here from the two technologies available for game development for iOS developer. Both technologies have their own advantages let’s find out.
Advantages of SpriteKit
- It’s present right into the iOS. We don’t have to download extra libraries or have external dependencies. We can also use other APIs like In-App Purchases, iAd etc. So we don’t have to rely on any other plugins.
- It increases your existing skills. Knowing development with Swift and iOS, you can pick up SpriteKit very fast.
- Swift is written by Apple. It assures us that in the future all new Apple product will be supported. For example, you can use the same SpriteKit code to make your game work on iOS, tvOS and OS X without a hitch.
- It’s free of cost. For small indies, this is the best reason to use it. We get all of SpriteKit’s functionality at no cost. Unity does have a free version but does not have all of the features of the Pro version (you’ll need to upgrade if you want to avoid the Unity splash screen, for example).
Unity is a cross-platform game engine development tool developed by Unity Technologies. It is used to develop video games for websites, PC, mobile devices, and consoles PS3.
Advantages of Unity
- Main reason to choose Unity is Cross-platform. If you use SpriteKit, you’re able to develop for only Apple products only. Using Unity, you can easily port your games to windows Android, PS3, and other technologies as well.
- Visual scene designer. Unity makes it extremely easy to lay out your levels and test your game in real-time with the click of a button. Unity offer very good tools compare to SpriteKit does, which are very basic scene editor.
- Asset store. Unity provides us with a built-in asset store where you can purchase various components for your game development. Using these components we can save the development time by a bit.
- More powerful. Unity provides us with more features and functionality compared to the SpriteKit / Scene Kit combination put together.
Which Should I Choose?
After this, a lot of you may be thinking, “Well, which 2D framework should I choose Unity or Sprite Kit?”
The answer that depends on what your goals are.
Here are the two things to consider.
- If you are a beginner, or solely focused on the Apple technology: Use SpriteKit – it’s built in, easy to learn, and will get the job done.
- If you are developing for cross-platform, or have a more complicated game to develop: Use Unity – it’s more powerful and flexible which is the best.
