PC/Console Game Development

Engine selection and platform-specific principles.

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1. Engine Selection

Decision Tree

What are you building?
│
├── 2D Game
│   ├── Open source important? → Godot
│   └── Large team/assets? → Unity
│
├── 3D Game
│   ├── AAA visual quality? → Unreal
│   ├── Cross-platform priority? → Unity
│   └── Indie/open source? → Godot 4
│
└── Specific Needs
    ├── DOTS performance? → Unity
    ├── Nanite/Lumen? → Unreal
    └── Lightweight? → Godot

Comparison

Factor	Unity 6	Godot 4	Unreal 5
2D	Good	Excellent	Limited
3D	Good	Good	Excellent
Learning	Medium	Easy	Hard
Cost	Revenue share	Free	5% after $1M
Team	Any	Solo-Medium	Medium-Large

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2. Platform Features

Steam Integration

Feature	Purpose
Achievements	Player goals
Cloud Saves	Cross-device progress
Leaderboards	Competition
Workshop	User mods
Rich Presence	Show in-game status

Console Requirements

Platform	Certification
PlayStation	TRC compliance
Xbox	XR compliance
Nintendo	Lotcheck

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3. Controller Support

Input Abstraction

Map ACTIONS, not buttons:
- "confirm" → A (Xbox), Cross (PS), B (Nintendo)
- "cancel" → B (Xbox), Circle (PS), A (Nintendo)

Haptic Feedback

Intensity	Use
Light	UI feedback
Medium	Impacts
Heavy	Major events

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4. Performance Optimization

Profiling First

Engine	Tool
Unity	Profiler Window
Godot	Debugger → Profiler
Unreal	Unreal Insights

Common Bottlenecks

Bottleneck	Solution
Draw calls	Batching, atlases
GC spikes	Object pooling
Physics	Simpler colliders
Shaders	LOD shaders

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5. Engine-Specific Principles

Unity 6

• DOTS for performance-critical systems
• Burst compiler for hot paths
• Addressables for asset streaming

Godot 4

• GDScript for rapid iteration
• C# for complex logic
• Signals for decoupling

Unreal 5

• Blueprint for designers
• C++ for performance
• Nanite for high-poly environments
• Lumen for dynamic lighting

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6. Anti-Patterns

❌ Don't	✅ Do
Choose engine by hype	Choose by project needs
Ignore platform guidelines	Study certification requirements
Hardcode input buttons	Abstract to actions
Skip profiling	Profile early and often

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Remember: Engine is a tool. Master the principles, then adapt to any engine.