Aras Pranckevičius
 #unity render pipelines strategy for 2026: https://discussions.unity.com/t/render-pipelines-strategy-for-2026/1710004 -- basically what could have been inferred from activity:
- URP is the one that's moving forward,
- HDRP is not getting any new features (except for Switch 2 support), so effectively dead long term,
- ye olde Built-in render pipeline (BiRP) is getting deprecated soon, removed "someday".
Feb 23 at 3:16pmWeb
Show threadAras PranckevičiusFeb 23
...meanwhile, a game I am a tiny bit tinkering with (shipping 2027), is on BiRP, because it was not clear whether switch to URP would gain any advantages (it was clear that it would be some disadvantages) :/
Show threadGeriFeb 23
@aras same here, for the game I'm working on at one point I had to remove URP because the only thing it added was an unnecessary layer of complexity
Show threadJonas BötelFeb 23
@aras Could you elaborate on the disadvantages? We're also still on BiRP, because that's what we know.
Show threadAras PranckevičiusFeb 23
@lumpn I meant URP disadvantages, major one being insanely long build times, since for some reason URP has alot of shader variants. Also many things in URP need “enterprise grade” interfaces and classes and abstractions for some reason.
Show threadAras PranckevičiusFeb 23
@lumpn BiRP disadvantages: potentially slower batching, no support for GPU resident drawer / GPU occlusion, no support for VFX graph, etc.
Show threadArseny KapoulkineFeb 23
@aras I’m curious, where do you think this went wrong? Presumably the plan 9 years ago wasn’t to keep maintaining pre-SRP code for a decade!
Show threadAras PranckevičiusFeb 23
@zeux "oof" is my best summary I guess :) AFAICS it was a perfect storm of a dozen things that went sideways at once, and only half of them had to do with technical decisions. Probably best for stories over beers or somesuch.
Show threadJoel de VahlFeb 24
@aras @zeux :hide-the-pain-meme:
Show threadUlquiroFeb 23
@aras At my job we're heavily relying on the multi-display system (read often 6+ cameras rendering each frame, mandatory), and when we tried moving to URP and HDRP we found out that the main thread renderloop is really heavy in both SRPs compared to BiRP, especially with HDRP even when removing everything except opaque geometry... Ok sure it looks great but if it can't reach our target framerate then what's the point... URP is more on-par but still worse than BiRP on this point.
Show threadRobFeb 23

@aras I remember, pre-pandemic, when there was a discussion about Sustained Engineering taking ownership of BiRP as part of the sunsetting of it (aka, Ya Boi here being in charge of changes/fixes landing).

Since then I changed roles twice, got yeet'd, took 2 years off, and.. it carries on as before...

[insert Fry from Futurama shocked gif here]

Show threadThe Seven Voyages Of SteveFeb 23
@aras I'm sure people are doing their best but...JFC I'm glad not to have to deal with that kind of fragmentation any more