【Unity】Unity Render Pipelines: Understanding the Differences Between Built-in, URP, and HDRP

Overview

Tested with: Unity 2022.3 LTS / Unity 6

"Which one should I choose when creating a project?" "I don't understand the difference between URP and HDRP..." "Can I switch later?"

When starting a Unity project, choosing a render pipeline can be confusing. A render pipeline is the system Unity uses to render (draw) graphics. It controls how 3D/2D objects are displayed on screen and manages lighting, shadows, post processing, and other rendering tasks.

Custom SRP: Unity also allows you to build custom render pipelines (Scriptable Render Pipeline), but this is for advanced users and is not covered in this article.

Three Types of Render Pipelines

Unity offers three types of render pipelines.

Pipeline	Characteristics	Primary Use
Built-in	Legacy default, simple	Legacy projects, game jams
URP	Lightweight, optimized, broad support	Mobile, VR, new projects in general
HDRP	High-end, photorealistic	AAA titles, architectural visualization

Comparison Table

Visual Quality and Performance

Category	Built-in	URP	HDRP
Visual quality	Good	Good	Excellent (Best)
Performance	Good	Excellent (Lightest)	Fair (Heavy)
New feature support	No	Yes	Yes

Platform Support

Platform	Built-in	URP	HDRP
Windows/Mac/Linux	Yes	Yes	Yes
iOS/Android	Yes	Yes	No
Switch	Yes	Yes	No
WebGL	Yes	Yes	No
PlayStation/Xbox	Yes	Yes	Yes
VR (Desktop)	Yes	Yes	Yes
VR (Mobile)	Yes	Yes	No

Built-in Render Pipeline

Characteristics

This is Unity's long-standing default render pipeline.

• Simple and easy to use
• Works without any complex configuration
• High compatibility with older assets
• Proven track record over many years
• No new features planned

Advantages

• No setup required
• Low learning curve
• Older assets work as-is
• Abundant documentation and community resources
• Easy to troubleshoot

Disadvantages

• Rendering is not optimized (high batch count)
• Cannot use newer features like VFX Graph or 2D Lighting (Shader Graph is supported from Unity 2021.2, but with limitations such as no Lit Shader Graph support)
• Lower performance compared to URP

Suitable Projects

• Game jams and prototyping (when you want to skip setup)
• When you need to use older assets
• Maintenance of legacy projects

Universal Render Pipeline (URP)

Characteristics

A newer render pipeline developed as the successor to Built-in (formerly known as LWRP).

• Supports all platforms
• Lightweight and optimized rendering
• Access to Shader Graph, VFX Graph, and other new features
• 2D Lighting support
• Intended to become Unity's standard going forward

2D vs 3D templates: When using URP for 2D games, select the "2D (URP)" template when creating a project. The 2D Renderer is pre-configured, and 2D Lighting is ready to use immediately.

Advantages

• Lightest rendering (lowest batch count)
• Scales from mobile to high-end PC
• Access to new features
• Covers most Built-in features (though Surface Shaders are not supported)
• Continued feature additions planned
• Customizable (add rendering passes with C#)

Forward vs Forward+ Rendering Paths

Path	Light Limit	Supported Version
Forward	Up to 4 real-time lights	Unity 2019+
Forward+	Significantly relaxed (supports hundreds)	Unity 2022.2+

Forward+: Effective for scenes with many lights. Switchable via "Rendering Path" in the URP Renderer Data.

Disadvantages

• Migration from Built-in requires effort
• Some older assets may have compatibility issues
• Setup is required
• Surface Shaders are not supported - Custom shaders may need to be rewritten

Suitable Projects

• Mobile games
• VR games
• 2D games
• Performance-focused projects
• Projects targeting a wide range of platforms
• New projects in general

High Definition Render Pipeline (HDRP)

Characteristics

A render pipeline specialized for high-end graphics.

• AAA-quality photorealistic rendering
• Physically Based Rendering (PBR)
• Physically based lighting (Physical Light Units)
• Physical camera (uses real-world camera units)
• Advanced material representation
• Volumetric rendering and ray tracing support

Advantages

• Highest quality graphics
• Photorealistic rendering possible
• Real-world units available (physically based)
• Ray tracing support

Disadvantages

• High processing cost
• Requires high-end PC or console
• Mobile, Switch, and WebGL are not supported
• Complex setup, steep learning curve
• Understanding of physical principles is needed

Suitable Projects

• Games requiring AAA-quality photorealistic 3D visuals
• High-end PC games
• Architectural visualization
• Film production

Selection Guidelines

When to Choose URP

• Building a mobile game
• Building a VR game
• Performance is a priority
• Targeting a wide range of platforms
• Want access to new features
• When in doubt, go with URP

When to Choose HDRP

• AAA-quality photorealistic visuals required
• High-end PC and console exclusive
• Architectural visualization
• Film production

When to Choose Built-in

• Game jams and prototyping (skip setup overhead)
• Need to use older assets
• Maintenance of legacy projects

Feature Comparison

Shaders

Feature	Built-in	URP	HDRP
Shader Graph	Limited (2021.2+, with restrictions)	Yes	Yes
Surface Shader	Yes	No	No

Built-in Shader Graph limitations: Shader Graph is available for Built-in RP from Unity 2021.2, but Lit Shader Graph is not supported. Only Unlit is available, so lighting-enabled shaders must be written in HLSL.

Other Features

Feature	Built-in	URP	HDRP
VFX Graph	No	Yes	Yes
2D Lighting	No	Yes	No
Volumetric Fog	No	No	Yes
Ray Tracing	No	No	Yes
Decals	No	Yes	Yes

Migration

Migrating from Built-in to URP

Using the Render Pipeline Converter

1. Open Window > Rendering > Render Pipeline Converter
2. Select the source (Built-in) and target (URP) on the left
3. Check conversion items:
   • Material Upgrade: Converts materials to URP-compatible versions
   • Animation Clip Converter: Converts animation clips
   • Read-only Material Converter: Converts materials inside packages
4. Click Initialize Converters
5. Review the targets and click Convert Assets

Post-Migration Adjustments

1. Convert materials (Render Pipeline Converter)
2. Adjust lighting (brightness may change)
3. Reconfigure post processing (to URP's Volume-based post processing)
4. Rewrite custom shaders (if needed)

Migration Considerations

• Some assets may not be compatible
• Custom shaders will need to be rewritten
• Lighting appearance may change
• Performance needs to be re-measured

Consider the project's scale and remaining timeline before deciding. For large projects with tight deadlines, it is safer not to migrate.

Unity 6 (2025) changes: In Unity 6, Render Graph is enabled by default in URP. However, you can use Compatibility Mode to keep existing Renderer Features working. During the transition period, leverage Compatibility Mode and gradually migrate to Render Graph.

Summary

Unity offers three types of render pipelines.

Pipeline	In a Nutshell
Built-in	Legacy default, simple but no new features
URP	Lightweight, optimized, supports all platforms
HDRP	High-end, photorealistic, high processing cost

For new projects, URP is generally the safest choice. When in doubt, choose URP.

If you need photorealistic rendering and are targeting high-end platforms exclusively, choose HDRP. For game jams or prototyping where you want to skip setup, Built-in is also an option.

Suggested Reading

• If you chose URP -> Getting Started with Post Processing to set up Bloom and Color Grading
• If you want to create shaders -> Getting Started with Shader Graph for node-based shader creation

Further Learning

• Unity Documentation - Render Pipelines
• Unity Documentation - URP
• Unity Documentation - HDRP