Performance Testing In Unity

Performance testing measures how your game behaves under different conditions. You test frame rate, memory usage, and load times on target devices.

• Tests on real phones/computers (not just Editor).
• Simulates heavy gameplay (many enemies, explosions).
• Catches problems before players do.

Why Test on Real Device?

The Unity Editor runs faster than actual builds. What works in Editor may lag on phone.

Note: Always test on the low-end device you support.

Target Frame Rates

Set your target based on game type. Example:

public class FPSTarget : MonoBehaviour
{
    void Start()
    {
        // Set target frame rate
        Application.targetFrameRate = 60;
        // Or for mobile
        Application.targetFrameRate = 30;
    }
}

• Fast-paced shooter: 60 FPS (16.6 ms).
• Casual/mobile: 30 FPS (33.3 ms).
• Puzzle/strategy: 30 FPS (33.3 ms).

Test Scenario 1: Empty Scene

Establish your baseline. What to do:

1. Build empty scene with just player and ground.
2. Check FPS on target device.
3. This is your maximum possible FPS.

If empty scene runs at 25 FPS on phone - problem with base settings (too high resolution, shadows, post-processing).

Test Scenario 2: Maximum Objects

Find your game's limit.

1. Create a test scene with many enemies/bullets.
2. Increase count until FPS drops below 30.
3. This is your maximum spawn limit.

Example:

public class StressTest : MonoBehaviour
{
    public GameObject enemyPrefab;
    [ContextMenu("Spawn 100 Enemies")]
    void Spawn100()
    {
        for (int i = 0; i < 100; i++)
        {
            Instantiate(enemyPrefab, Random.insideUnitSphere * 20, Quaternion.identity);
        }
        Debug.Log("100 enemies spawned - check FPS");
    }
    [ContextMenu("Spawn 500 Enemies")]
    void Spawn500()
    {
        for (int i = 0; i < 500; i++)
        {
            Instantiate(enemyPrefab, Random.insideUnitSphere * 20, Quaternion.identity);
        }
        Debug.Log("500 enemies spawned - check FPS");
    }
}

Right-click on script in Inspector - Spawn100 / Spawn500.

Test Scenario 3: Long Play Session

Some problems appear after minutes of play.

1. Play for 30 minutes.
2. Monitor FPS every 5 minutes.
3. Watch for memory increase (leak).

Signs of problems:

• FPS slowly decreasing over time.
• Memory usage keeps growing.
• Game becomes laggy after long play.

If FPS drops over time - memory leak or objects not being destroyed.

Check memory in Profiler: Take snapshot at start, another after 10 minutes. Compare.

Common Performance Test Results