Introduced in Unity 6.6
Control 2D lighting
Choose which lights affect each character or object in a 2D scene.
Unity 6 feature highlights
Explore features across the Unity 6 family, including earlier releases.
These are selected launch highlights, not every release-note change. Availability depends on your Editor version and any listed requirements.
Showing 61 of 61 feature highlights
Introduced in Unity 6.6
Faster lighting calculations
The new light baker uses graphics hardware to speed up lighting calculations.
Introduced in Unity 6.6
Inspect build size and time
Build Analysis shows build times, large assets, and errors together.
Introduced in Unity 6.6
Enter Play mode faster
New projects skip code reloading when you press Play, reducing the wait before testing.
Introduced in Unity 6.6
Load assets in smaller groups
Content directories give teams finer control over local asset loading.
Introduced in Unity 6.6
Navigate large scenes
The new Hierarchy adds customizable columns and faster scene navigation.
Introduced in Unity 6.6
Shadows that follow characters
Animated sprites can cast shadows that follow their changing shape.
Introduced in Unity 6.6
Find slow 2D animation
New Profiler modules track 2D animation, tilemaps, and lighting.
Introduced in Unity 6.6
Inspect rendering details
Frame Debugger exposes more shader data to help investigate visual problems.
Introduced in Unity 6.6
Control shader compilation
New compiler settings unlock newer shader features for DirectX 12.
Introduced in Unity 6.6
Keep controls clear of cutouts
Safe-area layouts keep interfaces away from screen notches and system gestures.
Introduced in Unity 6.6
Frosted-glass backgrounds
Background filters add blur and other effects behind interface elements.
Introduced in Unity 6.6
Soft interface shadows
UI Toolkit adds soft shadows around interface elements.
Introduced in Unity 6.6
Shape custom interfaces
Mesh modifiers let teams bend and reshape interface elements.
Introduced in Unity 6.6
See visual tools running
Graph Toolkit can show active connections, live data, and errors inside a graph.
Introduced in Unity 6.6
Verify imported packages
Signed Unity package files help identify who published imported content.
Introduced in Unity 6.5
Custom 2D lights and shadows
Custom 2D lights and shadows give artists more control over a scene.
Introduced in Unity 6.5
Measure 2D performance
The updated Profiler shows sprite counts and the sprite atlases in use.
Introduced in Unity 6.5
Simulate more 2D objects
New physics and sprite tools can simulate and display thousands of moving 2D objects.
Introduced in Unity 6.5
More efficient mobile effects
Tile-Only rendering reduces memory traffic for supported mobile effects.
Introduced in Unity 6.5
Update tilemaps faster
New tile identifiers reduce the work needed to set tiles on a map.
Introduced in Unity 6.5
More expressive sprites
Sprite blend shapes add new ways to deform and animate 2D characters.
Introduced in Unity 6.5
Reuse shader logic
Shader Graph improvements make reusable material effects easier to organize.
Introduced in Unity 6.5
Find lighting settings together
Lighting Search brings lighting objects and settings into one searchable view.
Introduced in Unity 6.5
Customize visual tools
Graph Toolkit adds more control over the look and behavior of custom editors.
Introduced in Unity 6.5
Optimize Android builds
New build optimizations can reduce startup time and processor work.
Introduced in Unity 6.5
Find package examples
A dedicated Samples view makes installed package examples easier to find.
Introduced in Unity 6.4
Built-in project checks
Project Auditor is now included in the Editor.
Introduced in Unity 6.4
Unsigned package warnings
New prompts flag unsigned packages and packages from outside Unity.
Introduced in Unity 6.4
Console quality scaling
Adaptive Performance expands its basic provider to PlayStation and Xbox platforms.
Introduced in Unity 6.4
Matchmaking reports
New Matchmaker reports explain why players have not found a match.
Introduced in Unity 6.4
ECS included in the Editor
Tools for simulating large numbers of objects now come with the Editor.
Introduced in Unity 6.3
Accounts, saves, and achievements
Platform Toolkit provides shared workflows for accounts, saved games, and achievements.
Introduced in Unity 6.3
Clearer performance reports
Profiler highlights help teams identify where to investigate performance.
Introduced in Unity 6.3
Find unused texture space
Sprite Atlas Analyzer reports packing and texture inefficiencies.
Introduced in Unity 6.3
More efficient mobile effects
Rendering improvements offer more efficient post-processing for mobile and untethered XR.
Introduced in Unity 6.3
Reduce shader build work
Shader build settings help teams control which shader variants get compiled.
Introduced in Unity 6.3
HTTP/2 connections
HTTP/2 support lets games use newer web-server connections.
Introduced in Unity 6.3
Create terrain materials visually
Shader Graph brings visual material editing to terrain.
Introduced in Unity 6.3
Sharp icons at any size
Native SVG support keeps UI Toolkit vector graphics sharp when resized.
Introduced in Unity 6.2
Simplify 3D models
Mesh LOD can generate simpler versions of models during import.
Introduced in Unity 6.2
Interfaces in 3D scenes
UI Toolkit can place interfaces directly inside 3D scenes.
Introduced in Unity 6.2
Verified Android XR support
Android XR offers verified support with improved display handling.
Introduced in Unity 6.2
AI assistance (beta)
Optional Unity AI tools help with questions and content tasks.
Introduced in Unity 6.2
Create custom visual editors
Graph Toolkit provides a starting point for building node-based tools.
Introduced in Unity 6.2
Investigate crashes and freezes
Dashboard reports show crashes and Android freezes affecting players.
Introduced in Unity 6.2
Manage data sharing
Dashboard settings give teams control over how their developer data is used.
Introduced in Unity 6.1
More lights and objects
Deferred+ expands rendering options for scenes with more lights and objects.
Introduced in Unity 6.1
Project checks
Project Auditor helps inspect code, assets, settings, and builds.
Introduced in Unity 6.1
Rolling waves
Water deformation adds rolling waves to high-end scenes.
Introduced in Unity 6.1
WebGPU browser graphics
Experimental WebGPU support brings newer graphics capabilities to browsers.
Introduced in Unity 6.1
Focus graphics work where it matters
Variable Rate Shading reduces detail in selected areas to save rendering work.
Introduced in Unity 6.1
Set quality per build
Build profiles can override quality settings for different target devices.
Introduced in Unity 6.0
Reduce processor workload
New rendering workflows can reduce some work on the main processor.
Introduced in Unity 6.0
More lighting control
Updated lighting tools offer more ways to shape the look of a scene.
Introduced in Unity 6.0
Multiplayer tools
Multiplayer tools bring setup and testing workflows together.
Introduced in Unity 6.0
Shared build profiles
Save and share build settings for each target platform.
Introduced in Unity 6.0
Share simulation between players
Distributed authority lets connected players share responsibility for the game simulation.
Introduced in Unity 6.0
Run AI models in your game
Sentis runs AI models on players’ devices for interactive gameplay.
Introduced in Unity 6.0
See where memory goes
Memory Profiler helps teams find what uses memory in their game.
Introduced in Unity 6.0
Build interfaces visually
UI Builder improvements make interface layout and styling easier to inspect.