Configure for better performance

You can disable or change Universal Render Pipeline (URP) settings and features that have a large performance impact. This helps you get better performance for your project, especially on lower-end platforms.

Depending on your project or the platforms you target, one or all of the following might have the biggest effect:

  • Which rendering path you choose
  • How much memory URP uses
  • Processing time on the CPU
  • Processing time on the GPU

You can use the Unity Profiler or a GPU profiler such as RenderDoc or Xcode to measure the effect of each setting on the performance of your project.

You might not be able to disable some features if your project needs them.

Choose a rendering path

Refer to Universal Renderer for more information about the three rendering paths in URP, and the performance effects and limitations of each one.

Reduce how much memory URP uses

You can do the following in the URP Asset:

  • Disable Depth Texture unless you need it (for example, if you use a shader that samples scene depth), so that URP doesn't store a depth texture unless it's needed.
  • Disable Opaque Texture, so that URP doesn't store a snapshot of the opaques in a scene unless it needs to.
  • If you use the Deferred rendering path, disable Use Rendering Layers so that URP doesn't create an extra render target.
  • Disable High Dynamic Range (HDR) if you don't need it, so that URP doesn't do HDR calculations. If you need HDR, set HDR Precision to 32 Bit.
  • Reduce Main Light > Shadow Resolution, to lower the resolution of the shadow map for the main light.
  • If you use additional lights, reduce Additional Lights > Shadow Atlas Resolution, to lower the resolution of the shadow map for additional lights.
  • Disable Light Cookies if you don't need them, or reduce Cookie Atlas Resolution and Cookie Atlas Format.
  • On lower-end mobile platforms, set Store Actions to Auto or Discard, so that URP doesn't use memory bandwidth to copy the render targets from each pass into and out of memory.

In the Universal Renderer asset, you can set Intermediate Texture to Auto, so that Unity only renders using an intermediate texture when necessary. This might also reduce how much GPU memory bandwidth URP uses. Use the Frame Debugger to check if URP removes the intermediate texture when you change this setting.

You can also do the following:

  • Minimize the use of the Decal Renderer Feature, because URP creates an additional render pass to render decals. This also reduces processing time on the CPU and GPU. Refer to Decal Renderer Feature for more information.
  • Strip shader variants for features you don't use.

Reduce processing time on the CPU

You can do the following in the URP Asset:

  • Set Volume Update Mode to Via Scripting, so that URP doesn't update volumes every frame. You need to update volumes manually using an API such as UpdateVolumeStack.
  • On lower-end mobile platforms, if you use Reflection Probes, disable Probe Blending and Box Projection.
  • In the Shadows section, reduce Max Distance so that URP processes fewer objects in the shadow pass. This also reduces processing time on the GPU.
  • In the Shadows section, reduce Cascade Count to reduce the number of render passes. This also reduces processing time on the GPU.
  • In the Additional Lights section, disable Cast Shadows. This also reduces processing time on the GPU and how much memory URP uses.

Each camera in the Scene requires resources for URP culling and rendering. To optimize URP for better performance, minimize the number of cameras you use. This also reduces processing time on the GPU.

Reduce processing time on the GPU

You can do the following in the URP Asset:

  • Reduce or disable Anti-aliasing (MSAA), so that URP doesn't use memory bandwidth to copy frame buffer attachments into and out of memory. This also reduces how much memory URP uses.
  • Disable Terrain Holes.
  • Enable SRP Batcher, so that URP reduces the GPU setup between draw calls and makes material data persistent in GPU memory. Check your shaders are compatible with the SRP Batcher first. This also reduces processing time on the CPU.
  • On lower-end mobile platforms, disable LOD Cross Fade, so that URP doesn't use alpha testing to fade level of detail (LOD) meshes in and out.
  • Set Additional Lights to Disabled, or Per Vertex if you use the Forward rendering path. This reduces the work URP does to calculate lighting. This also reduces processing time on the CPU if you set to Disabled.
  • Disable Soft Shadows, or enable Soft Shadows but reduce Quality.

You can do the following in the Universal Renderer asset:

  • Enable Native RenderPass if you use Vulkan, Metal or DirectX 12 graphics APIs, so that URP automatically reduces how often it copies render textures into and out of memory. This also reduces how much memory URP uses.
  • If you use the Forward or Forward+ rendering path, set Depth Priming Mode to Auto or Forced for PC and console platforms, or Disabled for mobile platforms. On PC and console platforms, this makes URP create and use depth textures to avoid running pixel shaders on obscured pixels.
  • Set Depth Texture Mode to After Transparents, so that URP avoids switching render targets between the opaque pass and the transparent pass.

You can also do the following:

  • Avoid use of the Complex Lit shader, which has complex lighting calculations. If you use the Complex Lit shader, disable Clear Coat.
  • On lower-end mobile platforms, use the Baked Lit shader for static objects and the Simple Lit shader for dynamic objects.
  • If you use Screen Space Ambient Occlusion (SSAO), refer to Ambient Occlusion for more information about settings that have a large performance impact.

Additional resources

Refer to the following for more information on the settings: