Needle vs. Unreal Engine vs. Rooom

See how Needle, Unreal Engine, and Rooom compare across key features and capabilities for usage on the web and creating XR experiences for designers, developers and teams.

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Web-first runtime integrated with Unity and Blender plugins, complemented by Needle Cloud for optimization and hosting.
Needle
High-fidelity engine primarily for native games/apps. Web strategy focuses on Pixel Streaming (server-side rendering) or exporting assets (glTF) for use in other web engines.
Unreal Engine
An enterprise-focused web platform offering integrated no-code/low-code tools for creating 3D/AR/VR experiences like virtual showrooms, product presentations, and events.
Rooom
Core Platform & Workflow
Solution Type
3D Engine
Cloud Platform
Authoring Tool
Optimization Tool
Web Component
Needle
Solution Type: 3d-engine, cloud-platform, authoring-tool, optimization-tool, web-component
A comprehensive suite including a runtime engine, cloud services for optimization/hosting, authoring via Unity/Blender plugins, and embeddable web component output.
Authoring Tool
Unreal Engine
Solution Type: authoring-tool
Primarily an authoring tool for creating experiences delivered via Pixel Streaming. No longer supports direct WebGL/Wasm client export.
Cloud Platform
Authoring Tool
3D Engine
Rooom
Solution Type: cloud-platform, authoring-tool, 3d-engine
An all-in-one platform ('Enterprise Metaverse') providing a CMS, visual editors, hosting, and underlying rendering technology for business use cases.
Made for the web
Needle
Made for the web: Yes
Built from the ground up for the web, focusing on fast loading, efficient rendering, and cross-platform web deployment.
Unreal Engine
Made for the web: No
A high-end engine designed for native performance. Web deployment relies on asset export or streaming.
Limited
Rooom
Made for the web: Limited
Viewers suitable for business applications. Load times are relatively high, since the viewer builds on Unity's WebGL platform.
Typical Workflows
Unity Editor
Blender Editor
Code
HTML
Asset Upload
Needle
Typical Workflows: Unity Editor, Blender Editor, Code, HTML, Asset Upload
Primary workflow involves using Unity or Blender as the authoring environment, exporting scenes and logic. Custom scripts (TypeScript/JavaScript) extend functionality.
Standalone Editor
Visual Scripting
Code
Unreal Engine
Typical Workflows: Standalone Editor, Visual Scripting, Code
Content creation uses the Unreal Editor with Blueprints (visual scripting) or C++.
Web Editor
Visual Editor
Rooom
Typical Workflows: Web Editor, Visual Editor
Content Management System and visual tools for creating experiences without coding.
Use with Unity
Needle
Use with Unity: Yes
Deep integration with Unity Editor via dedicated plugin, allowing export of scenes, C# scripts (transpiled), materials (Shader Graph), animations, and components.
Unreal Engine
Use with Unity: No
Separate engine.
Rooom
Use with Unity: No
Imports standard asset formats.
Use with Blender
Needle
Use with Blender: Yes
Integration with Blender via addon, supporting export of scenes, materials, animations, and custom logic nodes.
Unreal Engine
Use with Blender: No
Separate engine.
Rooom
Use with Blender: No
Imports standard asset formats.
Interactivity Building Blocks
Needle
Interactivity Building Blocks: Yes
Includes a rich set of components for common interactions, animations, and UI elements.
Unreal Engine
Interactivity Building Blocks: No
Components can be created via scripting, but there is no built-in library of interactivity components.
Rooom
Interactivity Building Blocks: Yes
Provides templates and interactive components for common experiences like product showcases, virtual events, and virtual tours.
Extensible with Coding
Needle
Extensible with Coding: Yes
Uses TypeScript with full IDE support in both Unity and standalone projects.
Unreal Engine
Extensible with Coding: Yes
Blueprints visual scripting and C++.
Rooom
Extensible with Coding: No
Primarily a no-code platform with template-based creation system.
Engine Capabilities
Physically-Based Rendering
Needle
Physically-Based Rendering: Yes
Supports Physically Based Rendering (PBR), custom shaders (via Unity Shader Graph export), lighting, and post-processing effects.
Unreal Engine
Physically-Based Rendering: Yes
High-end rendering capabilities (Nanite, Lumen, PBR) for desktop and high-performance mobile devices.
Good
Rooom
Physically-Based Rendering: Good
Aimed at producing visually appealing product visualizations and virtual environments.
Component System
Needle
Component System: Yes
Leverages the component-based architecture of Unity/Blender, extended with custom web-specific components.
Unreal Engine
Component System: Yes
Uses the Actor-Component model.
Rooom
Component System: No
Uses an internal system managed by the platform's CMS/editor.
Built-in Networking
Needle
Built-in Networking: Yes
Built-in real-time networking for multiplayer and collaborative applications.
Unreal Engine
Built-in Networking: Yes
Pixel Streaming is fundamentally a networking solution. Unreal Engine has robust native networking.
Rooom
Built-in Networking: Yes
Includes networking for shared virtual events and showrooms.
Timelines and Sequencing
Needle
Timelines and Sequencing: Yes
Supports timeline-based sequencing, complex animations, animator state machines, blending, and more.
Unreal Engine
Timelines and Sequencing: Yes
Comprehensive Sequencer timeline system for cinematic sequences and complex animation control.
Rooom
Timelines and Sequencing: No
Basic event-based triggers and animations for interactions, but no comprehensive timeline system.
Animation Controls
Needle
Animation Controls: Yes
Supports complex animations authored in Unity (Animator, Timeline) or Blender and exports them for the web.
Unreal Engine
Animation Controls: Yes
Supports complex animations.
Rooom
Animation Controls: Yes
Supports product animations, avatar interactions, and potentially environment animations.
Animated Materials
Needle
Animated Materials: Yes
Supports material animations, shader graph, and procedural material effects.
Unreal Engine
Animated Materials: Yes
Advanced material system with dynamic parameters, material instances, and material functions.
Rooom
Animated Materials: No
Limited to pre-built templates and imported animations.
Audio Playback
Needle
Audio Playback: Yes
Supports spatial audio configured via Unity/Blender components.
Unreal Engine
Audio Playback: Yes
Audio features are part of the engine.
Rooom
Audio Playback: Yes
Includes audio capabilities for environments and events.
Video Playback
Needle
Video Playback: Yes
Supports video textures and playback controlled via components.
Unreal Engine
Video Playback: Yes
Supported within the streamed Unreal application.
Rooom
Video Playback: Yes
Supports integrating video content into virtual spaces and events.
Physics Integration
Needle
Physics Integration: Yes
Integrates with physics engines, configured via Unity/Blender components.
Unreal Engine
Physics Integration: Yes
Physics simulation is part of the engine but not exported via glTF.
Rooom
Physics Integration: No
Only basic interactions/collisions within the platform's scope, not exposed physics engine.
glTF 3D Support
Excellent
Needle
glTF 3D Support: Excellent
Uses glTF as its core runtime format and supports import of various formats (FBX, USD, VRM etc.) which are converted.
Unreal Engine
glTF 3D Support: Yes
Provides an official importer and exporter for glTF assets.
Limited
Rooom
glTF 3D Support: Limited
Supports a subset of glTF as a core format for asset import.
Custom User Interfaces
Needle
Custom User Interfaces: Yes
Facilitates creation of UI using standard HTML/CSS and frontend frameworks, integrated with the 3D scene.
Unreal Engine
Custom User Interfaces: Yes
Features the UMG UI Designer.
Limited
Rooom
Custom User Interfaces: Limited
Provides templates and customization options within the platform's UI framework.
Web Integration & Deployment
Web Component
Needle
Web Component: Yes
Exports projects as standard web components (<needle-engine> tag) for easy embedding into any HTML page or web application.
Unreal Engine
Web Component: No
Pixel Streaming requires a custom client player.
Rooom
Web Component: No
Offers embedding solutions, but not standard web components.
PWA Support
Needle
PWA Support: Yes
Being web-native, Needle Engine projects can be easily included in Progressive Web Apps for offline capabilities and installation.
Unreal Engine
PWA Support: No
Not supported.
Rooom
PWA Support: No
The platform itself is web-based.
HTML/CSS Integration
Excellent
Needle
HTML/CSS Integration: Excellent
Designed to seamlessly integrate with HTML, CSS, and frontend frameworks (React, Vue, Svelte etc.), allowing blending of 2D UI and 3D content.
Unreal Engine
HTML/CSS Integration: No
Pixel Streaming client allows some UI customization and JS interaction, but doesn't contain features to make this easy.
Limited
Rooom
HTML/CSS Integration: Limited
Focus is primarily on experiences within the Rooom platform.
Host Anywhere
Needle
Host Anywhere: Yes
The core runtime can be self-hosted on any static server. Needle Cloud features (optimization, hosting, analytics) require the cloud service.
Unreal Engine
Host Anywhere: No
Pixel Streaming requires significant server infrastructure (GPU instances). glTF export requires only static hosting for assets.
Rooom
Host Anywhere: No
Experiences are hosted on the Rooom platform (cloud or optional on-premise).
Asset Hosting
Needle
Asset Hosting: Yes
Needle Cloud provides managed hosting and CDN delivery for optimized assets.
Unreal Engine
Asset Hosting: No
Requires external hosting.
Rooom
Asset Hosting: Yes
Assets are hosted as part of the platform service.
App Hosting
Needle
App Hosting: Yes
Needle Cloud provides managed hosting and CDN delivery for optimized applications.
Unreal Engine
App Hosting: No
Requires external hosting.
Required
Rooom
App Hosting: Required
Experiences can only be hosted on the Rooom platform.
Performance & Optimization
Engine Size
Medium
Needle
Engine Size: Medium
Optimized runtime aims for minimal footprint, size depends on included features.
Large
Unreal Engine
Engine Size: Large
Not applicable for client-side web builds.
Medium
Rooom
Engine Size: Medium
Platform includes rendering, interaction, and other components.
Loading Performance
Excellent
Needle
Loading Performance: Excellent
Rapid development cycles and fast loading times through optimized runtime and asset handling.
Low
Unreal Engine
Loading Performance: Low
Pixel Streaming load time involves connecting to the server.
Moderate/Fast
Rooom
Loading Performance: Moderate/Fast
Advertises fast loading times as a feature.
Runtime Performance
Excellent
Needle
Runtime Performance: Excellent
Designed for efficient rendering performance across desktop, mobile, and XR devices.
High (Streaming)
Unreal Engine
Runtime Performance: High (Streaming)
glTF performance depends on target engine. Pixel Streaming performance is high (server-rendered) but subject to network latency.
Good
Rooom
Runtime Performance: Good
Optimized for common business use cases like showrooms and product displays.
Smart Asset Optimization
Excellent
Needle
Smart Asset Optimization: Excellent
Needle Cloud provides significant automated optimization: LOD generation, mesh optimization, extensive texture compression (Basis Universal, WebP, JPG, PNG) and resizing options.
Unreal Engine
Smart Asset Optimization: Yes
Features like Nanite/Lumen can pre-process assets. glTF exporter offers texture control.
Rooom
Smart Asset Optimization: No
Basic asset processing upon upload.
Mesh and Texture LODs
Excellent
Needle
Mesh and Texture LODs: Excellent
Supports automatic mesh simplification, level-of-detail generation and automatic texture compression with multiple quality levels.
Unreal Engine
Mesh and Texture LODs: Yes
Robust LOD system for both meshes and textures with automatic generation options.
Rooom
Mesh and Texture LODs: No
Platform does automatically apply asset compression, but no additional optimizations happen before upload. Paid optimization services are available.
XR Support (AR/VR/Spatial)
VR Support (WebXR)
Needle
VR Support (WebXR): Yes
Supports VR headsets via the WebXR standard.
Unreal Engine
VR Support (WebXR): No
Very limited experimental support.
Rooom
VR Support (WebXR): Yes
Supports VR viewing for immersive spaces and events.
AR Support (WebXR)
Needle
AR Support (WebXR): Yes
Supports markerless WebAR on compatible Android devices via the WebXR standard.
Unreal Engine
AR Support (WebXR): No
Not supported.
Rooom
AR Support (WebXR): Yes
Supports AR viewing, particularly for product presentations.
AR Support (iOS)
Needle
AR Support (iOS): Yes
Supports interactive markerless WebAR on iOS devices via WebXR.
Unreal Engine
AR Support (iOS): No
Not supported.
Limited
Rooom
AR Support (iOS): Limited
Supports AR viewing for products on iOS, but not for interactions.
AR Support (visionOS)
Needle
AR Support (visionOS): Yes
Explicit support for creating spatial computing experiences deployable on visionOS.
Unreal Engine
AR Support (visionOS): No
Pixel Streaming is a potential path. Native visionOS support exists.
Limited
Rooom
AR Support (visionOS): Limited
Support for 3D models on VisionOS, but not for interactions.
AR Tracking Types
Surface
Image
Needle
AR Tracking Types: Surface, Image
Supports World Tracking via the WebXR standard on compatible devices. Image tracking is supported on iOS AR but requires a device-specific flag for Android AR.
Unreal Engine
AR Tracking Types: No
AR tracking would need to be handled by the custom Pixel Streaming client application.
Surface
Rooom
AR Tracking Types: Surface
Supports standard markerless AR for product placement.
Ecosystem & Support
Official Support Availability
Needle
Official Support Availability: Yes
Dedicated support available for licensed users.
Unreal Engine
Official Support Availability: Yes
Paid support and enterprise options available.
Rooom
Official Support Availability: Yes
Support included with paid plans.
Learning Resources
Needle
Learning Resources: Yes
Extensive documentation, tutorials, live samples, and active community support.
Unreal Engine
Learning Resources: Yes
Vast library of learning content on the Epic Developer Community and elsewhere.
Good
Rooom
Learning Resources: Good
Provides resources geared towards using the platform's no-code tools.
License
Commercial
Needle
License: Commercial
Commercial license required for full features and deployment. Free evaluation available.
Commercial
Unreal Engine
License: Commercial
Free to use up to a revenue threshold, then royalty-based or custom licensing.
Commercial
Rooom
License: Commercial
Commercial platform with tiered pricing, including a free entry-level plan.

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