VFX Graph
Unity's GPU node-based particle system
Also known as: Visual Effect Graph · Unity VFX Graph · Unity GPU particles · Shuriken vs VFX Graph
Definition
The Visual Effect Graph, or VFX Graph, is Unity's node-based tool for building particle effects that simulate on the GPU. It can handle millions of particles, and its graph lets artists spawn, shape and render particles with a clear flow of contexts such as Spawn, Initialize, Update and Output. It works with URP and HDRP and needs a platform with compute shader support. The older Particle System, also called Shuriken, simulates on the CPU.
In production
Use VFX Graph for large, complex effects such as smoke, fire, magic and weather, and the Particle System for small effects, simple needs and mobile or low-end targets. Effects authored in the graph are sensitive to overdraw, so keep particle sizes and counts in check. If you know Niagara in Unreal Engine, the ideas map closely, with modules becoming blocks and systems becoming graphs.
Tools that use VFX Graph
See also
Niagara
UE5 particle and VFX system
Overdraw
Redrawing same pixels
Blend Mode
How a material combines with what is behind it
Shader Graph
Visual shader authoring
URP
Unity’s Universal Render Pipeline
Particle System
Spawns and animates many small elements
GPU vs CPU Particles
Where particle simulation runs
Particles Not Showing
The effect plays but nothing appears