How often do you update to the newest version of Unity?

Just curious, do you guys do it right away or after completing your latest project... etc ?

 

Pretty much never upgrade mid project, unless it is a patch to fix a bug you are fighting with. Then will move up to the latest stable for new projects. Usually after spending some time evaluating the new versions.

I really wish Unity had a download manager similar to UE4 where it will let you easily download multiple versions of Unity, and let you automatically open the proper version of unity for a project.

 

I usually update right away; new versions usually have features I want to take advantage of for my project. And I always appreciate the performance optimizations when they happen.

 

I typically march whatever clients are using. So I have every major version since 4.6 installed. Along with a few patch versions.

I typically only upgrade at the start of a new project with a new client.

For my personal work I use the latest version I happen to have.

 

Being largely a hobbyist I originally took the same path as @JasonBricco but have since shifted over to having multiple clients installed as some of the platforms I have access to do not always support the latest stable release.

 

It's not super difficult to manage yourself. And the latest versions of the launcher actually tell you what version a project was last opened in.

 

As soon as a final build is released. I always install it into its own folder though and keep the old installation, and make a backup of my project before upgrading.

 

I usually wait for the first round of patches after a major update. The more features get added, the more I research to find out what broke and what got fixed.

 

Eh it really depends on what the newest update has in it.. If it has stuff I really really need/want. If it has something I really really like, I will update it. But if it offers no benefit other than some fixes for platforms I never touch I won't update it.

But likewise, I always keep the last known install + the newest just encase I run into issues with a script error anywhere.

 

I upgrade when starting a new major project, when a bug is effecting me, or when I want access to a specific new feature.

While it's fairly rare upgrades can introduce bugs or incompatibilities. Checking for and/or dealing with those things is extra work that may as well be avoided where possible.

 

I used to do it every time there was new Unity release. I couldn't wait to update. But the update to Unity 5.3.1 was complete nightmare for me and many people: unstable editor, particle systems not working. Particle system usage causing the editor to crash. I learned my lesson the hard way to never upgrade too soon, wait until all the major bugs are ironed out in the major releases.
I'll upgrade to 5.4 once 5.5 is released, so I'm always one version behind.

 

I usually wait until I release the version of the project I'm currently work on, that way I have plenty of time to fix any problems that appear in the project as I install the Unity patch before the release of the next game version.

 

I also always update as and when the newest versions are available (with the exceptions of beta releases) I find they usually fix more bugs than create and the new features are always beneficial! If you back up your projects like any sane developer does, you can always roll back if it proves too much.

 

I tend to update once a new release cycle gets stable enough, and in general, to avoid having to open projects from newer versions in older ones, I update all my machines to the same version, and I update all installs across OS partitions as well when I do so. (for example, when there's an update out for Linux AND Windows, I tend to update both on my main development machine, as it has a dual-boot) This makes sure my project will open properly across all my dev machines after upgrading to the newest version.

Occasionally though, hardware incompatibilities holds you back from upgrading... I've recently had to bid farewell to my Dell Mini 910 as a dev machine, as 5.4 removes SM2.0 support... and by now, a GMA950 can only do so much.
I now have a replacement AMD Fusion netbook on the way to replace that laptop. As for the Min 910... I'll find a use for the thing, there's plenty an old Atom netbook can do, surprisingly enough.

 

Actually, there is one reason one may have to upgrade mid-project... to fix a bug present in a previous version.
Yes, this runs the risk of breaking stuff, but that's what backups are for.
I've had to do that one time when a project of mine decided it was going to crash the editor every time it was built on 5.2.4. at the time, I was needing the game gotten in by a deadline (it was for the 2016 UWP competition Unity and Microsoft ran a few months back) so the only solution was to backup and upgrade to 5.3.2 to see if it would build. (It did fix it as well, and I was able to get the game submitted on time, although it's performance suffered a little bit as a result)

 

This reason alone is why I'm still on 5.3.5... Until Monday, hopefully.

 

If only they added a Hub...

 

I never update for the life of my current project, not a good idea. This has been debated many times. TBH i always use a LTS build, and the 2020 LTS seems to be the most stable as latest releases are concerned. I would never use the latest version for any project. I feel staying a few years out is best, more stable and worked out.

 

man look at the year on things, that comment is multiple years older then Unity Hub, also the top part of the comment about not upgrading mid dev cycle is still valid.