Evaluating the Performance of Android and Web Applications for the 2048 Game : Using Firebase

Abstract: Background: In the rapidly evolving field of game development, the demand for diverse platform support is increasingly significant. This thesis explores the creation of a Unity-based game compatible with both Web and Android platforms, addressing the rising need for cross-platform gaming experiences. The project aims for a comprehensive and adaptable methodology.Objectives: Our thesis aims to conduct a thorough performance comparison between an Android gaming application and a gaming web application, both featuring a similar user interface, using Firebase metrics. The evaluation will be performed on two designated devices, D1 and D2, measuring CPU load, network load, and memory usage. The research aims to provide insights into the performance variations of these applications while playing the 2048 game on specific devices. This investigation contributes to a deeper understanding of how different platforms and device specifications impact gaming experiences in terms of computational load and network responsiveness.Method: In our thesis, we optimize Unity as the main game engine, allowing for easy-platform-to-platform code exchange. To gather user information and performance metrics, it incorporates Firebase SDK(Software Development Kit), which includes Firebase Analytics and Firebase Performance SDK. Using Android Studio and VisualStudio Code as the main development tool and Firebase Hosting for web deployment, the project is exported for both Android and the Web. The test was conducted on two devices (D1 and D2) while playing the game 2048 for 30 seconds.Results: The result of our analysis shows the comparison of metrics for CPU, memory, and network load of 2048 games for web and Android applications for two devices d1 and d2. The Web D2 consumes more memory than Android D2. Web and Android D1 use similar amounts of memory. Coming to CPU load D2 consumes more than D1 for both Web and Android. The network for web D2 has more network load than web D1 and both Android D1, and D2 have similar network loadConclusions: In conclusion, the Android applications will provide a more streamlined user experience, notably in terms of CPU and network efficiency when compared to the Web app While Android D1 and Web D1 have comparable memory requirements, Web tasks, particularly on Web D2, and Android tasks, especially on AndroidD2, both need significant memory utilization.Keywords: Web application, Android application, Firebase, Unity, Test lab, Performance