10 October 2026 · 5 min read
3D File Formats for Games: FBX, glTF, OBJ, USD and Blend
Picking the wrong file format can cost hours. Here is what each common 3D format is good for, and what to ask for when ordering assets.
FBX (.fbx)
The long-time standard for games. It stores meshes, materials references, skeletons, skinning and animation clips, so it is the usual choice for characters and animated assets. It is a proprietary format owned by Autodesk, but supported everywhere (Unity, Unreal, Godot, Maya, Blender). Watch out for axis and unit differences between tools.
glTF / GLB (.gltf, .glb)
An open format often called "the JPEG of 3D". GLB packs everything into one file. It supports meshes, PBR materials, skeletons and animations, and is excellent for web, AR and real-time viewers. Godot and many engines import it directly, and Unity and Unreal have plugins or built-in support.
OBJ (.obj)
Simple and universal. It stores geometry and UVs, with basic material references, but no animation, skeletons or modern PBR data. Good for static meshes and for exchanging models between programs.
USD / USDZ
Universal Scene Description is a format for complex scenes and pipelines. USDZ is a packaged version used by Apple's AR Quick Look. Useful for AR and film or large production pipelines; less common for typical game delivery.
Native files (.blend, .ma/.mb, .max, .ztl)
Working files of the creation software. They hold layers, history, modifiers and often more than the engine needs. Ask for them if you need the ability to edit the asset later; they are a source, not a delivery format.
Texture formats
- PNG: lossless, good for deliverables.
- TGA: lossless, common in game pipelines and supports alpha.
- EXR: floating point, for HDR and height data.
- JPG: small but lossy; fine for previews, not for sources.
- In the engine, textures are converted to GPU formats such as ASTC (mobile) or BC7 (desktop).
What to ask for when ordering
- The target engine and version.
- Preferred format (usually FBX for Unity or Unreal, GLB for web and AR).
- Unit scale and axis.
- Texture formats and naming convention.
- Whether source files are included.
Include these in your brief, and check the delivery with our game-ready asset checklist.
