Addressables Analysis

Addressables Document

Why use it?

Limits of the Resources workflow

• Resources.Load offers no practical memory management, so every resource ends up in memory at runtime.
• All resources are included in the build, which increases the initial build size.
• Updates require redistributing the app.

Core ideas behind Addressables

Item	Meaning
Lazy Loading	- Loads resources only when needed to save memory. - Bundles can be split and loaded like DLC.
Catalog-based	- Manages remote bundle structure through metadata called a Catalog. - The catalog is represented as JSON and is handled automatically by Addressables. - Individual files can also be versioned, checked, and downloaded independently.
CDN integration	- Works with CDNs such as Firebase, GCS, S3, and Cloudflare.

Overall Addressables flow

graph TD
AppStart --> LoadCatalog
LoadCatalog --> GetLocations
GetLocations --> DownloadBundles
DownloadBundles --> LoadAsset
LoadAsset --> Instantiate

Concept	Description
Catalog	Mapping information from Address to Bundle
Bundle	A package-like unit that groups actual assets
Provider	Loading strategy (Local / Remote)

LoadAsync and InstantiateAsync

When you access the same prefab using the following methods…

3.1 Difference between LoadAssetAsync and InstantiateAsync

Item	LoadAssetAsync	InstantiateAsync
Return type	Original asset (Prefab, Sprite, ScriptableObject, etc.)	GameObject instance placed in the scene
Creates GameObject	❌ No	✅ Immediately
Dependency loading	✅ Loads related bundles	✅ Loads related bundles
When it becomes usable	Only the asset reference is available; you still need Instantiate	Ready to use immediately in an active state
Memory usage	Occupies asset memory only	Occupies asset + instance memory
Pooling integration	Requires manual Instantiate + pool setup	Can return the instance directly to a pool
Reuse strategy	The same asset can be instantiated many times	Reusing instances is more common
Release target	Focused on releasing the asset handle	Must manage both the instance and the asset handle
Addressables.Release	Mainly for asset lifetime management	Requires ReleaseInstance after returning the instance
Performance for many spawns	Instantiate cost still exists	Same, because Instantiate is performed internally
Suitable for UI / Popup	❌ Inconvenient	✅ Very suitable
Suitable for data assets	✅ Good for ScriptableObject and config loading	❌ Not appropriate
Common pitfall	Releasing only the asset while keeping instance references alive	Releasing the handle while the pooled instance is still in use can break things