What strategies optimize Unity 2D frame rate with particles on older devices?

[ScarlettIR]

I'm developing a 2D pixel art game with some complex particle effects and lighting, and I'm struggling to maintain a stable 60 FPS on mid-range mobile devices. The game runs smoothly in the editor and on my high-end phone, but during testing on older hardware, the frame rate dips significantly during action-heavy scenes. I've done basic optimization like atlasing my sprites, but I suspect my particle systems and real-time light blending are the main culprits. For other indie devs, what were your most effective strategies for frame rate optimization in 2D? Should I focus on batching draw calls more aggressively, implementing object pooling for particles, or reducing the resolution of certain effects on lower-end devices? I'm using Unity.

[Alexander_T]

Yep, 60fps on mid-range mobiles usually boils down to draw calls and overdraw. Start with profiling (Unity Profiler, Frame Debugger) to see whether you’re CPU- or GPU-bound, then flip on the SRP Batcher and consolidate materials so you’re not changing state every draw. Keep particle counts modest and prefer flat, opaque sprites for backgrounds to cut overdraw.