Additionally, the process of creating game assets is to create the high poly version first, then a low poly version.
This can be done by modifying a copy of the high poly model.
Then baking the details from the high poly to the low poly.
Remember that high level detail can’t be baked, you still need some level of detail in the low poly model.
Todays game engines are able to handle higher poly models.
Having said that, it does depend on the game. If there are to be a lot of models in the scene all unoptimized then problems will arise.
Normally a game studio will specify the poly count, but it’s not as low as it used to be.
