A new era of game graphics is on the horizon. On Tuesday, Epic Games officially launched Unreal Engine 5, a cutting-edge game engine that’s designed to deliver photorealistic graphics.
The new engine represents a “generational leap in technological capabilities,” according to the company. Perhaps the two biggest features are “Lumen,” a way to add realistic lighting effects, and “Nanite,” a tool to incorporate high-quality textures into in-game environments.
In 2020, the company showed off both features with a stunning in-game demo running on a PlayStation 5. On Tuesday, Xbox game developer The Coalition dropped a new clip that reveals how the team has been using Unreal Engine 5.
Unreal Engine 5 also promises to be easier to use, paving the way for faster game development. This includes tools for 3D animation and modeling being added directly into the editing interface.
“With this release, we aim to empower both large and small teams to really push the boundaries of what’s possible, visually and interactively,” Epic Games said in the announcement.
The last iteration, Unreal Engine 4, launched in 2014. Since then, numerous titles including Gears 5, Borderlands 3, Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order, and Street Fighter V, have used it.
Unreal Engine 5 is also expected to receive widespread adoption. “Among game developers, 48% percent of announced next generation console titles are powered by Unreal,” company CEO Tim Sweeney said in a video touting the launch.
Two major developers who’ve already signed on include CD Projekt RED, the developer of the Witcher series, and Crystal Dynamics, the studio behind the Tomb Raider reboot franchise. Both the next Witcher and Tomb Raider titles will use Unreal Engine 5.
To help game developers learn how to use the engine, Epic Games created “Lyra,” a so-called “starter game” that demonstrates the new features in Unreal Engine 5. Lyra itself is a multiplayer first-person shooter that can be used as a foundation on which to a build a game project.
Both Lyra and Unreal Engine 5 are free to download and use. But if you build and publish a game using the engine, Epic will charge a 5% royalty after your project earns over $1 million.