Unreal Engine 5 Looks So Freaking Gorgeous; Watch a Demo Running on PS5

Everyone is excited for the next generation of gaming consoles coming at the end of the year with the PS5 and Xbox Series X and now we’re getting a sneak peek at what to expect. A video was recently shared that showed off the upcoming Unreal Engine 5 and it is incredible. The video was filmed in March and shows of two of the new technologies: Nanite and Lumen.

Nanite gives Unreal Engine 5 the ability to provide higher detail models. This is because it doesn’t require artists to optimize or edit their models to meat a polygon count or memory budget. In return, artists will be able to easily include “film-quality source art.”

Lumen on the other hand is a fully dynamic global lighting solution. It allows the lighting to change and react to what’s happening in the scene including bounces and specular reflections. This will allow creators to save time as they no longer need to wait for lightmap bakes.

Both of these technologies are incredible and it has me almost wanting a PS5. Of course, in the video, fans will notice some next-gen features already in Unreal Engine 4.25 including chaos physics. Really though, I can talk about it, or you can watch it in action. The below demo is beautiful and I’m excited for it to fully release in late 2021.

Unreal Engine 5 empowers artists to achieve unprecedented levels of detail and interactivity, and brings these capabilities within practical reach of teams of all sizes through highly productive tools and content libraries. Join Technical Director of Graphics Brian Karis and Special Projects Art Director Jerome Platteaux (filmed in March 2020) for an in-depth look at "Lumen in the Land of Nanite" - a real-time demonstration running live on PlayStation 5 showcasing two new core technologies that will debut in UE5: Nanite virtualized micropolygon geometry, which frees artists to create as much geometric detail as the eye can see, and Lumen, a fully dynamic global illumination solution that immediately reacts to scene and light changes. Also present in the demo are next-gen features already available in Unreal Engine 4.25, such as Niagara VFX improvements, Chaos physics and destruction, animation system enhancements, and audio advancements. Unreal Engine 4.25 also includes support for next-gen consoles. Learn more at unrealengine.com/blog/a-first-look-at-unreal-engine-5

Via: Unreal Engine