Sure, Epic’s Unreal Engine 5 demo looks pretty, but more importantly, UE5 might make it easier for developers to create games with next-gen graphics, a process that’s become more and more onerous over this console generation.
The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X are right around the corner, and with new consoles comes a new Unreal Engine. This morning Epic showed off Unreal Engine 5 with a real-time tech demo, and it’s stunning. Will games look like this next year? Probably not. But given Unreal Engine 4’s “Infiltrator” demo now looks pretty much like your average big-budget shooter, it’s only a matter of time.
Today’s demo hinges on two new technologies: Dynamic Global Illumination and Truly Virtualized Geometry. Better yet, they should (hopefully) make it easier for developers to actually create gorgeous visuals like this in their own games.
There’s another example around 5:30, where the player character’s fantasy-flashlight reflects off a bunch of metal objects in a treasure chamber. It’s pretty impressive.
Truly Virtualized Geometry is the more exciting feature coming to Unreal 5 though, and it’s responsible for the immediate “Oh wow” moment when you watch this demo.
