Epic Games just showcased its vision of next-generation console gameplay with the reveal of Unreal Engine 5. Not only that, but the new engine supports VR headsets.
Below you can see a stunning new technical showcase for Unreal Engine 5 called Lumen in the Land of Nanite. It features the kinds of graphical and technical leaps Epic expects to see made on next-generation consoles. Textures are incredibly sharp, 3D models sport a new level of detail and, for the most part, massive environments appear to load seamlessly. To top it all off, Epic says this is running in real-time on a PlayStation 5 development kit.
Speaking to Upload, an Epic spokeswoman confirmed that Unreal Engine 5 would continue to support all current VR headsets including PSVR, Oculus Quest and PC VR devices. We don’t have any other details right now, though we’ll be keen to see if these kinds of advances are still possible on new hardware when adding on the demands of a VR headset.
For now, this demo is designed to highlight two core technologies in Unreal Engine 5: nanite virtualized micropolygon geometry and Lumen. The former is designed to let artists focus on creating highly intricate details on objects and surfaces, while the latter is a dynamic global illumination system for instant, realistic lighting in a virtual scene.
Unreal Engine 5 will be arriving in early 2021 as a preview, with full release planned for later that year. PS5 and the Xbox One Series X are expected to launch this holiday season.
Excited for Unreal Engine 5 VR support? Let us know in the comments below!
