With “MegaLights”, Epic Games presented a new feature of Unreal Engine 5.5 as part of a detailed presentation. One of the demos also flexed its muscles on the PS5 and hints at what we can look forward to in upcoming Unreal Engine 5 projects.
Those responsible at Epic Games used the opening of the Unreal Fest 2024 in Seattle, USA, to give us a first look at Unreal Engine 5.5 and its features.
One of the highlights of the presentation was the technology called “MegaLights”. According to Epic Games, “MegaLights” will allow developers to conjure up more moving and dynamic lights on the screen than in previous versions of the Unreal Engine. “MegaLights” is intended to ensure particularly realistic representation in games.
The bottom line is that “MegaLights” allows over 1,000 lights or so-called “shadow-casting lights” to shine at the same time. The official presentation gives us a first look at the impressive technology of Unreal Engine 5.5.
MegaLights ran on the PS5
What is exciting in this context is that with “MegaLights” we are not dealing with a feature of Unreal Engine 5.5 that is reserved for owners of a correspondingly powerful gaming PC.
Instead, the “MegaLights” demo was made to run in real time on the PS5 and could give us a glimpse of what Unreal Engine 5.5 will do on consoles.
This is also supported by the fact that Epic Games and Sony say that the presentation of “MegaLights” was made on the PS5 and not the PS5 Pro. In addition to the realistic lighting effects and shadows, the exposed volume fog of the tech demo was particularly impressive.
It is currently unclear when “MegaLights” will be used in the first titles.
Epic Games and Sony work closely together
The fact that Epic Games used the PS5 to present Unreal Engine 5.5 and “MegaLights” technology is certainly no coincidence. In April 2022, Sony and Epic Games announced that they would intensify their collaboration.
As part of the whole thing, Sony invested a billion US dollars in Epic Games, which will, among other things, flow into the realization of a Metaverse.
“We are also confident that Epic's expertise, including its powerful games engine, combined with Sony's technologies, will accelerate our various efforts, such as the development of new digital fan experiences in sports and our virtual production initiatives,” commented Sony's CEO Kenichiro Yoshida announced the partnership with Epic Games.
In the 2022 deal, we are not dealing with Sony's first investment in Epic Games. The Japanese group already invested in 2020 $250 million in the makers of the Unreal Engine.
More news about PS5, Unreal Engine 5.
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