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Unreal Engine demo shows the power of the PS5

14.5.2020

Translation: machine translated

Sony continues to be stingy with news about the new console. This job is now being taken over by Epic Games. They have presented the new Unreal Engine 5 with a breathtaking tech demo - the demo ran on a PS5. But you shouldn't expect games that look like this any time soon.

Wow, just wow. This is exactly what gaming fans wanted to see with regard to the upcoming consoles. The tech demo of the new Unreal Engine 5 shows several minutes of gameplay with an unprecedented level of detail. If that doesn't make your jaw drop, then buy a Switch. Like the new "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater", the presentation was part of the Summer Games Fest, which will provide game news for months to come. The special thing about the Unreal demo was that it ran in real time on a PS5.

Sony itself has not yet shown any footage of PS5 games apart from a mini-trailer for "Godfall". Strictly speaking, this also applies to the Unreal demo. Although what is shown is actually playable, it is not a game, but merely a tech demo. As the Unreal Engine is one of the most popular tools for creating games, it is still worth taking a closer look at the video. The detailed rocks and walls with dynamic lighting and the realistic movements of the game character will make your mouth water. According to Epic, the new engine can use cinematic textures that are otherwise only used in film. The textures have a resolution of 8K and are loaded into the image without interruption thanks to the PS5's fast memory system. Only developers can judge how easy this is to implement. Traditionally, however, the Unreal Engine is one of the most accessible tools on the market.

Perfect advertising for Sony

The tech demo helped Sony and the PS5 in particular to make positive headlines. While Microsoft had to backtrack because its own reveal event last week fuelled false expectations and then lacked a real next-gen feel, Sony can relax. Unreal Engine 5 will also be available on all platforms. It can be assumed that an Xbox Series X or a PC will also be able to display this demo smoothly. Epic CEO Tim Sweeney was nevertheless full of praise for the PS5. "Sony's save system is absolutely world class. It's not just the best in class among consoles, but among any platform - better than a high-end PC," Sweeney explained in the livestream on Wednesday evening.

If you think this is what PS5 games or any upcoming game will look like, you should lower your expectations. Epic's own "Fortnite", for example, will switch to the new engine at the earliest in mid-2021. And they know the engine better than most.

The example of Unreal Engine 4 shows how long it can take from the first tech demo to the first game. The technology was introduced in 2012. It wasn't until two years later that the first game with the engine was released: "Daylight". And it took another one to two years before games really utilised UE4 to its full potential.

Of course, the PS5 could be packed with titles that rely on other engines at launch, but the Unreal Engine has always been one of the graphics pioneers. Other manufacturers are therefore unlikely to deliver such graphic splendour any sooner. Nevertheless, we can look forward to what lies ahead in terms of graphics. Even if it might not look that spectacular this year.

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Philipp Rüegg

Senior Editor

Philipp.Rueegg@digitecgalaxus.ch

As a child, I wasn't allowed to have any consoles. It was only with the arrival of the family's 486 PC that the magical world of gaming opened up to me. Today, I'm overcompensating accordingly. Only a lack of time and money prevents me from trying out every game there is and decorating my shelf with rare retro consoles.

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