During the ongoing Game Developer’s Conference 2023, Epic has released a new presentation that shows off some of the new features that will be available in Unreal Engine 5.2. The video features a tech demo that shows off new graphics technologies.
The video shows off real-time interaction, with the tech demo being controlled by a developer. It features a lush jungle, with real-time fluid simulation and even smaller details, like leaves bending out of the way as a car passes by them.
As part of the tech demo, Epic has also announced Substrate as a new tool for developers. Substrate is a new material framework that will allow developers to make more realistic, detailed textures for games. The tech demo shows off a vehicle with an opal paint job, with the new Substrate framework being able to show off the iridescence and reflections.
The team also shows off how procedural elements can be added to various scenes in games, allowing artists and developers to focus on other aspects of development. The example shown off was a single drag-and-drop addition of a new stone structure filled with lush trees.
While the tech demo is largely a showcase for developers, it will be quite interesting to see future games make use of new features like Substrate with the newer versions of Unreal Engine 5 down the line.
