Unreal Engine 5 was presented more than a year ago, and although we have not yet seen great titles that take advantage of Epic’s new engine, the truth is that now that it is in the hands of developers and third parties, some of the things that are being done They are impressive. Perhaps the first great playable example, beyond Epic’s technical demos, was what the company did hand in hand with The Matrix.
On the occasion of the premiere of the film, the producer of the latest installment of the science fiction saga published a playable demo for new generation consoles built on Unreal Engine 5. And logically, left everyone speechless. In fact, it’s one of the most visually realistic experiences we’ve seen on next-gen consoles so far.
Logically, Unreal Engine 5 is not exclusive to video games, and its level of photorealism opens the door to its use in film and television, especially seeing what Disney is capable of using the digital set of The Mandalorianknowing that many of its scenarios are made entirely by computer with a technology prior to the photorealism of Unreal Engine 5. And yes, the scenes of The Mandalorian and of the other Disney Star Wars series use Unreal Engine:
However, the inclusion of new lighting technologies and changes in the engine already make it possible to deceive the eye, and we are simply unable to know if a scenario has been created with Unreal Engine 5 or is a recording made with Unreal Engine 5. a new generation mobile.
In combination with Lumen, A Japanese artist has managed to create an amazing real-time video from scratch inspired by Toyama Station, Japan. And the truth is that watching the video, which is also vertical, is practically indistinguishable from a real recorded environment, and not created by computer, especially in the night scenes, in which although the lighting is noticeable, it is still especially realistic. :
With little time after its presentation and made available to the public, Unreal 5 has already reached a level in the that it is beginning to be difficult to distinguish at a glance whether it is a real environment or a simulated environment and created by computer.
A future in which cameras will no longer be used in cinema, only Unreal Engine
The above image is an excerpt from the previous content designed for the Matrix demo, and although as we say this is one of the most impressive, which you can also try in a real environment on your console, Unreal Engine 5 is open to anyone who wants experiment with it. It is an engine that has a big learning curvebut that can create environments realistic enough to question whether cameras will be necessary in the future of Hollywood productions.
Until now, the main problem in giving many CG elements a certain realism was the uncanny valley of the physical models of people. However, Unreal Engine 5 has advanced enough to make it indistinguishable, in certain scenes, a real model from one created by computer.
Photorealistic details that skip the uncanny valley
In fact, facial animations can be made incredibly realistic, with skin that looks real, rather than plastic, and with especially fine details like the modeling of individual hairs in a beard. Some elements that also can be brought to the stages:
In The Matrix tech demo, the wire fences were complete geometric patterns, and not a texture like they would have been in the past, which is why they look so real.
Unreal Engine is already being used for virtual sets in large productions, and several video game developers are already creating their games on the engine. However, we are only at the beginning of what can be done in the immediate future with Unreal:
Epic’s creation works so realistically that no one watching a movie or series would know that the background and many of the elements are, in fact, real-time CGI. As viewers, unless told, we are totally oblivious to the technology used in its creation.
And given how realistic it is, the next logical step is to make the entire movie in-system and avoid the need for a physical studio altogether. The future of entertainment is undoubtedly that of Unreal Engine 5.