In the world of gaming, Unreal Engine 5 has become synonymous with stunning visuals and cutting-edge technology.
However, achieving native 4K resolution with decent performance on this engine remains an elusive goal. This issue isn't due to developer shortcomings but rather the inherent design of the engine itself.
The Upscaling Necessity
Jacob Sutton, co-founder of Infuse Studio, addressed this topic during the latest episode of the "Moore's Law is Dead" Broken Silicon podcast. He pointed out that upscaling technologies like NVIDIA DLSS, AMD FSR, and Intel XeSS are not merely optional enhancements but essential tools for developers working with Unreal Engine 5. Epic Games' engine includes its own upscaling solution, Temporal Super Resolution (TSR), which is implemented by default. This integration makes upscaling a necessity rather than a luxury, as achieving desirable framerates at native 4K without these technologies is currently not feasible.
Why is Native 4K So Challenging?
Unreal Engine 5 is designed to deliver exceptional visual fidelity, utilizing advanced features such as Nanite and Lumen. These features significantly enhance the graphical quality of games but also demand a lot from hardware. Current games and tech demos running on Unreal Engine 5 push even the most powerful GPUs, like the NVIDIA RTX 4080, to their limits when attempting to maintain performance at 4K resolution. Nanite, for instance, is a virtualized geometry technology that allows for incredibly detailed environments without a significant performance hit under normal circumstances. Lumen, on the other hand, provides dynamic global illumination and reflections, enhancing the realism of lighting in-game. However, when these technologies are combined and pushed to 4K, the performance requirements become substantial.
The Role of Upscaling Solutions
Upscaling solutions are designed to bridge the gap between visual fidelity and performance. They work by rendering the game at a lower resolution and then upscaling the image to 4K, using advanced algorithms to maintain image quality. This approach allows games to achieve higher framerates without sacrificing too much visual detail. With Unreal Engine 5, TSR is built into the engine to facilitate this process, ensuring that games can deliver smooth performance even if native 4K rendering is out of reach.
Future Improvements and Expectations
As hardware continues to evolve, it's likely that future iterations of GPUs and other components will better handle the demands of Unreal Engine 5. Additionally, continued development of upscaling technologies will further enhance their effectiveness, potentially allowing for even better performance and visual quality. The latest version of Unreal Engine 5, version 5.4, includes various updates and optimizations, which can be explored in detail on the engine's official website.
Conclusion
While the dream of native 4K gaming at high performance remains a challenge with Unreal Engine 5, the use of advanced upscaling solutions ensures that players can still enjoy stunning visuals without compromising on gameplay smoothness. As technology progresses, we can expect further improvements that will bring us closer to achieving native 4K performance in the future.
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Source: WCCFTECH
Photo Credit: Unreal Engine
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