The public roadmap for Unreal Engine 5.1 has detailed a plethora of major and minor changes to the 3-D creation tool, with many of them focused on improvements for console game creation. The listed changes are designed to add even more options, depth, and flexibility to the well known gaming and video production engine.
The Unreal Engine is a development tool for games and videos owned by Epic Games and is widely know for its creative power while being free to download. Previous versions of the engine have been used in many notable and critically acclaimed games such as Fortnite, Kingdom Hearts 3, and Final Fantasy VII Remake.
The new 5.1 update includes Lumen improvements to help with achieving 60 fps on console games, reflections on single layer water, and support for reflections on translucent surfaces. Other rendering-focused changes include more support to ameliorate the Path Tracer, Niagara, and GPU Lightmass systems. A brand-new feature coming in Unreal Engine 5.1 is called Strata Materials, which replaces the current shading models in order to provide more expressive modular framework that gives more range for surface appearances.
Most changes listed in the Unreal Engine 5.1 update are tools requested by major developers and minor programmers designed to make the creative process more streamlined. Certain changes are more useful for world building and overall production while still pushing users to go beyond what's thought to be possible. However, not all new features, like Lumen and Nanite, have been validated for use outside game development. Many of the listed changes will still benefit those working with the 4.27 version such as a better Unreal Editor, more friendly animation tools for artists, and better overall performance.
The improvements in graphical finesse, audio fidelity, and the Unreal Engine's attempts at realistic portrayals of objects big and small is leading creators into an era where games can mimic reality closer than ever. The downside for all these improvements is slowly beginning to show in longer production cycles for games, difficult to fix bugs, and arguments that games should cost more due to production time and costs. An example of the increased complicated nature of game creation is an add-on with 5.1 that most users might never notice, an addition to the Chaos physics system called Air Pressure which will allow developers to add air pressure to two different sides of materials such as pillows or inflatable objects.
More tools give even more power to Unreal Engine developers, but with each major addition comes the possibility of more bugs and system breaking issues that could increase costs and time spent trying to finish a product. Gamers will continue to demand even better looking immersion from studios, while also asking for bug-free products despite the complexity of numerous multi-layered systems all trying to work together. Hopefully, Unreal Engine 5.1 can manage to balance the needs of developers alongside the desires of their audience as it moves forward.
Source: Unreal Engine Public Roadmap