With the next generation of console gaming on the horizon, there can be no doubt that game developers are finding new ways to push technology to its limit. Epic Games is no stranger to this concept and with the release of Unreal Engine's 4.25 update, has released an app that could change the face of modern game development.
Back in May, Epic Games revealed its first look at Unreal Engine 5, which featured an absolutely breathtaking demo showcasing the power of not only the new engine but the PS5 as well. Considering that not long after it was revealed that the gameplay was only running in 30FPS, this had the gaming community at large intrigued to find out what else Epic had up its sleeve.
Now it seems Epic is ready to tip its hand a bit with the reveal of its new Live Link Face for Unreal Engine iOS app. The app utilizes Apple's ARKit in combination with the TrueDepth camera to track facial movements before sending the data to Unreal Engine. The blog post went on to note that animators can "also take advantage of the option to record both the raw blendshape data (CSV) and a front-facing video (MOV)."
Considering the wide availability of iPhones, this new app could dramatically improve the technical development of games in the near future. However, it's currently unknown whether or not Unreal Engine 5 games like Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 are being developed with this technology in mind.
In a recent interview with Official PlayStation Magazine UK, Epic's CTO, Kim Liberi, stated he believes the next console generation will be capable of "movie-quality" CG with engines like Unreal Engine 5. If the company continues to create innovations like the Live Link Face app, it won't be hard to make good on that promise.
Source: Unreal Engine