The latest update for a Unreal Engine 5 tech demo has just landed, bringing some impressive visual enhancements. Drawing inspiration from classics like Cyberpunk 2077, Blade Runner, and the iconic Samaritan UE3 demo, this new version now supports Lumen alongside several ray tracing features. This major upgrade means players can expect better shadows, reflections, and ambient occlusion that push the graphic limits of this great tech demonstration.
The developer, Pasquale Scionti, utilized ray tracing to improve visual fidelity significantly; however, it comes at a cost, performance-wise. While testing on a high-end setup featuring an AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 and running Windows 10 with appropriate drivers, I noticed significant differences in frame rates between versions.
The performance metrics for native resolutions are as follows:
- Native 4K/Epic Settings: Minimum of 35FPS (Ray Tracing on), compared to around 70FPS without Ray Tracing.
- Native 1440p/Epic Settings: Generally smooth but dips to about 57FPS in demanding areas.
- Native 1080p/Epic Settings: No difficulty maintaining over 70FPS.
An unfortunate downside is the absence of support for NVIDIA’s DLSS technology; this feature would help optimize performance given the heavy load from new ray tracing effects. Despite these challenges, improvements in visuals are apparent: reflections are more accurate, while ambient occlusion and shadow rendering have also been refined. So, while this version might hit harder in terms of FPS, it undeniably looks better than its predecessor.
If you want to check out the updated tech demo, download it using the following links: Ray Tracing version here. For those who prefer a non-ray tracing experience, grab it from this link.
