If you thought Unreal Engine 5 was realistic, the next upgrade to the much-praised game engine is likely to blow even that out of the water. There are already rumors that the new generation is on the horizon, with some experts predicting that Unreal Engine 6 could land in the next few years.
Along with having much more detailed graphics, it’s likely to use AI to generate highly realistic people within the game worlds that can think and behave like humans. This could be the next major stepping stone towards simulated worlds.
The Next Generation Could be Indistinguishable from Real Life
The graphics available with the Unreal Engine 5 have already fooled people into thinking that they were looking at real-world settings. It has various integrated technologies, including Lumen and Nanite, along with post-processing effects that can put it on a par with movie-level computer-generated imagery.
There have been countless developments in the technological world in the years since the release of that game engine, and many of these will be integrated into Unreal Engine 6 to make it even more realistic than its predecessor. Where most of the time people would be able to recognise that the Unreal Engine 5 was digital, the new engine may have the power to fool people more of the time. Indeed, there are expectations that the visuals could be indistinguishable from filmed footage.
Smarter AI That Behaves More Like Real People
The evolution of AI since the release of Unreal Engine 5 has been astounding, and the next engine will include far more AI integration than the last. Indeed, Unreal Engine 6 promises to enable far smarter AI for in-game characters, with the potential for them to think and behave like real people. These digital beings will be able to make their own decisions, rather than rely on preprogrammed scripts.
If this comes to fruition, it could have a massive impact on various offshoots of gaming. Most obviously, it will improve the realism in open-world games. It may also be implemented in the iGaming market, where it could be used to create more immersive online casino games. For example, immersive live dealer titles are currently run by real-world dealers, but as interest in them expands, it may be useful to have some titles hosted by digital characters that can behave in similar ways.
The Next Step Towards Detailed Simulated Worlds?
There are many people who believe that we could be living in a simulation, as it’s reasonable to expect that one day technology will evolve to a point at which programmers can create vivid worlds. Unreal Engine 6 could be a massive leap towards that, and may give simulation theorists more evidence that their hypothesis could be correct.