Unreal Engine 5.5 has been released by Epic Games.
Key Improvements in Unreal Engine 5.5
This release brings significant updates across various aspects of the engine.
Animation Enhancements
The animation toolset boasts several improvements, including enhancements to Sequencer, the nonlinear animation editor. New features like nondestructive animation layers allow animators greater control over layers with additive or override options. Animators can now animate layer weights and set up dynamic cinematic scenarios interactively. Control Rig, now in Beta, includes modular components for bipedal and quadruped rigs, along with an improved UI/UX. The Animator Kit plugin offers pre-built rigs and deformers for creating realistic or stylized animations, such as squash-and-stretch effects.
Rendering Advancements
Rendering sees key improvements with Lumen achieving 60 Hz performance on supported hardware. Path Tracer is now production-ready, gaining Linux support and improved fidelity, delivering high-quality rendering for applications needing precise visuals. Substrate, the material authoring framework, enters Beta, providing a flexible toolset for real-time and linear material creation. Movie Render Graph, also in Beta, features an improved workflow for rendering sequences, including EXR metadata and better handling of complex rendering scenarios.
New Features and Enhancements
MegaLights, an experimental feature, handles hundreds of dynamic, shadow-casting lights with minimal performance impact. Virtual production benefits from improvements to the in-camera visual effects toolset, now fully supporting SMPTE 2110 for IP video workflows. A refined Camera Calibration tool offers precise lens and camera parameter estimation, and the Virtual Scouting toolset is upgraded for compatibility with OpenXR HMDs. A new Color Grading Panel provides a user-friendly interface for scene-wide color adjustments.
Mobile Development Improvements
Mobile development focuses on enhanced visual fidelity and performance. The Mobile Forward Renderer now supports features such as volumetric fog, D-buffer decals, and improved screen-space reflections. Developers benefit from runtime automatic Pipeline State Object precaching, simplifying shader compilation workflows.
Developer Workflow Enhancements
Developer iteration is improved with the production-ready Zen Server, enabling faster asset streaming and data storage. Tools like the Unreal Build Accelerator and Unreal Horde Continuous Integration enhance development workflows, reducing iteration times for large projects.
Content Integration
Unreal Engine 5.5 integrates Fab, a unified content marketplace, allowing users to easily incorporate high-quality assets directly into their projects.