Unity Engine 5 gets 64bit support and new lighting system

The new version of the indie-friendly Unity Game Engine was unveiled at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco. Unity 5 supports 64bit processing for the editor and includes a new audio toolset, an improved lighting system, and a new shader system.

It looks like Unity’s reveal at GDC was intended for a limited audience only. Gaming website Polygon posted an article about Unity 5, but it was then taken offline. Following that, VentureBeat posted an extensive interview about the new version of the game engine online.

The VentureBeat article states that Unity Engine 5 will receive support for 64-bit processing and improved support for multiplatform games. In addition, there is an all-new lighting system that uses Enlighten, which was first seen in the Frostbite 2 engine. In addition to the lighting system, the engine now also has physically-based shaders, which should make producing at higher quality easier. Adjustments have also been made on the audio side. For example, there is a new audio mixer with which dynamic soundscapes can be made. Also in version 5 there is WebGL support, which makes it possible to develop 3D games for browsers.

Unity Technologies CEO David Helgason said Unity now has “the most complex lighting system in the entire industry.” Unity Technologies has not officially announced anything yet, but according to VentureBeat Unity 5 will be available in a few months. Nothing is known about the price yet. The basis of the current Unity Game Engine costs 1140 euros or 57 euros per month.