Unreal Engine 5 announced for iOS and Mac, available in 2021

The new cross-platform Unreal Engine 5, which will be available for Mac and iOS, uses new rendering techniques to reach a new level of realism and detail.

Two new technologies are introduced in this Unreal Engine update that will allow designers to create games with more detail and better design.

The first technology is called "Nanite" and allows artists to find film-quality material without limits on the number of polygons used. To put it simply, photorealistic scenarios such as rocks and buildings can be rendered with no limit to detail.

The second technology is called "Lumen" and is a new global lighting solution. Lumen will take care of all the lighting calculations in real time to avoid problems like the 'pop-in' where shadows and details appear late when they should.

To get the most out of Unreal Engine 5, developers will need the latest hardware like the upcoming PlayStation 5 or a full-powered gaming PC.

This does not rule out other platforms, as the new engine is compatible with all current consoles and with iOS, Mac and Android devices.

Developer Epic Games has announced that there will be a test phase in 2021 and a final version at the end of 2021.

Developers who license Unreal Engine can now start developing their games, as the next version (Unreal Engine 5) will be fully compatible with version 4.

Additionally, Epic has announced that it will release a new version of Fortnite on next-generation consoles and will update the game for Unreal Engine 5 in mid-2021.