Key Highlights:
- Unity announced major graphics updates for 2023, including DirectX 12 and ray tracing support.
- Improvements include adaptive lighting, enhanced water simulation, and better VFX rendering.
- New facial animation technology from ZIVA VFX acquisition will deliver more lifelike characters.
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Unity, the popular game engine used by developers to create a vast array of video games, is set to receive a series of exciting graphical updates. During a talk at the Game Developers Conference (GDC), Mathieu Muller, the product manager for graphics at Unity, shared details about the company’s roadmap for games in 2023.
DirectX 12 and Ray Tracing Updates
One of the headline announcements was confirmation that DirectX 12 support will move out of preview and ship with the 2022 LTS release. Many studios have been waiting for this milestone, since DX12 offers better CPU utilisation, improved draw call performance and more consistent behaviour across consoles and PC.
Unity also confirmed that hardware ray tracing will leave preview in the 23.1 LTS release, opening the door for high quality reflections, global illumination and accurate shadows in HDRP titles.
Ray tracing in Unity has been available for experimental use, but the full release makes it viable for production projects rather than tech demos.
One of the most exciting updates coming is its new render graphic system. Currently in testing phase, this system is expected to improve the performance by rendering more efficiently. When it comes to visual effects (VFX), Unity is also making some significant improvements.
Future LTS releases will allow for better visual fidelity for smoke effects with a six-way lighting system, which should make fog and explosions look more realistic. Screen space lens flares, which create lens flares on shiny objects and surfaces, will be among the features of the 23.1 LTS release.
Unity is also testing a new rendering architecture designed to streamline how the engine processes heavy scenes. This will especially benefit open world titles and projects built around dense meshes or large VFX loads.
Upcoming LTS releases will introduce better smoke and fog representation through six way lighting. This gives volumetric effects richer shading and reduces the flat look that can occur in older lighting models. Screen space lens flares, planned for 23.1 LTS, will allow artists to generate realistic glare and streaks across reflective surfaces without custom shaders.
Unity’s longer term vision is also expanding beyond rendering features. The company recently confirmed a major collaboration with Epic Games that brings Unity content into Fortnite and ties Unreal Engine into Unity’s commerce tools. I reported on that announcement in a separate piece, and it signals how both companies are thinking about broader cross platform ecosystems rather than standalone engines.
Enhancements in Lighting, Water Simulation and Facial Animation
Unity is adding Adaptive Probe Volumes, which automate the placement of lighting probes inside a scene. This reduces manual setup time while giving developers more accurate, responsive global illumination. The feature is aimed at large or frequently changing environments where light data needs to update quickly.
Unity is also introducing a new water simulation system featuring waves, foam, dynamic ripples and shoreline interaction. This toolset sits within HDRP and is intended to replace older water packages that required heavy modification to reach a modern standard.
Environment fidelity will also improve thanks to deeper integration of SpeedTree, the vegetation toolset Unity acquired in 2021. Artists will benefit from higher quality trees, grass and plant models that respond more realistically to wind and lighting.
On the character side, Unity plans to roll out facial tools from Ziva VFX, the technology used in high end film and game production. Ziva’s rigging and simulation system supports muscle deformation, skin sliding and more expressive facial movement, which should help developers reduce the stiff facial animation that has been a common weakness in many Unity titles.
With these updates set to arrive in 2023, Unity games are set to become even more visually stunning and engaging, making for a more enjoyable gaming experience for players around the world. Whether you are a developer or a player, there is no denying that the future looks bright.