Unreal Engine 5 Games Always Need Upscaling Due To Engine Design

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Avinash Jaisrani

At HI Digital I test and write about different hardware configurations to show other PC users what they can expect from their build. My end goal is to educate the masses to make the right decision when they are looking for new PC parts to buy

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Unreal Engine 5 has come into its own this year, with games like Hellblade 2 showing the technology’s potential. One key element that stands out among Unreal Engine 5 games is just how demanding they prove to be.

The incredible visuals come at a cost, forcing even the best hardware to rely on upscaling at nearly all resolutions. According to a developer, this ends up being the case because of how the technology is designed.

Why it matters: In recent years, fans have complained about developers relying too much on upscaling technology.

Speaking on Broken Silicon, Infuse Studio’s Jacob Stutton discussed the current trend of upscaling and developers relying on the technology. This team has previously worked on games like Spirits of the North.

Pointing to Unreal Engine 5 specifically, he highlighted that Epic Games added TSR (temporal super resolution) to the engine from the beginning. This technology is meant to be used for all games that utilize the engine to its fullest.

This means that Epic Games expects developers to use upscaling technology. Whether they rely on TSR, DLSS, or FSR is a matter of preference, though most games typically come with all options today.

If this is the default thing that you need to use, then that’s not a bonus. That’s a requirement.

-Jacob Stutton

Many have been concerned about FSR and DLSS becoming potential substitutes for optimization.

However, as Jacob Stutton put it, Unreal Engine 5 practically demands developers make full use of all the tools at hand. He also pointed out that this is why no game comes to mind when thinking of native 4K gaming without any upscaling.

Future games like Gears E-Day are expected to be the pinnacle of everything Epic Games’ technology is capable of. However, even The Coalition will likely rely on built-in upscaling to ensure its ambitious project runs well, with rumors hinting at a 60FPS target in addition to lifelike visuals.

Avinash Jaisrani

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