Nvidia VRWorks gains support in Unreal Engine 4.16

Nvidia has written to HEXUS with news that its VRWorks suite of APIs libraries, and engines developed for creating 'amazing' VR experiences has gained support in two of the most important gaming development platforms. VRWorks not only enables an easier path to creating professional immersive VR content, it also can accelerate VR experiences for the end user.

Unreal Engine 4.16

There is now a VRWorks enabled branch of Unreal Engine 4.16 with feature support for this VR API. Using this branch Unreal developers can easily take advantage of VRWorks features such as Lens Matched Shading (LMS), Single Pass Stereo (SPS), Multi-res Shading (MRS), and VR SLI.

A couple of these technologies aren't just Nvidia exclusive, they are Pascal-exclusive. For example Lens Matched Shading uses Nvidia Pascal hardware features to improve upon Multi-Res Shading, optimising rendering and ensuring frame buffer and display pixel rates are matched for optimum performance. Likewise Single Pass Stereo only works on Pascal graphics cards but can reduce geometry bandwidth by close to 50 per cent freeing up precious resources to tackle more complex scenes.

Anyone with a UE4 Github subscription can now get their hands on the VRWorks 4.16 Graphics branch of UE4.

Unity 2017.1

All developers using Unity 2017.1 now have access to a wide range of Nvidia VRWorks features. As with the UE4 release, above, that means; Lens Matched Shading (LMS), Single Pass Stereo (SPS), Multi-res Shading (MRS), and VR SLI. These VRWorks features are enabled via new graphics extensions, to get them up and running just install the VRWorks plugin from the Unity Asset Store.

Ultra graphics mode for EVE: Valkyrie

Nvidia also noted that an Ultra graphics mode for EVE: Valkyrie, from CCP Games, has been enabled, thanks to Nvidia VRWorks technologies and Nvidia GameWorks graphics techniques. It says a "new level of graphics quality," is enabled in the game for modern Nvidia hardware users. In particular LMS help enable smooth, consistent frame rates at these higher quality levels, while Nvidia Volumetric Lighting adds immersive lighting effects in the game.