Unity just released the latest version of its game engine, Unity 6, across all platforms with brand new features that aim to set itself apart from competitors.
The latest version of the game engine has finally come to mobile, PC, console, and other platforms, including extended reality. The launch comes alongside a blog post in which the company provides more detailed information about Unity 6.
Unity 6 Launch
It is said to include features such as end-to-end multilayer workflows, tools that can support mobile web development and new graphics features that will transfer workloads from a platform's CPU to its GPU.
Unity president and CEO Matthew Bromberg also went on to talk about how the company underwent a "fundamental change in its approach to the development cycle." This was meant to expand the firm's testing in order to create what they called a "continuous feedback loop," according to Games Industry.
The company's new focus on delivering "practical value" with the latest version of its game engine will still continue for a long time after launch. Bromberg added that they will maintain significant product and engineering resources working on Unity 6 for several years.
Unity is also planning to take on a new approach regarding the release of updates. This would be by maintaining three release types for the latest version of the game engine. This would include major releases such as Unity 6, patch releases for bug fixes and improvements.
The last are updates to give optional new functionality to enhance performance and access to new features.
Brand-New Features
Unity 6 promises to deliver improved performance, including graphics rendering. The new version all introduces features for the creation of more realistic environments. This is by taking advantage of global lighting and other VFX, Engadget said.
Another key announcement about the latest version of the game engine is that it would include some form of AI component. This is the newest Sentis neural network inference library. It would allow the use of AI models within the Unity 6 engine.
The release of Unity 6 comes as the company suffered in popularity among the public when it changed its pricing structure in September this year. The new payment model would have charged developers with a fee when someone downloaded their titles.
This led to public outcry regarding the proposed change, particularly among indie game developers. A leadership shakeup and a massive workforce reduction followed the news, including the exit of CEO John Riccitiello, according to IGN. The company then walked back on the majority of the changes it previously announced.
