Unreal Engine 5.6 introduces notable improvements in both CPU and GPU performance compared to version 5.4, setting the stage for more powerful and visually stunning games. In a recent comparison video by MxBenchmarkPC on YouTube, the Paris Tech Demo by Scans Factory was tested on an RTX 5080 GPU using both Unreal Engine 5.6 and 5.4. The demo was run at default settings with hardware Lumen in both GPU and CPU-limited scenarios, showcasing the substantial gains in performance in the newer engine version.
The results are impressive: GPU performance is estimated to improve by up to 25%, thanks to better GPU resource utilization, leading to a higher power draw.
Meanwhile, CPU performance sees an even more significant boost, with an increase of up to 35% and more stable frametimes. This means smoother gameplay and improved responsiveness for developers and players alike.
Aside from performance gains, Unreal Engine 5.6 enhances visual quality, too. The engine features more accurate Lumen lighting and improved Lumen reflections, further elevating the level of realism in games. These improvements come on the heels of the annual Unreal Fest opening presentation, which highlighted several new features, including hardware ray tracing enhancements that improve Lumen Global Illumination performance, faster geometry streaming for larger worlds, and an intuitive redesign of Motion Trails.
Unreal Engine 5.6 was officially launched earlier this month, with its debut coinciding with the first public showing of The Wìtcher IV tech demo. This demo highlighted the engine’s new capabilities and serves as a glimpse of what future games will look like with Unreal Engine 5.6. For further details on this version of the engine, check out the official website.