Unreal Engine 5.8, the newest version of Epic Games’ game engine, is out today, and it introduces Mesh Terrain, a 3D-mesh-based system for creating complex terrains with features like overhangs and floating islands. It integrates with World Partition and One File Per Actor for efficient data management and collaborative workflows.
UE 5.8 is especially important to Nintendo fans when it comes to Lumen Lite. Epic stated, “Lumen dynamic global illumination now offers a Lumen Lite mode, which is designed to preserve much of the visual impact at a significantly lower GPU cost by using irradiance fields with probe occlusion. Twice as fast as Lumen High Quality, it means that games that rely on global illumination for artistic purposes can run on Nintendo Switch 2 at 60 fps.”
According to Nash Weedle on X, there are a handful of Nintendo Switch 2 games that were built using UE5 that could see improvements if the developers go back and update them. They include:
- Yoshi and the Mysterious Book
- Fortnite
- Split Fiction
- Cronos: The New Dawn
- Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion
- Layers of Fear: The Final Masterpiece
- Sonic Racing Crossworlds
- Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO
Others are in development and utilizing UE5, so there is a higher chance they will benefit from this update:
- Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis
- Kingdom Hearts IV
- Lords of the Fallen II
According to Epic Games, UE 5.8 will be the last major Unreal Engine 5 release as they shift their focus to the upcoming UE6.
Steve is the Senior Editor of NintendoFuse and co-host of the NintendoFuse Podcast. He’s been a Nintendo gamer since age 6 and has been on staff with NintendoFuse since 2008.