Unreal Engine 4 makes it possible to create games inside of VR
New feature set lets developers generate the world around them - and maybe you too
When we think of virtual reality, we typically think of experiences: games and other apps that use the medium to surround you in immersive bliss. But we’re starting to see more of a push to actually create in VR, as well.
And yesterday’s announcement of a VR Mode for the immensely popular Unreal Engine game creation software is huge indeed. Sure, Unreal Engine 4 is already used to power virtual reality experiences, such as Adr1ft and Oculus Rift pack-in game Eve: Valkyrie, but those were designed using traditional computer interfaces.
What the new VR Mode will do is allow game makers to actually create while in a virtual reality world, as seen in the preview demo below. We see Mike Fricker, Epic Games technical director, demonstrate the tech using the HTC Vive and its controllers, although the mode will also work with an Oculus Rift and its own Touch motion controllers.
He’s able to manipulate the world using laser pointers coming from the virtual equivalents of his controllers, letting him accurately judge the positioning, spacing, and shadowing of items in the world rather than tweak them on a computer screen. And if he needs to get more in-depth or introduce other objects into the world, he can tap into a more traditional selector interface within the engine. It’s the full power of the Unreal Engine, albeit in a very different way.
Ultimately, this removes a disconnect for developers making immersive VR content, as they can create in much the same way you’d experience it. But it also shows what’s possible for in-game creation modes designed for players: rather than a laborious series of menus, future VR games could let you make your own worlds with utter ease. It’s a futuristic vision that we can surely get behind.
Epic will show off more of the Unreal Editor in VR at the Game Developers Conference on 16 March, which will be streamed live on Twitch, and it sounds like Epic may use these tools to improve their own impressive Bullet Train VR demo (above). In both cases, we can’t wait to see the results next month.
Read More › The 30 most anticipated games of 2016
Andrew Hayward
Freelance Writer 
