Unreal Engine adds PS5 and Xbox Series X to its list of "first-class platforms"

PS5 and Xbox Series X are now included in the list of first-class platforms for Unreal Engine. 

That might sound like game dev gobbledygook, but this is pretty exciting news for everyone. Obviously, studios have been working on next-gen games internally for some time, otherwise they wouldn't be ready for launch this November. Unreal officially announcing next-gen platform support doesn't change that, but it does reaffirm that developers worldwide are rapidly moving onto next-gen technology, not to mention that the next generation of consoles is suddenly just a few months away. When did that happen?

"Unreal Engine 4.25 delivers initial support for Sony’s PlayStation 5 and Microsoft's Xbox Series X as first-class platforms," the latest Unreal Engine patch notes read, "and throughout the year we will be updating the 4.25-Plus branch with optimizations, fixes, and certification requirements to support developers launching on the next generation of consoles. Features include platform-specific functionality, such as new audio advancements, initial support for online subsystems, and early support for TRC and XR certification requirements."

That definitely sounds like game dev gobbledygook, but again, the point here is that everyone in the industry is gearing up for next-gen, and in increasingly official capacities. And it really is getting close. Microsoft has 15 studios working on next-gen games, and it's planning to show the first Xbox Series X gameplay this week on May 7. Sony, meanwhile, seems to be gearing up for a big reveal after casually dropping the PS5 controller, AKA the DualSense, last month. Next-gen is almost here, and news is steadily trending toward the most important part: the games. 

PS5 vs Xbox Series X - here's how the two stack up so far.