TECH NEWS – Epic Games’ latest engine update delivers significant performance improvements, potentially fixing UE5’s most infamous problems.

The newly released Unreal Engine 5.6 shows substantial improvements in performance and stability compared to version 5.4, according to a benchmark test by MxBenchmarkPC. In a side-by-side test using a Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 and a tech demo of Paris, both CPU- and GPU-constrained scenarios demonstrated clear performance gains under the new engine version. The test was run with default settings, hardware-accelerated Lumen, and comparable conditions on both engines.

The results are encouraging: GPU performance improved by up to 25%, as the engine makes more efficient use of graphics resources, resulting in higher power draw. More impressively, CPU performance jumped by as much as 35%, accompanied by more stable frame timings. Image quality also took a leap forward, thanks to better Lumen lighting precision and higher-fidelity Lumen reflections.

Unreal Engine 5.6 launched earlier this month following its presentation at the annual Unreal Fest, where Epic Games showcased key upgrades over version 5.4. These included faster geometry streaming for large-scale static worlds, an overhauled and more intuitive Motion Trails feature, and enhanced ray tracing performance for improved global illumination using Lumen. One of the highlights of the reveal was the debut tech demo of The Witcher 4, showcasing the capabilities of the updated engine.

Despite these advancements, Epic Games continues to wrestle with one persistent issue: stuttering. It remains a concern across many Unreal Engine 5-powered games—even on consoles. Epic previously stated that solving this would be a major focus of Unreal Engine 6. However, it’s worth noting that games already released—especially those not structured as live-service titles—are unlikely to benefit from these improvements.

Source: WCCFTech