Unity Technologies has released Unity 5.2, the latest update to the game engine, adding the option to deploy to Windows 10 and Sony’s Project Morpheus VR headset, and native integration with Visual Studio.
Deploy to VR headsets, or create universal Windows 10 apps
If you’re using the free version of Unity, the main changes in 5.2 are the new platforms to which games can be deployed, which now include Sony’s Project Morpheus headset, in addition to the Oculus Rift and Gear VR.
There are also new Windows 10 and Universal Windows Platform (UWP) options, the latter enabling developers to create a single app that runs on any Windows 10 device, including tablets, desktop and mobiles.
As announced earlier this year, Microsoft’s Visual Studio has also been more tightly integrated with Unity, with the Unity installer now offering to install the free version of the IDE and its add-on tools by default.
New options for baking lightmaps and importing Biped characters
There is also the usual long list of smaller new features and bugfixes. Of those, the ones most likely to impact on artists include the option to bake lightmaps and reflection probes for multiple scenes together.
Unity’s Mecanim animation system has also been updated to detect humanoid characters with 3ds Max Biped rigs and automatically assign the default mapping and T-pose, and activate Translation DoF settings.
In addition, users of the commercial version of Unity get a new Services window, enabling them to access Unity’s new interstitial ad deployment, analytics and cloud build services.
Pricing and availability
Unity 5.2 is available now for Windows XP SP2 and above and Mac OS X 10.8+. The free Personal Edition is available to artists and studios with gross annual revenues of under $100,000 a year.
The Pro edition costs $1,500 for a perpetual licence, or $75/month for a subscription. Pro users have to pay for their iOS and Android add-ons, which also cost $1,500 each, or $75/month.
I find it funny, how everybody's gearing up to accommodate VR headsets,
while nobody knows if VR will turn out to be a winner,
the true new lasting hot development or merely a fad, a gimmick.
;)
PS My money would be on augmented reality in favor of VR, but then again, I'm not a gamer...
Hirazi Blue wrote:
PS My money would be on augmented reality in favor of VR, but then again, I'm not a gamer...
Who said that you need to be a gamer? What about ArchViz companies that one by one are starting to offer VR vizualizations? Unity and UE4 are used there too.
True, but the success of the technology among gamers will probably ultimately decide its future and the pace of its further development. Professional applications are a pleasant side effect, not the main interest of the industry ATM, one would assume...
;)
Hirazi Blue wrote:True, but the success of the technology among gamers will probably ultimately decide its future and the pace of its further development...)
Bullit wrote:Unity Technologies has released Unity 5.2, the latest update to the game engine, adding the option to deploy to Windows 10 and Sony’s Project Morpheus VR headset, and native integration with Visual Studio.
...
I am not overly enthused with it. The permissions issues on Mono still havent been fixed for the mac deployment and put the shop inside the application slows it to a crawl on 3rd world internet.
As to the VR stuff I am using it for my Masters which involves cave paintings ;) so its gonna be fun.
