Meta Unveils Horizon Engine for Faster, More Realistic Virtual Worlds
Meta has been unveiling details about its upcoming Horizon Engine, a game engine designed to create experiences within Meta Horizon. The engine, rebuilt by Meta, aims to raise the quality bar for Horizon experiences and is set to power Meta Horizon Studio, Worlds, and Immersive Home within Meta Horizon OS.
The Horizon Engine promises significant improvements. Mark Zuckerberg claims it can support five times as many people and is four times faster than previous versions. Meta boasts that the engine will load and run worlds quickly, making it ideal for both cloud and mobile devices, including mobile phones.
Developers can look forward to familiar tools and formats, which could potentially speed up production and lower the skill ceiling. The engine supports tools like FMOD for sound, Noesis for UI, and PhysX for physics, as well as Meta's own Avatars software. Meta is also prioritizing user safety, designing the engine with this in mind to create a technical foundation that can evolve with users.
The Horizon Engine promises 'infinite connected spaces, more realistic physics, and higher player counts'. It is designed to power Meta Horizon Worlds, which is part of the broader Meta Horizon ecosystem, similar to maps in Fortnite.
The Horizon Studio Beta is now open for sign-ups, with acceptance expected later this year. Meta's Horizon Engine, with its improved performance, familiar tools, and focus on user safety, is set to enhance the creation and experience of virtual worlds within the Meta Horizon ecosystem.
