Why is everyone obsessed with Unreal Engine and Unity?

Game engines; a render of a large snowy mountain
(Image credit: Sergey Kuydin)

Game engines such as Unity and Unreal Engine 5 are becoming more popular to use than traditional rendering software, so why is the art world turning to real time apps? Below we ask three working artists why they use game engines and why they are worth learning.

To recap, it's worth understanding the context of a rise in game engines amongst artists. The prospect of the metaverse (remember that?) and the rise of a '3D internet' means 3D skills are in demand; a recent survey by Adobe revealed graphic design studios are now more interested in artists with 3D skills. The advent of Apple's Vision Pro and a resurgence in VR and AR technology has also meant 3D skills, and in particular Unity knowledge is on the rise. 

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Paul Hatton
Writer

Paul is a digital expert. In the 20 years since he graduated with a first-class honours degree in Computer Science, Paul has been actively involved in a variety of different tech and creative industries that make him the go-to guy for reviews, opinion pieces, and featured articles. With a particular love of all things visual, including photography, videography, and 3D visualisation Paul is never far from a camera or other piece of tech that gets his creative juices going. You'll also find his writing in other places, including Creative Bloq, Digital Camera World, and 3D World Magazine. 

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