Unity unveils new ties to Nvidia RTX pipeline, takes shots at Unreal

Enlarge / The 2019 BMW 8 Series Coupe, as rendered in real time using the Unity graphics engine and its newly announced Nvidia RTX pipeline of ray tracing. (credit: Unity / BMW)

SAN FRANCISCO-Unity, one of the leading 3D-rendering systems used to build modern video games, kicked off GDC 2019 with a keynote presentation that took aim at its primary rival, Unreal Engine 4.

"We have no interest in creating experiences that compete with your hobbies or your businesses," Unity CEO John Riccitiello told the keynote's crowd on Monday night. (This was a not-so-subtle dig at how Unreal's creators at Epic Games use their engine to power the mega-popular Fortnite.) "We're here to build the platform that serves you, the developer, and serves you alone."

While the keynote emphasized Unity's affinity for lower-end devices, particularly smartphones, it concluded with an emphasis on the highest-of-end machines: a partnership with Nvidia to bring its proprietary RTX ray tracing pipeline to any Unity video game.

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