Epic's Unreal Engine 5 shines on the cover of the latest issue of Edge magazine

(Image credit: Future)

Following a not-E3 season that’s felt about 17 years long (and is still ongoing, apparently? Please nobody ask us what month it is), both Microsoft and Sony have finally shown their hands – or, rather, consoles. But while last week’s PS5 event showed off a plentiful lineup of PlayStation 5 games, and even the look of the machine itself, there wasn’t much of a sense of the true power and potential behind it. It’s the early days in the next generation, after all: we won’t see what these new consoles are really capable of for a good few years yet.

It was the announcement of Unreal Engine 5 weeks earlier that gave us the clearest glimpse at that future, with a breathtaking tech demo that pushed PS5’s architecture to its limits. We had to find out more. In E347, which goes on sale today, we catch up with Tim Sweeney and the rest of the team over at Epic Games to delve into all the details of the revolutionary new engine. In our conversations, we uncover the company’s ambitions for a future in which game devs are freed from the drudgery of polygon counts and LODs – and how it helped shape the very architecture of Sony’s new console with its vision for an industry that’s more empowered, and united, than ever before.

(Image credit: Future)

Naturally, we felt the occasion merited a special cover treatment, and so print copies of E347 feature a full Mirri board cover that’s practically as luminous as Unreal Engine 5 itself. Think this, but shinier:

(Image credit: Future)

Once again, due to the ongoing pandemic, you’ll only find this issue online. We’ll be back on shelves next month.

Here’s a glimpse at what else awaits inside E347.

Glock rockin' beats

(Image credit: Future)

If you’ve had half an eye on Twitter lately, you’ll have noticed that rhythm shooters are having a bit of a moment. We talked to the creators of Gun Jam and BPM: Bullets Per Minute about why this nascent genre is so challenging and rewarding to work with, and what it’s like to find yourself making a game with a similar premise to someone else.

Artists Assemble

(Image credit: Future)

Independent, political and inspiring: collectives seem more and more like one of the most viable futures for videogame development. In this feature, we meet just some of the talented people banding together to protect, support, and creatively challenge one another.

Subscribe today

For more industry-beating access to the very best that the videogame industry has to offer, why not subscribe to Edge? You’ll save on the cover price and have your copy delivered to your door (or device) each month, complete with exclusive subscriber covers.

You can subscribe to the print edition, digital version, or save even more with the print/digital bundle – whatever you choose, you can rest easy in the knowledge you're getting the full story before anyone else. 

Edge Staff

Edge magazine was launched in 1993 with a mission to dig deep into the inner workings of the international videogame industry, quickly building a reputation for next-level analysis, features, interviews and reviews that holds fast nearly 30 years on. 

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