Game developer and engine maker Epic Games has revealed that they have showcased the Unreal Engine 4 behind closed doors to other developers, and that it’s aimed at next generation of gaming consoles. Speaking to Gamasutra, Epic CEO Tim Sweeny said that the Unreal Engine 4 is aimed at “platforms that haven’t even been announced”. Since the Wii U was announced last year, this would rule it out, according to Sweeny.
Back in 2011, Epic announced that the latest and most powerful version of the Unreal Engine 3 would be available for the Wii U, and that the company was very interested in the console. This ignited a few Unreal Engine 4 Wii U rumors, but it appears now that the Wii U will have to do with the “older” version — which is still one of the most capable game engines in the world. The above screenshot comes from the latest version of the Unreal Engine 3.
All other things being equal, the Wii U is much more of a current-gen console than a next gen console, as it is based on a lot of the same hardware. This means Nintendo will be able to keep the price of the console down, despite having an advanced touchscreen controller. The Wii U is said to be anywhere from 2 to 5 times more powerful than current generation systems, but it’s clear that Sony, Microsoft, and Epic Games are aiming at hardware that’s 10X — an order of magnitude — more powerful than current generation systems.
