Google is bringing the technology behind its new immersive view in Google Maps to Unreal Engine 5.0. The UE5 support will enable developers to build more powerful mixed-reality experiences.

The Unreal Engine 5.0 support will enable developers to build powerful mixed-reality experiences following the official release of the new Google Cloud tool, Immersive Stream for XR. The Google tool allows users to scan a QR code or to click the link to open a mixed reality experience. The Google Cloud GPUs host, render, and stream experiences to a user’s device behind the scenes, a blog post states.

Immersive View
Immersive View

Advances in computer vision and Artificial Intelligence enabled Google to introduce a new immersive view in Maps. These technologies now allow Google to fuse billions of aerial and Street View images to generate a rich, digital model of the world.

The new immersive view allows users to get the feel of a landmark, neighborhood, or some popular venue in a very immersive way before one even sets foot there. Such a wholesome view of the destinations enables users to make more informed decisions about locations before they even go there.

The immersive view gives users a 3D model of destinations in certain cities, overlaid with rich information such as the traffic conditions and the restaurants close by.  In a blog post published last year, Google described an example where with a quick search, a traveler could soar above a destination to get a feel of the neighborhood and the beautiful architecture therein. The location is layered with Google Maps information and even features a time slider that allows the user to check out how the area would look like at different times of the day, in different weather conditions, and to check out the busy spots. The immersive view would even enable users to slide into the nearby spots to get a feel of them before they book their reservations.

Beyond that insight into locations, Google has also highlighted other ways in which the Immersive Stream for XR could be used such as to place (overlay) virtual furniture in augmented reality or to see virtual cars while one is shopping. These use cases are already prevalent in augmented reality and are widely deployed by retailers embracing XR applications.

Immersive Stream for XR Now Available to Developers

This week, Google launched that the Immersive Stream for XR will also support Unreal Engine 5 content. Unreal Engine is becoming increasingly popular with game developers although it can also be deployed in a number of other non-gaming applications. The UE5 support will be a huge plus for developers who wish to make the most of the new Immersive Stream for XR.

Rob GrantAugmented RealityTechnologyGoogle is bringing the technology behind its new immersive view in Google Maps to Unreal Engine 5.0. The UE5 support will enable developers to build more powerful mixed-reality experiences. The Unreal Engine 5.0 support will enable developers to build powerful mixed-reality experiences following the official release of the new Google...VR, Oculus Rift, and Metaverse News - Cryptocurrency, Adult, Sex, Porn, XXX