HoloLens comes to Unity game engine in 5.5 update

The Unity game engine is a versatile tool that developers use to build video games. This year alone it provided a slew of games like Firewatch, Oxenfree, I Am Setsuna, Pokémon Go, ReCore, and the upcoming Cuphead. The engine’s latest update, 5.5, includes a collection of new enhancements and also now comes with integration for Microsoft’s HoloLens augmented reality headset.

Unity’s 5.5 update is all about new platforms, better tools for artists, and the usual performance enhancements. Developers and artists get updated particle effects with a noise module being most prevalent. With that tool, you can add different types of behavior to the different particles. It also has animation workflow and line rendering enhancements, easier ways to add logos and watermarks, and a new lighting tool called Look Dev that double-checks your lighting work across various conditions.

With the new integration with Hololens, creators can now prototype, debug, and design for Windows Holographic without having to output to a HoloLens-compatible device. Such a move eases the process for developers, increasing efficiency by enabling them to do a larger amount of their augmented and mixed reality work within the Unity Editor. This will hopefully lead to shorter mixed/augmented development times or more intricate use of the technology.

Unity confirmed to UploadVR that its Editor VR solution is still on track for release this year. The company is also opening up beta registration for their Unity Collaborate service, a utility that simplifies the team experience. The engine’s compatibility with in-app purchases has also been expanded to include Cloud Mulah and Xiaomi in addition to platforms like Google Play, iOS, and Samsung. You can find the Unity 5.5 assets and release notes here.

This post first appeared on UploadVR.