UE5 to deploy directly into Qualcomm’s Snapdragon automotive platforms for best-in-class HMIs
Last year at Unreal Fest Seattle 2024, Epic Games shared the stage with wireless technology innovator Qualcomm to announce that we’re expanding our partnership with a new HMI offering.
For the first time ever, Unreal Engine will be directly deployed into Qualcomm’s Snapdragon automotive platforms, giving automakers that adopt Snapdragon Digital Chassis solutions exclusive access to pre-integrated and optimized Unreal Engine features.
This is set to make it easier, more cost-effective, and more viable for automakers to bring next-generation digital cockpit experiences to their vehicles.
To learn more about what the partnership entails, check out the videos below.
Snapdragon x Unreal Engine at Unreal Fest 2024
In this recording from Unreal Fest Seattle 2024, Vice President and General Manager of Unreal Engine Ecosystem Bill Clifford and Qualcomm’s Senior Director of Business Development Arvin Chander announce the expanded partnership and reveal some of the shared history between the two companies, as well as explaining what the partnership will mean for OEMs and automakers.
Snapdragon Summit 2024: Day 2 Deep Dive - Automotive
Watch as Epic’s Bill Clifford and Rivian’s Chief of Software Wassym Bensaid dive under the hood of the new Unreal Engine and Snapdragon partnership in this fireside moderated by Qualcomm’s Senior Director of Business Operations Amanda Belcastro.
A turnkey, out-of-the-box solution
Unreal Engine is already powering best-in-class human-machine interfaces in next-generation vehicles for some of the planet’s biggest automotive brands.
“General Motors first used Unreal Engine to serve up dynamic graphics in the GMC Hummer EV, and Rivian had Unreal Engine running in the R1T and R1S the day they hit the road,” said Clifford, speaking at Unreal Fest 2024. “Volvo became the first European carmaker to adopt UE, and then Sony Honda Mobility launched their AFEELA car with immersive Unreal Engine-powered visuals.”
These automakers all have one thing in common—they’re running their HMIs on Snapdragon Digital Chassis solutions.
Qualcomm Snapdragon is a line of system-on-chips (SoCs) designed for mobile devices. You’ll find them in everything from smartphones and laptops to handheld gaming devices and VR headsets.
Qualcomm’s SoCs also provide the processing power for digital dashboards in next-gen vehicles. The beating heart of Qualcomm’s automotive offering is the Snapdragon Digital Chassis—a platform that enables automakers to create software-defined vehicles (SDVs) with immersive digital experiences, safety features, and cloud-based upgrades.
The Snapdragon Digital Chassis consists of several sub-platforms that provide everything from fast internet connectivity to automated driving features. Snapdragon Cockpit Platform is the sub-platform that powers voice control and immersive infotainment.
Epic and Qualcomm are now offering a turnkey out-of-the-box solution that combines the power of Unreal Engine and the Snapdragon Cockpit Platform. By adopting this solution for their HMIs, manufacturers will be able to achieve optimal performance and reliability with Unreal Engine running on Snapdragon Cockpit.
“With more than 350 million cars on the road using our Snapdragon Digital Chassis solution, we are excited to bring Unreal to a large OEM customer base,” said Chander, speaking at Unreal Fest 2024. “We’re opening the door to unprecedented visual fidelity, connectivity, and all of the personalization that you would expect to have with advanced Unreal Engine workflows.”
There’s a lot to get excited about in the pipeline—we’ve put together a future innovation roadmap that will ensure all new versions of Unreal Engine are highly optimized for Qualcomm’s current and next-generation platforms.
Powerful in-cabin visualization
With this partnership, Unreal Engine is supercharging Qualcomm’s offering to the automotive market.
Vehicles that have Snapdragon Cockpit integrated will have powerful in-cabin visualization capabilities that include world firsts, such as fully customizable maps that provide rich 3D experiences.
These HMIs will include industry-leading graphics technology powered by UE5 features, including Nanite, Lumen, a best-in-class mobile renderer, and more.