According to the Community Manager Snutt Treptow, this update to Unreal Engine 5 mainly brings the benefits of Nanite technology, which makes it possible to display much more detailed geometry than before – all the rocks and reliefs of Satisfactory take a shot of polygons for the occasion. The factory elements are still awaiting their facelift. Still to improve the visuals, distant landscapes also become more detailed. The eighth update also introduces new anti-aliasing (TSR and FXAA) or upscaling (DLSS, XESS, FSR) options. On the other hand, there is no question of officially supporting Lumen technology, which greatly improves the management of lights and shadows. It is still possible to activate it in the options for pixel adventurers. It’s just not optimized.
Industrial evolution
In terms of gameplay, the transition to Unreal Engine 5 forces Satisfactory to pivot to the Chaos physics engine – the opportunity to renovate vehicle handling for Coffee Stain Games. Snutt Treptow assures that their ergonomics will only be better. And for those who don’t really like driving, the other means of transportation have also been reworked. The parachute is no longer a single-use consumable, but a reusable accessory; the jetpack now accepts different types of fuels with distinct performances; and the zipline automatically attaches to the next valid cable (under player control). Perfect for surveying your installation up and down.
The zip lines will be used on the Power Towers. Essential figures in the Seine-et-Marne landscape (I can see one from my window), these structures, which look like a bloated Eiffel Tower, have a greater range than the usual electricity pylons. In the event of a power failure, the new Priority Power Switch partitions segments of your facility, temporarily cutting off power to affected machines until you regain the power to activate them. This little thing might come in handy to limit breakage.
Finally, far from the eight-kilometer treadmills and the generators making shit, the planet Satisfactory gives a facelift to its natural environments, particularly the Titan Forest and the Red Jungle. Densified foliage, redesigned light, rearranged flora… Two new creatures, including a large radioactive buffalo, will put obstacles in the way of your industrial expansion. But fear not: if messing with wildlife gets you excited, you can convert your save file to use new advanced options and pacify the local animals. Please note, your save file will remain in “advanced” mode for life. Better to make a second backup to keep just in case.
The eighth update of Satisfactory is already available. You can find all the details on the official website.