It’s been a while since Unity 2018.1 entered beta, and if the list of features, changes, additions, improvements (and so on), is any indication, this one’s definitely been worth the wait; even if certain bits were also part of the beta.
So, as usual, I’m gonna do my best to decipher all the tech talk in the announcement… likely ending up simply quoting a lot instead. Anyway, the focus in this first of a brand new cycle seems split between performance improvements, enabling Unity users to do more with less actual code (always a plus in my books), lots of new fun shader-related stuff, and an early glance at the Scriptable Render Pipeline. That last one apparently “places the power of modern hardware and GPUs directly into the hands of developers and technical artists, without having to digest millions of lines of C++ engine code”. Very groovy.
Those looking to add some sort of filter to the visual side of a project, on the other hand, need look no further than Post-Processing Stack v2, which – like Unity 2018.1 – is now out of beta. Or how about that fancy Dynamic Resolution thing, which now has PlayStation 4 support (previously an Xbox One exclusive feature), giving console developers even more control over rendering resolution, at any given time. I can certainly think of a use for such a feature, however powerful the PlayStation 4 Pro.
Needless to say, the above are simply a few tidbits from the announcement post, so do check that for the full run-down of what’s what (and new) in Unity 2018.1.