Unity 5.1 adds Native Oculus Rift development

Unity 5.1 is now available and adds a host of new features and improvements, including Native Oculus Rift development.

The company has optimised its rendering pipeline for virtual reality and augmented reality devices. Head tracking and an appropriate field of view will now be applied to the camera automatically and rendered in stereo.

As well as Rift support, Unity will soon be integrating full Native support for further platforms, including HoloLens and Gear VR.

A new set of APIs have also been released to make it easier to create multiplayer games across various platforms. The Unity Multiplayer Service meanwhile, including its matchmaker and relay servers, is currently in preview for a limited time period. Developers can use the service for free up to 100 concurrent users. The full Unity Multiplayer Service is expected to launch soon.

Other additions and improvements include enhancements to API usabilities and workflows, with a focus on 2D and animation features. A new unified OpenGL rendering backend has also been introduced.

Visit the Unity website for a full rundown of the Unity 5.1 release notes.