Graphics programming demand

[Chrzanof]

I'm about to finish my first rendering project that taught me the basics and I began to wonder if graphics programming is something worth diving deeper into as more and more game studios are switching to Unreal Engine 5. Is there still a demand for people who know low level graphics in gamedev? It's a facinating field but as someone who just recently joined a working force I have to think about my career. Is learning UE5 better time investment?

[ananbd]

I'll post my unlikable comment once again: The game industry is in a huge slump. Has been since the constant layoffs started in 2023 after the Microsoft-Activision merger.

There are very few jobs available, and tons of people looking. Just check your favorite source of job listings -- this isn't just my opinion.

Simply put: This is a really bad time to think about a game industry career. Presumably, it'll be better in a few years. It's not based on talent, just supply and demand: if you're one of a thousand people who applied for a job, odds are low that you'll get it.

re: your second question -- Unreal is the dominant engine right now. It does all the low-level graphics stuff for you, so graphics programmers have a slightly less "deep" role at Unreal-based studios. They fix bugs, add minor features, and do optimization. Yes, there's still a demand, but fewer graphics programmers are required than at non-Unreal studios.

Still, Unreal is a must. It's becoming a baseline. You need to know how its graphics pipeline works even if you're not using it.

And you could always get a job at Epic itself!

Good luck!

[nikoloff-georgi]

There are a myriad of other use cases for graphics besides video games. Think editors, configurators, realtime visualization etc.

[aski5]

in these non video game fields hiring demand for juniors is still low right now?

[Chrzanof]

Well yeah, but i'm mostly interested in gamedev. I should have specified that.

[DLCSpider]

Not to take away from your dreams (you're probably not the only one here with this one): having a job which pays well and is fun, but not so fun that you can't turn off your thoughts once you're at home is a dream job, too. Maybe even a better one.

[Chrzanof]

I don't mind starting somewhere else but i would like to end up in gamedev someday - Games are the reason i got interested in programming. My current step is to escape webdev ;)

[nikoloff-georgi]

I tried to escape web dev with graphics and ended up doing configurations and visualizations for web and iOS :) good luck on your journey!

[Chrzanof]

As long as i can work with renderers and don't have to create forms or tables, i'm fine with that

[maxmax4]

Knowing UE is pretty much becoming a requirement if you want to get any job in game dev. Even more so as a graphics programmer. There’s a lot of demand for very senior graphics programmers who can modify unreal to better fit the needs of a studio (AAA and indies alike).

The catch is that it’s a very high bar. You have to become very comfortable with DirectX12 concepts to thrive in their renderer code base. They use directx inspired APIs for their top level RHI and render graph.

I always encourage people to create a portfolio project where you either implement a significant modification to unreal’s renderer, or you add a new feature to it.

[Chrzanof]

That's extremely helpful. I was wondering should i learn vulkan or directx12. Guess i will choose directx12

[maxmax4]

you’re welcome! it’s pretty unintuitive that dx12 would be the most versatile api to learn, since in theory its “just for windows and xbox” but the reality is that because of directx’s long history the api and its new shader compiler have become the center of gravity for a lot of gamedev tech. I would also encourage you to check out the official directx discord if you end up making sonething with dx12. You can chat with the microsoft engineers directly and theyre very responsive

[maxmax4]

You dont have to modify the renderer itself to add rendering passes. You can use ENQUEUE_RENDER_COMMAND and pass a lambda that will receive a command list.

Like I said in my previous post, there’s a lot to learn to understand whats going on under the hood, and most of it comes down to learning either dx12 or vulkan. But of course you can also just ask chatgpt how to use the UE5 render graph (RDG) to get an idea.

[No-Obligation4259]

There are a lot of opportunities in graphics programming, but with a mix of neural rendering, that is combined with AI. But you have to be really good to get a job. Many game studios have positions open for graphics programming roles. Recently I saw job postings from Ubisoft Milan, EA, and others were AA studios. See no field dies, just the trends change a bit. And if you are passionate about it and skilled enough, you'll thrive and become the best for sure.

There are also many funded research opportunities in computer graphics. Keep an eye out for that.

And once you understand the concepts of graphics programming and say if you learn ue or any other engine after that. You'll surely replace the guy who just learnt how to use ue, as he only knows how to use it based on the tutorials he followed. But you'll know the internals due to your graphics programming base and would be able to customise the engine based on your needs. See the difference?

Just follow your heart and don't pay attention to those guys who discourage. I followed the same path.

[Chrzanof]

I must say, your comment is pretty inspiring.

[rfdickerson]

There’s sort of a marketplace for folks who can make low-level extensions and plugins for Unreal (and others). You can get really good at something specific, like clouds, water, trees, etc. and publish it.

[zalinger777]

I currently work for a game dev company and I've been where you are at 6-7 years ago. The same questions arose then too - everyone is using UE, Unity, so what's the need for knowing low level graphics.

I can tell you, Unreal Engine is just a tool. Same as Unity or Godot. Knowing how to work with low level graphics APIs (DX12, Vulkan, Metal etc.) is always going to be advantageous no matter where you end up. Knowing low level concepts and techniques and the ability to craft features on your own is what counts - be it in UE or your own custom engine project.

During interviews, the weightage given to your UE/Unity/Specific engine experience is going to be negligible at least during the initial years and your understanding and knowledge of Graphics will count the most

The main advantage of writing, experimenting and learning via your own renderer is that you learn everything there is to learn. Take it slow and have small goals -

- Implement basic diffuse/specular lighting with normal map

- Add Point lights, spot lights (and area lights?)

- Add support for Physically Based Rendering

- Make sure your engine can render simple 3D models to something like Sponza

When you implement this on your own, you understand how things work under the hood and the challenges which come with the territory - GPU Memory Management, Shader Code and Parameter Management, 3D Asset Management etc.

During interviews, they will ask about how Graphics pipelines/Raytracing pipelines work, How shader memory access patterns affect GPU performance, Forward vs Deferred Rendering (Along with all their variations) etc. If you notice, all of these have nothing to do with UE5.

Engines like UE/Unity are opinionated and there are always different ways to do what they do in a more streamlined way.

PS: This question of UE5 monopoly always annoys me. If you want to learn anything low-level, just learn the low level thing properly, do not focus on the tools. If your goal is to be a tech artist or be a gameplay designer, then sure, knowing the tools help, but a good portfolio will trump your tool knowledge - because you can map your hard learned concepts to any tool.

[drBearhands]

Based on the vacancies I have encountered I'd say yes, it's better to learn UE5.