PowerPlayground Devlog #1 — Building UE5 From Source and Adding AMD Brixelizer GI
Before I could even start testing AMD Brixelizer GI, I first had to download the Unreal Engine 5 source code and build it myself.
That was already a whole process. I pulled down the UE5 source, set everything up, generated the project files, and let the engine build overnight. By the time it finished, I had a custom UE5 source build ready to work with.
That source build gave me the flexibility I needed to start experimenting with engine-level rendering features instead of being locked into the standard setup.
Why I Did This
PowerPlayground needs to run fast.
I was originally using Lumen for global illumination, and while it looked good, it was way too heavy for what I wanted. In PIE, Lumen was eating a huge amount of performance, and that was before the project even had all the gameplay systems, enemies, UI, weapons, and effects I want to add.
The goal was simple:
Keep good-looking indirect lighting, but stop sacrificing a massive amount of performance.
Adding AMD Brixelizer GI
After the source build was ready, I added AMD Brixelizer GI to PowerPlayground as an alternative global illumination solution.
Once it was integrated and I switched away from the heavier Lumen setup, the difference was immediately noticeable.
The Result
I gained 100+ FPS compared to the Lumen setup.
That is not a tiny optimization. That is a completely different performance class.
And this was still in PIE, so I am not treating the numbers as final shipping performance yet. But even with that in mind, the improvement was way too big to ignore.
Why This Matters
That extra performance gives PowerPlayground way more headroom for things that actually affect gameplay and presentation.
It gives me more room for:
- Larger combat encounters
- More VFX
- Better AI behavior
- More interactive environments
- Heavier HUD and UI work
- More post-processing
- More room to experiment without instantly tanking FPS
Instead of spending the entire performance budget on lighting, I can now use that budget on the game itself.
Current Thoughts
Lumen is powerful, but for this project, it might be overkill.
Brixelizer GI gives me the kind of tradeoff I actually want: good visual quality without destroying performance. I still need to test it across more scenes, especially darker interiors and larger levels, but the first result is extremely promising.
Next Steps
The next things I want to test are:
- How Brixelizer GI handles larger levels
- How stable the lighting looks during movement
- Performance outside of PIE
- Visual quality in darker indoor areas
- How well it fits PowerPlayground’s final art direction
Final Takeaway
Building UE5 from source overnight was worth it.
Adding AMD Brixelizer GI gave PowerPlayground a 100+ FPS improvement, which completely changes how much performance budget I have to work with.
For now, Brixelizer GI is staying.