UE5 Retro FX is a free collection of effects for Unreal Engine 5, tailored for developing games with retro-style aesthetics. The pack includes features that enable developers to recreate the distinctive visuals of classic consoles and games, such as those from the PlayStation 1, Nintendo 64, and others.
The tool is developed by EvilReFlex, a hobbyist modder and game designer with roots in level design for Half-Life 1, who gradually transitioned to working with Unreal Engine. The project began on Unreal Engine 4 before being updated and expanded for Unreal Engine 5, though the UE4 version remains available for users who are yet to upgrade.
According to the developer, UE5 Retro FX eliminates the need to pay for retro effects of questionable quality on Fab, offering a free, high-quality alternative with more accurate and well-implemented features compared to other available solutions. However, the collection is still marked as experimental, which means some caution is advised when using it in production projects until a stable release is available.
Among its roster of features are fast dithering without image-based masks, accurate PS1-style vertex snapping, and affine texture mapping with optional "fake" tessellation for added distortion realism. The pack also includes sprite material functions compatible with Paper2D, N64-style texture filtering, and proper vertex lighting without arbitrary mesh limitations. Additionally, it supports real color palettes for both materials and post-processing, allowing for authentic visual fidelity reminiscent of classic hardware.
The author has recently released an update (Experimental Version 7) that further expands the capabilities of the suite. It now offers N64 and PS1-style 3D explosions, PS1-style fog, pure black or dithered shadows, among other improvements. Another highlight feature in this latest update is the addition of a classic Auto-Aim solution in the form of a new Blueprint node that can help players target enemies or objects automatically.
The UE5 Retro FX suite is available for download through the author's Discord server and is provided under the Creative Commons BY 4.0 license.
