AMD TressFX 5.0 is an open-source GPU-accelerated hair and fur rendering system for Unreal Engine 4.26/4.27 and 5.4. It supports up to 16 bone bindings, GPU-driven signed distance field simulations, and improved asset visualization. UE4 features include TAA, SkyLight, Marschner shading, blendshapes, and better shadow handling. UE5 adds Lumen ray tracing, deep shadows, continuous LOD, and IndirectDraw optimizations. Used in games like Justice and digital humans, TressFX 5.0 delivers realistic strand physics, lighting, and shading for lifelike characters.
AMD introduced TressFX as an open-source library and middleware designed for GPU-accelerated, high-quality hair and fur rendering and simulation in 2013, shortly after its first release. Version 5.0 extends this functionality within Unreal Engine 4 (UE4.26/4.27) and Unreal Engine 5.4.
Hair and fur rendering and simulation system built for Unreal Engine, demonstrating detailed strand physics, shading, and visualization enhancements. (Source: Epic Games)
It significantly enhances realism by simulating thousands of individual strands with physics-based animation and rendering, making it perfect for realistic digital characters and creatures.
Key features and capabilities include:
Figure 1. Hair, lots of it, in free fall. (Source: AMD)
Table 1. Summary of TressFX features. (Source: AMD)
TressFX 5.0 enables high-fidelity, physically based hair and fur simulation on the GPU—useful for realistic characters in modern games and digital media. With source code, integration via Unreal Engine patches, and support for both UE4 and UE5, the system is powerful and adaptable.
Integration note: Access requires Unreal Engine developer status and GitHub repo access. Patches—e.g., UE4.27.2_TressFX5.0.patch or UE544_TressFX_Engine_Patch.patch—can be applied directly or manually merged if your project has custom engine changes.
(Source: AMD)
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