Software Engineer on Cross-Platform Rendering for AAA Titles

Introduction

Hi! My name is YingXuan (Jennifer) Liao, and I'm a Software Engineer specializing in rendering and platform engineering in the game industry. I've worked on large-scale AAA titles, including Forza Horizon 5 and Fallout 4, focusing on improving visual quality, stability, and cross-platform performance.

I started as an ordinary Software Engineering student. Like many others in this industry, I loved playing video games growing up, though I never initially imagined pursuing gaming as a career. During my final year of university, I played Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and the experience left me incredibly excited; I realized that breaking into this industry would be an absolute blast.

Consequently, I joined Lilith Games as a Game Developer, and later, I moved to the United States. As it turned out, 2023 was the last year, at least for the foreseeable future, that the U.S. gaming industry remained truly welcoming to newcomers. That year, I joined Panic Button, where I had the opportunity to contribute to large-scale AAA titles.

Forza Horizon 5

On Forza Horizon 5, I worked as part of the rendering and platform engineering team, contributing to the game's cross-platform development, including support for PlayStation 5 platforms. My work focused on improving rendering stability and ensuring consistent visual quality across different hardware environments. This involved investigating and resolving issues that affected core visual systems such as environmental effects, reflections, and UI rendering.

By 2023, the job market within the gaming industry had already begun to take a downturn. Some well-known AAA studios were even requiring new hires to start as interns. Many of my classmates joined teams working on projects that seemed incredibly promising at the time. However, over the following two years, Blizzard canceled an unannounced FPS title, Meta's metaverse initiatives suffered major setbacks, and, more recently, Epic Games laid off thousands of employees. Consequently, our careers faced significant disruptions.

I believe I was able to secure a job at that time primarily due to a combination of luck and my prior professional experience. Furthermore, working at a company that specializes in game porting tends to offer greater project stability compared to companies focused on developing their own original titles. To my knowledge, there are quite a few companies of this nature located in Texas.

Forza Horizon 5, which launched on PS5 last year, three-and-a-half years after the Xbox/PC versions, accounts for almost half of those revenues. That's $323M via 5.8M copies sold.

Microsoft Games for PlayStation 5

I believe that the distinctions between gaming platforms are something shaped by history. Personally, I am delighted to be involved in work that enables players across all platforms to enjoy the same game and even engage in cross-platform multiplayer sessions. Microsoft seems to aim to shift its focus from selling console hardware to selling content and services.

At the same time, a lot of the work that makes this possible happens behind the scenes. Our company devotes significant effort to optimizing games for platforms like Nintendo and Sony. However, most of the technical specifications regarding their hardware are covered by NDAs, meaning we are unable to discuss them publicly.

Interestingly, that also creates a kind of unique situation. Since this work relies on platform-specific knowledge that isn't publicly accessible, it's not something that can easily be replicated or replaced, even with the rapid progress of AI. So while it can feel limiting at times, it also gives the work a certain long-term value.

Working on Large-Scale AAA Titles

One of the interesting things I've learned is how much large-scale AAA development relies on coordination across teams, locations, and even time zones. On projects like Forza Horizon 5, development isn't happening in just one place. It's a global effort. Teams collaborate across different regions, often working asynchronously.

Our porting work often happens in parallel with the main game's development. We need to avoid pulling time or attention away from the core team, especially during critical stages.

Advice for Aspiring Rendering Engineers

Points. Solid foundation in graphics, own some side projects in your spare time, GDC talks to know about trends. In practice, a lot of the work starts from noticing that something doesn't look quite right on screen. Having good visualization and debugging tools is incredibly helpful. Usually, the process isn't about jumping to a quick answer. It's more about observing, forming hypotheses, and gradually verifying them until things make sense. 

Also, considering the industry is "evolving", you can find a similar job in a hardware company, instead of a game studio. You will still work on games, but more hardware-specific, maybe debugging a weird case that only happens in this chip. It can feel uncertain at times, but if you're genuinely interested in this space, staying consistent and continuing to build your skills over time really makes a difference.

Jennifer Liao, Software Engineer