Volinga released Plugin Pro 0.8.0, a significant update to its real-time Gaussian Splat plugin for Unreal Engine that addresses one of the technology's persistent friction points: deploying finished projects to end users without licensing complications or visual watermarks.
The update targets studios moving beyond experimentation with Gaussian Splatting and into production deployment across virtual production stages, VR experiences, and interactive installations.
What's New in Plugin Pro 0.8.0
The release centers on four key additions:
In-Engine License Manager. Studios can now activate, manage, and scale Volinga licenses directly inside Unreal Engine rather than through external tools or web portals.
Deployment Licenses. Projects can be packaged and distributed watermark-free without requiring a Volinga license on the end-user's machine. This removes a significant barrier for client deliverables, museum installations, and commercial VR experiences.
Performance Preferred Mode. A new rendering pipeline optimized for higher frame rates on LED volumes, camera-tracked stages, and multi-node render clusters where consistent performance matters more than maximum visual fidelity.
Translucency Mode. A rendering option that allows Gaussian Splats to blend with volumetric effects, skies, and atmospheric elements; useful for integrating captured environments with CG extensions.
Why Deployment Licensing Matters
Gaussian Splatting has proven effective for capturing real-world environments with photorealistic detail, but the path from capture to finished deliverable has remained complicated. Studios creating VR experiences, interactive installations, or client applications faced the question of how to distribute projects that rely on proprietary rendering plugins.
Volinga's deployment licensing model means a studio can build an experience using Plugin Pro, then package that project for distribution without the recipient needing their own Volinga subscription. For virtual production facilities creating client deliverables or museums building permanent installations, this removes a layer of licensing negotiation.
Fernando Rivas Manzaneque, Volinga's CEO, framed the update around this workflow problem: studios have been able to create Gaussian Splat worlds but faced friction getting those projects into their final deployment contexts.
Performance Modes for VP Stages
The Performance Preferred Mode targets LED volume and ICVFX environments where frame rate consistency is critical. On a virtual production stage, dropped frames or render hitches translate directly into visible problems on camera. The new mode prioritizes stable performance over peak visual quality.
The mode also supports multi-node render clusters, which are common in larger LED volume installations where multiple machines drive different sections of the wall.
Translucency Mode addresses a different challenge: making captured Gaussian Splat environments work alongside traditional CG elements. Skies, fog, volumetric lighting, and atmospheric effects can now composite correctly with splat-based environments rather than rendering as separate layers.
Practical Applications
Volinga positions the update around several deployment scenarios:
VR Experiences. Packaging splat-based environments for headset distribution without licensing dependencies.
Interactive Installations. Museums, galleries, and exhibitions can run Gaussian Splat content on dedicated hardware without ongoing license management.
Video Games. Game developers can integrate photogrammetric environments captured as Gaussian Splats into shipping titles.
Client Deliverables. Production companies can hand off finished projects to clients who want to run content on their own hardware.
LED Volume Production. VP stages can use splat-based environments with better frame rate stability.
Availability and Pricing
Plugin Pro 0.8.0 launched January 29, 2026 and supports Unreal Engine 5.7. Volinga offers a 14-day trial for studios wanting to test the new features before committing to a subscription.
Pricing for deployment licenses and the broader Plugin Pro subscription is available through Volinga's website.
