Enable hardware ray tracing on Lumen for Android devices
Introduction
What is Lumen?
What is Global Illumination?
How to Enable Lumen
How to Enable Hardware Ray Tracing on Lumen
Next Steps

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About this Learning Path

Skill level:  Introductory
Reading time:  10 min
Last updated:  19 Aug 2026
Skill level:
  Introductory
Reading time:
  10 min
Last updated:
  19 Aug 2026
Author:Owen Wu, Arm
Arm IP:Immortalis
Tags: Gaming Android Unreal Engine
Author:
  • Owen Wu, Arm
Arm IP:
Immortalis
Tags:
Gaming Android Unreal Engine

Who is this for?

This is an introductory topic for Unreal Engine developers interested in using hardware ray tracing with Lumen on Arm devices.

What will you learn?

After completing this Learning Path, you'll be able to perform the following tasks:

  • Learn about Lumen and global illumination.
  • Enable hardware ray tracing on Lumen for Arm devices.

Prerequisites

Before starting, you'll need the following prerequisites:

  • A computer capable of running Unreal Engine version 5.3 or later .
  • An Android mobile device that has a Mali GPU with hardware ray tracing support.
  • A USB cable to connect the mobile device to your computer.

Summary

AI-assisted

This summary was drafted with an approved AI-assisted workflow and reviewed by Arm contributors before publication. Human technical review remains part of the process so the final page reflects engineering rigor, accuracy, and Arm editorial standards.

Close
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You’ll enable Unreal Engine Lumen with hardware ray tracing on supported Android devices. First, you’ll configure Lumen for global illumination and reflections, enable the SM5 shader format through Vulkan Desktop, and use deferred shading. Then, you’ll learn to enable Lumen in your project and by creating a Post Process Volume, and configure settings to use ray tracing.

Frequently asked questions

AI-assisted

These FAQs were drafted with an approved AI-assisted workflow and reviewed by Arm contributors before publication. Human technical review remains part of the process so the final page reflects engineering rigor, accuracy, and Arm editorial standards.

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Do I need to set Lumen for both Global Illumination and Reflections?
Yes. Open Project Settings > Engine - Rendering and select Lumen in the Global Illumination section and again in the Reflections section.
On Android, which option enables the SM5 shader format required by Lumen?
In Project Settings under Platforms - Android, enable Support Vulkan Desktop [Experimental]. This activates SM5 for the Android target.
Which shading mode should I use with Lumen?
Use deferred shading. Go to Project Settings > Engine - Rendering and uncheck Forward Shading.
Can I enable Lumen per scene instead of project-wide?
Yes. Add a Post Process Volume actor and choose Lumen in the Global Illumination sections in its Details panel.
What happens if hardware ray tracing is unavailable on the device?
Lumen can fall back to software ray tracing. Select Use Hardware Ray Tracing when available under Project Settings > Engine - Rendering to prioritize hardware acceleration when the device supports it.
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