The Matrix Awakens: An Unreal Engine 5 Experience Is Live Now

The Matrix Awakens, a free Unreal Engine 5 experience designed to show off the power of the engine and the "future of interactive storytelling," is now available on both Xbox Series X|S and PS5. It was released during The Game Awards, a show that The Matrix Resurrections stars Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss both attended, albeit virtually.

The experience, which was written by series co-creator Lana Wachowski, stars Reeves and Moss. The two appear as old versions of their Matrix characters Neo and Trinity, albeit with something fishy going on to explain how they're, you know, alive. After a never-before-seen clip teased a bit of this month's The Matrix: Resurrections, the pair introduced the free experience ("experienceee, experienceee," as Reeves put it with his dramatic echo effect).

Less than a fully-fledged game, the tech demo is meant to highlight the heights now within reach for something like the Unreal Engine 5. Just this week, Epic's crown jewel, Fortnite, moved over to Unreal Engine 5 with the launch of Fortnite Chapter 3.

The Matrix Awakens is an open-world experience and was created via a collaboration between Epic Games and Warner Bros. Its release comes just weeks before The Matrix Resurrections hits theaters and HBO Max on December 22.