V-Ray 7 Update 4 for Media & Entertainment Is Now Available

POSTED 20th OF Jul, 2026, Posted by Summer Magdaraog

Chaos has released V-Ray 7 Update 4 for Media & Entertainment, introducing workflow improvements, rendering optimizations, and expanded platform support across Autodesk 3ds Max, Autodesk Maya, SideFX Houdini, Blender, Chaos Vantage, and Chaos Arena.

This release focuses on improving production efficiency with faster rendering, better real-time visualization, support for additional hardware, and new tools that simplify scene creation and look development.

Whether you're creating VFX, animation, motion graphics, visualization, or virtual production content, Update 4 delivers practical improvements throughout the production pipeline.

What's New in V-Ray 7 Update 4?

Real-Time Viewport Rendering with Chaos Vantage

One of the biggest additions in Update 4 is real-time viewport rendering through Chaos Vantage.

Artists can now preview scenes with path-traced lighting, physically accurate materials, cameras, and global illumination directly inside supported DCC applications. This removes the need to switch between applications during look development, making creative iteration faster and more efficient.

Currently supported in:

Autodesk 3ds Max
Autodesk Maya
SideFX Houdini

Support for Blender is planned for a future release.

Gaussian Splats Can Now Be Relit

Update 4 introduces Gaussian Splats relighting, allowing scanned environments to match the lighting of CG scenes instead of relying on baked lighting captured during scanning.

This makes it easier to combine photogrammetry assets with computer-generated content while maintaining consistent lighting throughout a project.

Available today for:

V-Ray for 3ds Max
V-Ray for Maya
V-Ray for Houdini
Chaos Vantage

Support for Blender will be added in a future update.

Faster CPU and GPU Rendering

V-Ray 7 Update 4 includes several rendering optimizations that improve both interactive previews and final-frame rendering.

Performance improvements include:

Up to 13% faster CPU rendering through Profile-Guided Optimizations (PGO)
Up to 2× faster startup for V-Ray GPU Interactive Production Rendering (IPR)
Cleaner interactive previews with Light Cache Denoising
Reduced memory usage through Out-of-Frustum Displacement Tessellation
Distributed Rendering 2 (DR2) for improved progressive and bucket rendering across multiple machines

These enhancements help reduce render times while improving overall workflow responsiveness.

New Tools for Scene Creation

V-Ray Parallax Texture

The new V-Ray Parallax Texture creates the illusion of detailed interiors behind windows without requiring additional geometry.

This is especially useful for:

Large city environments
Architectural visualization
Background buildings in animation and VFX

By reducing scene complexity, artists can create richer environments while keeping projects lightweight.

Quick Caustics

The new Quick Caustics workflow generates realistic light refraction effects with less setup than traditional photon-based methods.

It can be used for effects such as:

Glass refractions
Water caustics
Decorative lighting

V-Ray Displacement Material

Update 4 also introduces a dedicated V-Ray Displacement Material, making it easier to build, blend, and export multiple displacement shaders for detailed surfaces across supported DCC applications.

New Features for Virtual Production

Studios using Chaos Arena receive several workflow improvements designed for LED volume productions and virtual production pipelines.

New capabilities include:

Real-time material editing during shoots
Real-time depth of field
Lens encoder synchronization
Regional decal color correction

These additions allow teams to make adjustments live on set without interrupting production.

AI-Powered Creative Workflows

Update 4 expands AI-assisted tools through Veras, giving artists additional options during concept development and post-processing.

Supported workflows include:

Generating concept variations
Refining renders
Creating video from a single image
Converting photos into PBR-ready materials
Upscaling images up to 16K resolution

These features are available within supported Chaos applications, helping accelerate early-stage visualization and asset creation.

AMD GPU Rendering Support

V-Ray GPU now supports AMD graphics cards through the HIP platform.

This expands hardware compatibility and gives artists more flexibility when building rendering workstations, particularly for studios that use AMD GPUs instead of NVIDIA hardware.

Updated Application Support

V-Ray 7 Update 4 officially supports the latest versions of several major content creation applications, including:

Autodesk 3ds Max 2027
Autodesk Maya 2027
SideFX Houdini 21, with initial support for Houdini 22
Blender 5.1
Blender 5.2

Additional platform updates include:

Initial native support for Maya Bifrost Graph
Hydra 2 support in Houdini
Linux support for V-Ray Blender
Free Community Edition for V-Ray Blender users

Chaos also confirmed that OpenUSD V-Ray and Vantage Hydra Delegates are currently in development to support future USD-based production pipelines.

Should You Update to V-Ray 7 Update 4?

For existing V-Ray users, Update 4 delivers meaningful workflow improvements rather than minor refinements.

The combination of real-time viewport rendering, Gaussian Splats relighting, AMD GPU support, faster CPU and GPU rendering, and new virtual production capabilities makes this a valuable update for studios working in animation, VFX, visualization, and motion graphics.

If your projects rely on supported DCC applications such as 3ds Max, Maya, Houdini, or Blender, Update 4 can help shorten iteration cycles while improving production efficiency.

Get V-Ray Through Motion Media

As an authorized Chaos reseller, Motion Media provides genuine V-Ray licenses for freelancers, studios, educational institutions, and enterprise teams.

Whether you're upgrading to V-Ray 7 Update 4, expanding your existing deployment, or purchasing a new license, our team can help you choose the licensing option that best fits your production workflow.

Browse our V-Ray solutions or contact Motion Media to learn more.