The millions of tourists who visit the Sistine Chapel every year inadvertently cause microscopic damage to Michelangelo's masterpieces through the moisture of their breath and the dust on their shoes. To preserve the art while still allowing global access, the Vatican Museums have partnered with video game developers utilizing Unreal Engine 5.
Using photogrammetry and billions of data points, developers have created a hyper-realistic, 1:1 digital twin of the chapel. This stunningly accurate digital render allows art historians to study the brushstrokes in VR without stepping foot in Rome, and allows the Vatican to digitally preserve the exact state of the frescoes for future generations, proving that video game technology can be a powerful tool for cultural conservation.