Ray Tracing Hasn’t Yet Lived Up To Its Potential

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For decades, the gaming sector has been at the forefront of technological advancements, pioneering innovations such as portable computers, internet connectivity, and obviously, superior graphics. Over the past seven years, ray tracing has represented a cutting-edge frontier in terms of graphical capabilities. Despite the fact that GPUs capable of ray tracing are now commonplace in consoles, PCs, and even handheld devices, many gamers remain uncertain about this technology. So, what’s the deal?

The question at hand is quite intricate, as it involves taking multiple aspects into account for an accurate answer. These factors include game developers not fully utilizing or even making ray tracing less noticeable in their projects; the relatively young state of ray tracing technology itself; changes in gaming trends and preferences; and how the launch of ray-tracing graphics cards coincides with economic fluctuations.

Ray tracing, a technology dating back to pre-rendered computer graphics, remains relatively new in real-time computer graphics. In essence, real-time ray tracing mimics light reflections and illumination within a game environment, providing astonishingly realistic lighting and shadow effects, as well as intricate reflection details without much prior artist intervention. Here’s a glimpse into how ray tracing has shaped the gaming landscape thus far.

Are ray-tracing GPUs common?

Let’s discuss locations where you can find graphics processors for ray tracing in the actual world. Without ray-tracing compatible equipment readily available for gamers, game publishers and developers might not consider integrating such features into their upcoming game releases.

Approximately 95 million homes worldwide currently possess a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X|S console, each of which offers some type of ray tracing technology. The PlayStation 5 alone has sold close to 80 million units, and it’s estimated that PS5 outperforms the Xbox consoles in sales anywhere from 2:1 to 5:1. The upcoming Switch 2 also supports ray tracing, albeit in a far more restricted capacity than even the Xbox Series S, thereby increasing the overall user base with this capability.

Additionally, we find a variety of gaming computers, laptops, and even portable handheld devices in the market. A significant group among these, the ones compatible with Steam, offer some additional data points due to the Steam Hardware Survey. This survey indicates that approximately 30% of participating users possess graphics cards that support ray-tracing technology.

Essentially, it implies that many gaming devices such as consoles and computers currently have the capacity for ray tracing. Although this technology remains demanding and rapidly developing, it is no longer considered exclusive to a narrow segment of advanced users, suggesting its growing prevalence.

Are games designed with ray tracing in mind?

There are numerous impressive demonstrations of real-time ray tracing in video games that effectively leverage hardware capabilities, whether built specifically or integrated later on. One of the initial examples was Minecraft’s optional RTX feature (although ray tracing support for non-Nvidia cards in Minecraft is available, the original collaboration was between Mojang and Nvidia). Nowadays, mods like BetterRTX largely continue this implementation. Minecraft’s success stems from its straightforward geometry and dynamic characteristics. Ray traced lighting significantly alters Minecraft’s appearance; when you’re underground without light, your surroundings become completely dark, while forests appear more dynamic and lively.

During an interview with Nicolas Lopez, the technical director of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, he showcased how ray tracing is speeding up development and incorporating significant features that gamers can notice. For instance, Shadows’ dynamic lighting allowed the team to introduce four unique seasons and a wide range of weather situations in the game without having to extensively revise and re-illuminate the entire world. This led to a more diverse gaming experience for players and enabled the developers to focus on creating a more captivating game environment.

Other games employ simplified yet still impactful applications of technology. For instance, Spider-Man games and Remedy’s Control have extensive use of large, flat panes of glass, where a simple act like walking past, breaking through, or climbing over reveals an accurate reflection that appears and disappears; this was not achievable without the smart use of real-time ray tracing. Similarly, Remedy’s upcoming game, Alan Wake 2, uses ray tracing to create realistic lighting effects in dark, foliage-rich scenes lit by a moving flashlight. The moving beam of light and the foliage it reflects off interact dynamically, making ray tracing not only enhance the realism of the scene but also reduce the workload for game developers.

Certain video games such as Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, along with Doom: The Dark Ages, are designed to include some degree of ray tracing technology. To enjoy these games on a personal computer, you would need a system equipped with ray-tracing hardware.

Many games, especially high-profile ones, don’t effectively showcase the technology’s potential. For a comprehensive understanding of ray and path-tracing technology, I encourage you to read my primer on the subject. In brief, a large portion of games, particularly AAA titles, feature limited complexity due to their linear structure. These games, such as first-person shooter campaigns, are essentially pre-programmed animations and reactions within a stationary environment. Open-world games have more dynamic objects in motion, but their surroundings remain largely unchanged, even their day-night cycles lack intricacies like seasonal changes or weather variability.

In another realm, incorporating ray tracing into a multiplayer shooting game could greatly enhance the gaming experience by introducing realistic reflections and shadows that can help players spot or hide from enemies. However, at present, this technology doesn’t seem to be well-suited for these types of games because it negatively affects performance without offering significant visual benefits to most players unless they’re keen observers of pixel details. While shadows might appear slightly sharper and reflections more accurate, the majority of gamers prioritize smooth gameplay over appreciating such cosmetic improvements.

As a gamer, I’ve noticed that in numerous games I play, discerning the impact of ray tracing often calls for a deliberate examination, as it’s barely noticeable unless you scrutinize every surface with a magnifying glass. In fact, even if a game incorporates ray tracing, its inclusion can be a substantial performance drain just to make something like fences appear slightly more “fence-ish.” If that’s the type of gaming experience you prefer, it’s easy to see why ray tracing might seem like an unattractive trade-off. Popular games like Call of Duty, Dota 2, and Fortnite are currently dominating the PC scene, and many players opt for reducing graphics settings in favor of a smoother gameplay experience with higher frame rates. It’s also essential to remember that there is a segment of gamers who gravitate towards smaller indie releases over larger, more technically demanding ones. For this group of gamers, GPU power, let alone ray-tracing capability, is usually a factor they take into account.

In summary, Christian Buhl, the technical director of Battlefield 6, has stated that ray tracing for the game may not be available immediately. Given the history of Battlefield games having challenging launches, it’s sensible to prioritize performance at launch. Ray tracing in a game like Battlefield is currently considered an added feature.

Ray tracing isn’t mature just yet (and gamers can tell)

Previously discussed, real-time ray tracing is a relatively new technology that was inaccessible due to the heavy computational demands until shortcuts and specialized hardware emerged to ease the burden. Currently, GPU-based ray tracing remains computationally costly, generating a lot of visual noise that necessitates techniques like upscaling and upsampling offered by services such as Nvidia’s DLSS (Deep Learning Super-Sampling) and AMD’s FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution) to improve its appearance.

There’s plenty of opportunity for advancement in both enhancing the ray-tracing capabilities of hardware and refining the algorithms used for this purpose. As new games equipped with ray tracing features emerge, performance comparisons become commonplace on platforms like Reddit and YouTube, often highlighting a drop in performance when ray tracing is activated. For numerous gamers, this presents a ‘watch and wait’ scenario, as they view ray tracing as an intriguing but immature technology until it improves further.

To put it simply, I personally find that the necessity for upscaling and upsampling in some high-tech gaming features can turn off some enthusiasts. I’ve noticed this debate often pops up in discussions about ray tracing and DLSS, with many gamers claiming that enhancing images through upscaling is like cheating, insisting that an image should be a direct representation of the original data. This sentiment is particularly strong among console gamers. Instead of tinkering with numerous tiny settings to adjust performance, console gamers are typically presented with a straightforward choice: prioritize Quality (often lower-resolution and higher quality) or Performance (a cleaner image with a more consistent frame rate). Ray tracing was introduced before this feature, but it’s usually how developers cater to consoles.

As a dedicated gamer, I’ve noticed a shift in the gaming landscape that I can’t ignore. The unstoppable surge of Nintendo Switch’s popularity and the burgeoning market of handheld gaming PCs have certainly caught my attention. For us handheld enthusiasts, it’s all about having games that play smoothly on our devices. So, we’re less inclined towards features that might compromise our gaming experience due to potential compatibility issues.

When it comes to ray tracing – a technology used by the Nintendo Switch 2 and some handheld gaming PCs – it’s an exciting development, but one that raises questions about battery life. Given the importance of battery life for portable devices, it remains to be seen how extensively these features will be utilized.

However, there are teams out there who are already diving deep into this technology. Digital Foundry even hailed Star Wars Outlaws as a “ray-traced revelation” in their recent video. This could potentially be a game-changer for the system’s future.

Bad timing

The influence of economics on the accessibility and understanding of ray tracing should not be overlooked. Over the past seven years, graphics card prices have been highly volatile. The initial surge in prices coincided with, although not caused by, the introduction of ray tracing cards – Nvidia’s RTX 2000-series cards hit the market in Q3 of 2018, as the cryptocurrency boom was starting to slow down, leading to a price increase in graphics cards. Prices remained relatively stable from 2019 to 2020, but another wave of instability occurred with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2020, a fresh wave of Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), broader acceptance of cryptocurrency within institutions, challenges in the supply chain, and a surge in demand due to people upgrading their PCs during the pandemic, led to a second price increase. As we move forward into an age characterized by President Donald Trump’s volatile tariff policies, another price hike seems imminent for GPUs. The prices will likely be influenced by availability and manufacturing costs.

Furthermore, during this period, inflation has primarily caused an increase in the cost of various items, including high-end gaming cards. This escalating price trend makes it progressively challenging to keep up with the latest gaming hardware. Consequently, some premium game features become inaccessible for numerous players due to their financial constraints.

New GPU feature unlocked

Nvidia has introduced innovative graphics features before, such as ray tracing and upscaling solutions like DLSS. One notable example is the GeForce 3 GPU, launched in 2001, which was the first graphics card to use shaders. Shaders are crucial components of real-time graphics rendering, enhancing the rendering process for a vast array of games in various ways. Nvidia aims to replicate this success with ray tracing and upscaling, making these technologies ubiquitous among game developers, encouraging their usage in as many games as feasible.

Ray tracing, while here to stay, continues to face some challenges across various levels. Primarily, game development needs an overhaul. Titles such as Assassin’s Creed Shadows are creatively using it, and developers are adapting to integrate it into their design process; however, we’re only just starting to see its potential seven years on.

It would be beneficial for more ray tracing-compatible cards to become widely available, as not everyone has this technology in their gaming PCs. Although Nvidia RTX cards make up approximately 30% of Steam’s surveyed users, the most common among them is the RTX 3060, which is already five years old. This issue persists due to increasing costs in PC hardware, particularly GPUs, and the subsequent decrease in upgrade rates that results from this.

Approaching the time when graphics cards with ray tracing capabilities are becoming increasingly common, though we’re not quite there just yet. As game development progresses and more people upgrade their hardware, ray tracing is likely to become a highly sought-after and impactful feature for gamers. For now, gamers might remain hesitant about ray tracing in games.

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2025-09-09 18:49