Ray tracing is probably the current gaming generation's biggest marketing buzzword. So much of modern PC gaming hardware and gaming consoles (i.e. PS5 and Xbox Series X/S) are built with ray tracing in mind, as it is often touted as a defining feature of next-gen gaming.
cyberpunk 2077 next-gen screencap
But there's one big problem about ray tracing itself: it is extremely demanding on hardware. As such, many people think it's not even worth turning on. Or is it?
Ray Tracing 101
First off, let's explain what this technology really is.
Ray tracing, according to Cybersided, is defined as a way of rendering computer-generated lighting and visual effects in a similar way to how light and these effects work in real life. What this technology does is trace the path of a light source in-game, break it down into individual light rays, and simulate how they bounce off of everything in a scene.
ray tracing demo
This kind of technology, while new in the gaming world, isn't new in general. That's because all of those CGI-heavy superhero movies you've watched all use ray traced visual effects. That's why they look so indistinguishable from real life, even if you tried hard to spot the difference.
The only difference is that RT for video games is done in real-time, while RT in Hollywood CGI can only be done by rendering individual frames over a very, very long period of time.
Can People Even Spot Ray Traced Visuals?
This might be the biggest question when it comes to ray tracing as a whole. Compared to a non-ray-traced scene, is a ray-traced one any different? Well, to see is to believe, so here's a video comparison courtesy of the YouTube channel BENCHMARKS FOR GAMERS:
At first glance, you might not see the difference. But take a closer look and you'll see why the likes of NVIDIA built an entire line of gaming hardware around ray tracing. The shadows look far more natural, so do the reflections and the lighting. They all seem very, very lifelike - some might even say that it's uncanny.
Read also: Graphics Card Specs 101: The Most Important Ones EXPLAINED
But if you were asked to differentiate the two images side by side, would you have been able to - more so if you've never even seen a ray traced image before? This was the question that was asked by popular tech YouTuber Linus Sebastian in a video, where ordinary folks were tasked to try to identify which game is ray traced and which one isn't:
The results of the tests were telling: ordinary people really found it hard to tell the difference. The only ones that were able to differentiate were those who had experience with 3D rendering tech, and/or those who are able to play ray traced games on the regular at home.
As such, this then begs the question: is ray tracing is worth it? More so if you as a typical gamer won't even notice a difference - aside from your frame rate being slashed in half. Which brings us to the next point...
The Performance Argument
Trying to determine if it is worth turning RTX on will always fall to performance. Running real-time RT in games is extremely demanding on the hardware, which is why NVIDIA baked in another nifty tech: DLSS, to ensure that GPUs won't struggle too much. AMD is also in on it with their very own FSR.
So many games out here are targeting 60 FPS or more as part of the next-gen gaming movement. Anything that doesn't run at this frame rate, more so on the newer hardware, tend to receive backlash, writes WIRED. Just trying to run a game at 60 FPS-120 FPS at sky-high resolutions of up to 4K is already tough on a GPU. But squeeing ray tracing into that is like you working a fourth job even if you already work seven days a week.
This then leaves people with two choices. Do you want your game to look good or run smoothly? Without extra tech like DLSS or FSR, turning RTX on can make games absolutely unplayable.
fortnite trailer screencap
Is Ray Tracing Worth It In The End?
Answering this question is entirely up to you. At the end of the day, you will have to choose between how you want to run your games: smooth frame rates or amazing eye candy. It's your call.
Related: Minecraft Mistakenly Gets Ray Tracing On Xbox, and Microsoft Was Quick To Take It Away
Story posted on GameNGuide
Written by RJ Pierce