Ray tracing is without doubt one of the most fun new capabilities of the Xbox Series X. Brought to market by Nvidia’s RTX vary of graphics playing cards, ray tracing provides a brand new degree of depth and realism to video games. Instead of utilizing predetermined lighting factors or shadow maps, ray tracing follows every simulated photon of sunshine, rendering reflections, shadows, and lighting general in a extra true-to-life method.
The downside is that ray tracing is extraordinarily demanding, so not each sport helps it. Worse, some video games that initially marketed ray tracing don’t assist it now. We did the digging so that you don’t need to, compiling an inventory of each Xbox Series X sport that helps ray tracing. Because of the mix-ups in advertising and marketing, our record is targeted on launched video games solely. It ought to develop considerably because the console technology matures.
Further studying
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War options ray-traced shadows on Xbox Series X. Although reflections are simpler to identify, ray traced shadows do rather a lot to carry a scene to life over conventional rasterized shadows. Black Ops Cold War continues the story of the unique Black Ops sport. You play as a extremely specialised operative despatched on a black operation to neutralize a Soviet spy on the behest of Ronald Reagan.
Call of the Sea
One of probably the most neglected video games of 2020, Call of the Sea is a pleasant, stunning journey/puzzle about exploring an island. We’ll go away the narrative description at that (Call of the Sea actually has a wonderful story, and we’d hate to spoil it). The Xbox console unique helps ray tracing on Series X consoles, making the attractive, pseudo-realistic island look even prettier.
Control Ultimate Edition
Control Ultimate Edition, which incorporates the next-gen model of Control together with all the DLC, helps ray-traced shadows and reflections on Xbox Series X. The sport has two graphical modes, one with out ray tracing that runs at 60 fps (frames per second), and one other with ray tracing that runs at 30 fps. Control comes from Remedy Entertainment (Alan Wake, Quantum Break), and just like the studio’s earlier video games, it’s a high-octane motion sport with an enticing, if unsettling, narrative.
Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition
Originally, Capcom introduced that Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition wouldn’t characteristic ray tracing at launch on Xbox Series X, however the sport launched with the identical suite of graphical choices throughout Series X and PlayStation 5. It really options 4 graphics modes, two of which allow ray-traced reflections. Quality mode renders the sport at 4K and runs between 30 fps and 60 fps, whereas efficiency mode renders the sport at 1080p and stays locked at 60 fps.
Doom Eternal
After an optimization patch, Doom Eternal can now present you all of the demonic blood and gore the way in which it was all the time meant to be seen. The replace offers gamers three decisions for a way they need the sport to run on their Series X: Performance, Balanced, and Quality. Quality is the one one with ray tracing, nonetheless. Unlike many different video games, although, it manages to carry a rock-solid 60 fps at a crisp 1080p decision whereas nonetheless displaying off all of the lighting results for an much more immersive and brutal expertise.
Enlisted
Enlisted is a part of Xbox’s Game Preview program, that means it’s nonetheless in lively improvement. It’s a squad-based FPS/MMO set throughout World War 2, permitting you to play within the battles that outlined the warfare. Enlisted is a sport all about scale, and ray tracing helps with that rather a lot. Developer Darkflow Software really makes use of a proprietary system for ray-traced world illumination, permitting the studio to realize correct lighting and shadows in even the most important scenes.
Fortnite
Fortnite has ray tracing on PC, however details about the PS5 and Xbox Series X variations is sparse. The visible improve between current- and last-gen is evident, although. On Series X, Fortnite’s lighting is softer and extra correct, with the enduring ray tracing shine that comes from any object emitting mild. Fortnite isn’t the perfect showcase of ray tracing, however should you play rather a lot, the graphical enhancements are sufficient to justify the soar to the Series X.
Gears 5
Gears 5 doesn’t really use the ray-tracing {hardware} contained in the Xbox Series X, as a substitute utilizing software program ray tracing in screen-space. That doesn’t imply ray tracing appears to be like unhealthy in Gears 5, although. Compared with the earlier model of the sport, the software program ray tracing renders shadows rather more precisely. Gears 5 has been a technical marvel since launch, and with the ability of Series X, it appears to be like higher than ever.
Maneater
Maneater options ray-traced reflections and refractions on Xbox Series X, which makes an enormous distinction for a sport that takes place primarily underwater. It’s an open-world sandbox the place you play as a shark terrorizing shallow waters. As you gnash by way of aquatic and land-bound foes, you’ll earn perks and expertise, permitting you to develop and tackle bigger threats.
The Medium
The Medium is a fairly, if under-optimized, Xbox Series X unique that options ray-traced reflections. The characteristic is obtainable on Xbox Series X and PC, and the Series X model is capped at 30 fps. The Medium is a physiological horror sport that follows a medium named Marianne as she ventures deep into an deserted communist resort. The sport is slightly distinctive so far as journey/puzzle titles go, that includes a twin actuality mechanic the place two worlds are rendered on display screen on the identical time.
Metro Exodus
The enhancements given to Metro Exodus make it appear to be a brand-new sport on the Series X regardless of being one of many oldest video games on this record. Taking place within the post-apocalyptic landscapes of Russia, each the inside and exterior places have been begging for this lighting improve. It’s simply as a lot a survival horror sport as a FPS, so lighting was all the time a serious element in setting the tone of the Metro video games. And with the dynamic day and night time cycle on this newest entry, it simply makes the dread all of the extra palpable.
NBA 2K21
Sports video games are hardly ever a cause to improve to next-gen, however NBA 2K21 makes a compelling argument. The distinction is night time and day, bringing the character fashions, courts, and animations to life in a method that no sports activities sport has achieved earlier than. As a sport, NBA 2K21 continues to construct on 2K’s sports activities franchise, that includes the MyCareer and MyTeam modes, in addition to franchise mode. NBA 2K21 doesn’t change a lot in relation to gameplay, however the graphical enhancements are definitely worth the worth of admission alone.
Observer: System Redux
Bloober TeamOf all of the genres, horror video games are a number of the finest suited to getting the ray-tracing therapy. Observer: System Redux maybe is the perfect proof of this because of it being each a horror and cyberpunk-style sport. The darkish, neon, and technological environments are actually really engrossing on the Series X, placing the sport on par with the PS5, which already supported ray tracing for the title.
Poker Club
You know ray tracing is hitting the mainstream when a poker sport decides it’s an vital graphical characteristic. Poker Club is without doubt one of the impossible video games to assist ray tracing, nevertheless it does. While you’re bluffing your strategy to an early demise, a minimum of you’ll be capable to spot just a few correct reflections bouncing off your chips.
Resident Evil: Village
Another sport we needed to wait a bit to get absolutely optimized, Resident Evil: Village on the Series X additionally comes with just a few new choices relying on what you wish to prioritize. If you’re seeking to make the dingy, mist-covered village and candlelit interiors pull you in like by no means earlier than, the ray-tracing possibility is kind of spectacular. Not solely does it permit the decision to hit as much as 4K, however you may also hold HDR on and get a good 45 frames per second.
Watch Dogs: Legion
Watch Dogs: Legion was one of many few Series X video games obtainable at launch, and though the sport itself is a bit prosaic, it nonetheless appears to be like nice. It’s an ideal showcase of early-gen ray-tracing results and a benchmark that can seemingly be in comparison with future releases. Legion continues the story of Watch Dogs 2, following DedSec as they recruit, hack, and combat to construct a resistance in opposition to the oppressive personal army group Albion.

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