Ray tracing, a sophisticated technique for drawing realistic graphics in video games, has gone mainstream. It’s a technology that’s become possible in real-time since only 2018, thanks to specialized graphics hardware.
What is Ray Tracing?
Ray tracing is the simulation of real-time light interactions with virtual objects as if it was in the real world. When done effectively, this improves the detail quality for rendered graphics at very high levels, making them look even more realistic than ever before.
How Does Ray Tracing Work?
Ray tracing attempts to imitate natural light interaction with mathematically determined paths along an imaginary eye and the virtual environment that it “sees”. Each pixel shown on the screen results from a simulated light ray that calculates where it should be reflected from where the eye (or any viewing medium) is looking.
Why Is Ray Tracing Important?
Ray tracing is important because it theoretically skips the manual labor of pre-set or engine-based graphics lighting, and instead uses those calculations for real-time, dynamic lighting effects. Because the light ray calculations optimize for the interaction of these vectors at each surface point available, it also creates much more realistic reflections and color tones.
Ray Tracing vs. Rasterization
Rasterization is the method of converting a bunch of points and curves into a series of pixels with discernable images (and depth, if 3D) using calculations. In simpler terms, this is the default manual way for graphics hardware to render images on the screen. This includes the manual color shifting of pixels when lighting is simulated.
Popular Games Using Ray Tracing
Here are some popular games that have integrated ray tracing to enhance their visuals:
- A Plague Tale: Requiem: This indie game has used RTX to enhance its visuals and create a more immersive experience.
- Crysis Remastered Trilogy: Crysis was a spectacle when it was launched, with CryEngine flexing its muscles.
- Control: Control is the best ray tracing game you can play thanks to how the game’s setting lends itself perfectly to what the technology does best.
- Cyberpunk 2077: This game is known for its stunning visuals, and ray tracing only enhances that .
- Doom Eternal: This fast-paced shooter game uses ray tracing to make its hellish landscapes look even more realistic.
- Marvel’s Spider-Man: Remastered: The remastered version of this popular superhero game uses ray tracing to make New York City look even more stunning.
The Future of Ray Tracing
In the long run, as gaming hardware gets more powerful, ray-traced graphics will become more standard, and it will enable developers to create gorgeous experiences with less effort than before.
RTX vs. Ray Tracing
Ray tracing is a technique used to create realistic lighting effects in computer graphics, while RTX is a hardware technology developed by Nvidia that includes support for ray tracing.
In conclusion, ray tracing has revolutionized the gaming industry by providing more realistic and immersive experiences. It’s an exciting time to be a gamer! We’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic. Have you noticed a difference in your gaming experience with ray tracing? Let us know in the comments below!
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