So you’ve bitten a bullet and finally splurged on Nvidia’s newest, best RTX graphics card? It is the first consumer graphics card series that can perform real-time ray tracing Ray tracing is a rendering technique that uses light simulation to create near-photorealistic lighting and shadows.
This is a basic technique seen in high-budget CG movies, but it is computationally intensive. RTX cards have special hardware designed to speed up ray tracing in games specifically built to use it. The list of games is still small, but it is growing rapidly.
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The three games highlighted below are key games you can play right now that will allow anyone to understand the power and impact of real-time ray tracing Whether you want to see your shiny new card in action, or just to impress your friends, this trio is the way to go.
At the time of writing, to enable RTX ray tracing in these headers, you need one of the following maps:
If you have one of these cards, the latest Windows 10 update, and the latest Nvidia drivers, you should be ready to play any of these games.
Quake II RTX
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Yes, you read that right. This is the same Quake II that was first launched back in 1997. Quake II RTX takes the base game with its basic geometry and renders it with full ray tracing
Most of the RTX games currently available use a hybrid approach, using only ray tracing for selected effects along with more traditional lighting techniques. Quake II RTX uses low fidelity to show us how important full ray tracing is. It’s amazing to see the low-poly world of Quake II rendered in this photorealistic way, and it’s more than enough to make a few jaws drop.
Best of all, you can get it for free. At the very least, you can get a free demo version of the game that includes the first few levels. Ideal for technical demonstrations. All you have to do is download it from RTX/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>Steam If you already own the full RTX/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>Steam version of Quake II and have it installed, you can import the entire game into Quake II RTX
Aside from being a visually stunning showcase, it’s still a very decent shooter. Performance is not bad either, with the RTX 2060 and all settings set to maximum, you can get 40 frames per second at 1080p. Unfortunately, this version of Quake II lacks an audio track, but with a little googling, you can quickly find out how to restore it.
Switching between a traditional renderer and RTX is a breeze, so it’s perfect for quick demonstration to your friends with an open mouth. I hope the dark and gothic Quake I will someday be treated like this.
Battlefield V
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Battlefield V is the latest in a long line of impressive multiplayer first-person shooters. You will need a powerful machine to make the most of this WWII game, but it’s worth it when you see the results.
Battlefield V was the first game to showcase the capabilities of RTX hardware, but the initial version of the game released to the general public had major performance issues. After some deep optimization, even the RTX 2060 GPU can deliver stunning ray tracing effects in this great shooter.
At 1080p with an RTX 2060 set to High and an active RTX, a frame rate of around 60 fps is not uncommon. The game looks absolutely fantastic, and the RTX effects add a level of realism never seen before in AAA games.
You don’t even need to buy this game at full retail price. It is currently part of the Origin Access subscription service, so for just a few dollars a month, you can play this and many other EA games. The single player campaign is a fun and extensive tech demo for RTX, but Battlefield’s multiplayer multiplayer component is addictive too!
Control
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At the time of writing, Control is arguably the best showcase for ray tracing in today’s AAA game. This is the next generation of gaming graphics and a compelling reason to buy RTX hardware. It also helps that this is an impressively good title, produced by the famous studio Remedy, known for classics like Max Payne.
Set in a retro-style office building that houses the Federal Bureau of Control, the player experiences an intense, supernatural third-person shooter that fans of The X-Files or Twin Peaks will surely appreciate. While the game is cutting edge without ray tracing, the inclusion of the technology provides visuals that are literally impossible to get anywhere else.
Simulated true reflection and architecture infused with various material surfaces and light sources create a headline that takes you through the mirror. Nothing else looks so good now.
This is a cool third person shooter with a great storyline and stunning graphics. Being arguably the best RTX-enabled game on the market right now is just the icing on the cake. Moreover, this game has the best DLSS implementation ever seen.
DLSS is another RTX-only feature that will boost frame rates with dedicated machine learning hardware. Combined with ray tracing in Control, it delivers the best in both visual and performance. What are you waiting for?
Let it be light!
Real-time ray tracing has quickly established itself as the future of consumer graphics rendering. Traditional methods of lighting scenes in games and other 3D applications have reached their climax. The developers have approached photorealism strikingly, using a set of tricks, illusions and workarounds.
However, now the era of graphic labels is entering its final phase. True simulation of emerging lighting is getting closer to us, and for those who have seen its glory it can be hard to swallow a return to the dull world of traditional gaming graphics. You’ve been warned!
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