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[Bergoglio]

Ray tracing is a rendering technique for generating an image by tracing the path of light as pixels in an image plane and simulating the effects of its encounters with virtual objects. For one thing, games with RT turned on should have far better lighting effects. That, of course, should translate to better-looking games and a feeling that you’re playing inside a world that looks far more realistic.

But. How will ray tracing change my gaming experience? Some gameplay scenarios that could take place with the use of ray traced reflections?

 

[GHG]

Seeing enemies/opponents in reflections could be one.

It will be interesting to see if any dev builds a multiplayer focused game around that concept.

 

[AnotherOne]

Umm it won't.

 

[Griffon]

It'll likely just make games easier to release faster, since less effects are needed to be faked.

Otherwise no, it'll just be the same old.

 

[onQ123]

Ray tracing is a rendering technique for generating an image by tracing the path of light as pixels in an image plane and simulating the effects of its encounters with virtual objects. For one thing, games with RT turned on should have far better lighting effects. That, of course, should translate to better-looking games and a feeling that you’re playing inside a world that looks far more realistic.

But. How will ray tracing change my gaming experience? Some gameplay scenarios that could take place with the use of ray traced reflections?

It can be used to help with path-finding for better AI

 

[JordanN]

Back around 2014/2015, I wanted to make a horror theme game set in an abandoned school. With ray tracing/secondary GI, your character would control a flashlight and it would realistically light up a room like it does in real life.

Since UE4 at this time didn't support this feature, I put this idea on hold.

 

[EverydayBeast]

Not many things will change your "Gaming Experience" which is very hard to do, I saw VR change gamers "Gaming Experiences" but than it comes down to its just gaming.

 

[Knch]

Ray tracing is a rendering technique for generating an image by tracing the path of light as pixels in an image plane and simulating the effects of its encounters with virtual objects. For one thing, games with RT turned on should have far better lighting effects. That, of course, should translate to better-looking games and a feeling that you’re playing inside a world that looks far more realistic.

But. How will ray tracing change my gaming experience? Some gameplay scenarios that could take place with the use of ray traced reflections?

It will be more cinematic!

 

[Elektro Demon]

Spoiler

It won't.

 

[kurisu_1974]

Probably about the same as gouraud shading did in 1996.

 

[MarkyG]

At the moment, It won't. It doesn't for me (running an RTX 2070 Super). Even with the likes of Control and Wolfenstein Youngblood having excellent RTX features, you soon get used to them/dial down the more expensive features due to the performance hit. It's in no way, shape or form a game changer. It's something that's neat for a few minutes then you just get used to it or plain just don't notice the feature (looking at you, CoD MW's shadows).

 

[The Bloody-Nine]

Umm it won't.

This.

 

[Bathtub Fart]

More accurate shadows cast in multiplayer games could be huge honestly.

Also it could really make horror games more interesting since light from a flashlight could become much more dynamic and realistic.

 

[GymWolf]

It won't.

It's just another featured option of the moment that majority of people disable to get more frames or better texture\resolution.

If god exist, console devs are gonna forget this thing like i forget to clean my roomba robot.

 

[Allnamestakenlol]

I can't imagine it'd be anything significant.

 

[ZywyPL]

Ask Cerny/Spencer, not random people on the internet, because how could we know? But if anything, graphics were never pushing anything forward, if you look closely at every single device within every single generation, all the devs are talking about is the CPU and RAM, the GPU is the artists concern to get the game running at targeted resolution and framerate

 

[Juxo]

It will make the game you're playing on your console of choice struggle to maintain its frame rate during moderately taxing gameplay.

So, not at all.

 

[The Cockatrice]

You're asking as if you have a choice. You most likely won't soon enough. Ray Tracing technically should make it easier for devs to achieve natural lighting and reflections without having to manually fake the lighting effects in each part of the map which takes a very huge time to do. Anyone saying otherwise has no idea what they're talking about. Please refer to the video below, it's not just a Metro Exodus discussion, they specifically talk about what I'm telling you about:

 

[Belmonte]

Everything will be shinny as hell next gen. Remember bloom in the PS2 days? Every corridor will be a mirror, and armor as well. Even vegetation.

You will see the reflection of the enemies before attacking them. It will be great for tactics.

 

[squarealex]

You will see your reflexion on your TV and blow your mind.

 

[Pidull]

I'm thinking in terms of multiplayer, in conjunction with path-traced audio, you're looking at games in which you can hear enemies around corners and see their movement affect the lighting of the room without seeing a directly cast shadow. You could also use mirrored objects to peak around corners for enemies as well.

For the most part, ray-tracing is only going to make things prettier. I'm also okay with that.

 

[Deputy Moonman]

Ray tracing is a rendering technique for generating an image by tracing the path of light as pixels in an image plane and simulating the effects of its encounters with virtual objects. For one thing, games with RT turned on should have far better lighting effects. That, of course, should translate to better-looking games and a feeling that you’re playing inside a world that looks far more realistic.

But. How will ray tracing change my gaming experience? Some gameplay scenarios that could take place with the use of ray traced reflections?

Two words: depth perception. For real. I feel like people are completely underestimating how much ray tracing will bring to the table. You have to be intentionally blind to not see it. There is already so many examples of how it improves game graphics. That's also not taking into account the likelihood that the tech will improve over the course of the next gen. It isnt just a buzz word like the power of the cloud. How can anyone not be excited about ray tracing? Like no thank you I don't want better graphics... Who says that?

 

[Kadayi]

Your games will look prettier and in the winter you'll be able to heat your house off your GPU alone.

 

[nowhat]

You will need to invest in a pair of good sunglasses, because everything will be shiny as fuck.

 

[EverydayBeast]

Casual gamers don't even know what hard drivers are, Ray tracing? C'mon now, only one thing matters to casual gamers, video games.

 

[Allnamestakenlol]

Casual gamers don't even know what hard drivers are, Ray tracing? C'mon now, only one thing matters to casual gamers, video games.

What exactly are hard drivers?

 

[EverydayBeast]

Its just another technique for game genius' developers love ray tracing.

 

[The Bloody-Nine]

What exactly are hard drivers?

Those of us who played this shite.

 

[Woo-Fu]

It'll shorten it due to how much of your gaming budget you spent on a videocard instead of games.

 

[A.Romero]

It looks pretty and the game is more immersive (at least for me) but other than that not much.

Unless you are actually looking for it, most players won't notice how an explosion reflects on a beach shore in BFV.

 

[geordiemp]

Best thing I did to improve image quality was play on an LG OLED, with HDR night and day
Not excited for ray tracing at all, would rather have more enemies or higher frame rates, or both.
Ray tracing seems too expensive

 

[Bigfroth]

It won't, you will still press R2 to fire it will just look prettier.

 

[Gone]

It doesn't have to.

 

[alabtrosMyster]

It'll likely just make games easier to release faster, since less effects are needed to be faked.

Otherwise no, it'll just be the same old.

Nah, they will just use the time to make more complex games.

I don't think it will affect the gameplay experience much, not beyond making 30fps games a thing for a few more years - I hope I am wrong and that at least one console will have decent RT secret sauce.

 

[Joyful]

once devs start using it for sound or ai it might but right now is just lighting

 

[VertigoOA]

I thought the same about HDR. I was wrong. Art direction and aesthetic is just as important as anything else at times.

 

[Danjin44]

Not a thing, a just another tool to make the game look more "pretty" and thats all there is to it. Its currently the new "buzz" word for PR talks.

 

[MR ARCADE FOREVER]

Won't change any gaming experience aside from more realistic lighting effects

 

[psorcerer]

Back around 2014/2015, I wanted to make a horror theme game set in an abandoned school. With ray tracing/secondary GI, your character would control a flashlight and it would realistically light up a room like it does in real life.

Since UE4 at this time didn't support this feature, I put this idea on hold.

Was done with reflective shadows in Uncharted and Last of Us. When you have only one light source it's pretty trivial.

 

[PleaseWaitStation4]

Walking down a street you see a flash and part of the building you're under falling on you, all seen in the ray-traced reflection in a puddle of water.

 

[Birdo]

I guess it can help with immersion in games that rely on atmosphere.

I'd love to see it patched into some old games, like SOTC, or No Man's Sky.

 

[manfestival]

Ray tracing has already changed gaming forever. It blows my mind every time I see these reflections at 16fps.

 

[Grinchy]

Every new revolution for gaming has a cost at first. This is going to be so standard moving forward. The day will come when people will wonder why they were ever so afraid of it in the first place.

Our first 3D games had horrific framerates. It didn't mean 3D gaming was a pointless waste of resources. Imagine the people who said that back then. If you think ray tracing is a boogeyman that is going to ruin games, just know that you will be proven wrong, and come taste the future with the rest of us instead.

 

[MDSLKTR]

If you take a lot of in game screenshots, chances are you'll be taking even more screenshots

 

[Celcius]

You'll actually be able to see your character's reflection in windows & mirrors as you walk by.

 

[Vawn]

It will change it about as much as those DF videos that tell you which version is the best thing ever and which is hot garbage even though you couldn't tell the difference with your naked eye without the video.

 

[GlassAwful]

Rays will be cast by an awesome and unimaginable virtual world through your television screen directly into your retina, converted to electrical pulses that are feebly interpreted by your medulla oblongata. Your brain, experiencing this for the first time, will transcend the known world taking you to Nirvana where you will reach enlightenment to smoke crack with Kurt Cobain.

This is what they refer to when they speak of nextgen gameplay. You aren't ready.

 

[MoreJRPG]

It will change it about as much as those DF videos that tell you which version is the best thing ever and which is hot garbage even though you couldn't tell the difference with your naked eye without the video.

It looks great in 30 second trailers because it's only 30 seconds. When you get in the game everyone will forget it after playing for five minutes.

 

[vpance]

Your eyes won't be distracted by the bad jaggy shadows and reflections anymore, so you can focus on the game.

 

[fran.fernandez]

after release it will feel like it was always there until u have to go back to youtube and check old games on play4, play3 to see the difference.

Thats what I do... oh this ps4 game looks so bad, check ps3 games, damnnn that's awful haha.