UPDATE 31/3/22: Following the actually quite exciting discovery of raytracing support in the latest Minecraft Preview build on Xbox, Microsoft has admitted the feature was "inadvertently included" and that players shouldn't expect to see it on consoles in the "near future".
"The previous Minecraft Preview build available to Xbox Insiders inadvertently included prototype code for raytracing support on Xbox consoles," Microsoft said in a message posted to the official Minecraft Twitter account.
It added the "early prototype code" has now been removed from Minecraft Preview and that its recent appearance "doesn't signal near future plans to bring raytracing support to consoles."
Digital Foundry - Minecraft RTX Beta Hands-On.ORIGINAL STORY 29/3/22: Despite being used as a showcase for Xbox Series X/S' raytracing capabilities prior to the console's launch in 2020, Minecraft has so far remained doggedly raytracing-free on the machine. That looks to be about to change, however, with the feature having now surfaced in the latest build of Minecraft's Xbox Preview programme.
As spotted by Tom Warren, senior editor on The Verge, Minecraft's latest Preview version on Xbox Series X/S (currently only available to Xbox Insider members) features raytracing as a toggle-able option, giving the more-than-a-decade-old game a bit of a modern day spruce-up.
Before you excitedly rush to check it out, however, it's worth noting the feature currently only appears to be available for select users, with VGC reporting raytracing can't be enabled on its machine right now, despite the presence of the toggle in the options menu.
To see this content please enable targeting cookies.Minecraft with raytracing on Xbox? The latest Minecraft Preview is optimized for Xbox Series S / X and has early raytracing support 👀 pic.twitter.com/cqH0cuGbtS
— Tom Warren (@tomwarren) March 28, 2022
Raytracing initially made its official debut in Minecraft back in 2020, when Microsoft teamed up with Nvidia to integrate the feature for use with RTX graphics cards on PC. As Digital Foundry put it at the time, the results were "transformative". On Xbox, however, the feature has remained notably absent, despite Microsoft using Minecraft as an early showcase for Xbox Series X/S' raytracing capabilities in a blog post more than two years ago.
Alongside raytracing, expect to see plenty more new features heading to Minecraft Preview - which was recently turned into a convenient standalone app - in the not-too-distant future, particularly as the game's highly anticipated Wild Update, which adds the likes of frog mobs and a new mangrove swamp biome, draws near.
Ray Tracing has finally been added natively to Minecraft! While shader packs were the old method of simulating lighting in Minecraft, NVIDIA has worked together with Mojang to bring an official Ray Tracing mode to the game. Ray Tracing specifically refers to the technique used to simulate lighting, bouncing lights off of materials onto each other. In essence, Ray Tracing brings a highly realistic simulation of lighting to any video game that can run it. This includes games with cartoony art styles such as Minecraft.
But because of the cost of rendering such techniques, many assumed Minecraft would never get an official Ray Tracing mode. Now that it has been added, players can experience the world of Minecraft with lighting and textures never seen before. Thanks to NVIDIA’s hard work, the game runs quite performatively in this mode as well. With global illumination and physically based rendering technology, Minecraft has never looked better. Here is how one can activate the Ray Tracing in Minecraft.
To activate Ray Tracing in Minecraft, you will need the following:
- Minecraft Bedrock Edition
- RTX 2060 GPU or higher
- Windows 10
- 8gb of RAM
- Core i5 CPU or higher
In a Nutshell:
Download and install Minecraft Bedrock Edition for Windows 10. In the Video options, enable Ray Tracing.
You cannot enable Ray Tracing if you do not meet the minimum system requirements.
Step 1- Download and Install Minecraft for Windows 10 (Minecraft Bedrock Edition)
This is separate from Minecraft Java Edition
Step 2- Open Minecraft for Windows 10
Step 3- Sign in to your Microsoft Account
You may need to link this to your Mojang account to play.
Step 4- Access the settings page.
Step 5- Access the video settings.
Step 6- Scroll down to the Ray Tracing settings.
Step 7- Enable Ray Tracing.
Keep reading to get a preview of what Ray Tracing looks like.
With Ray Tracing enabled, you may not recognize your worlds as they once were. Ray Tracing totally changes the look and feel of the art style of Minecraft. Lights have rays, water has reflections, and light bounces across most materials. Compared to the rather drab look that Minecraft is famous for, this change is immense. Take a look at the new lens that you will be viewing Minecraft through after enabling Ray Tracing!
Lighting and aliasing are much improved.
Q. Is there any workaround for lower-powered GPUs?
At this time, the only way to activate RTX is by using an RTX series graphics card.
Congratulations! If you have an RTX card, it is sure that you have been looking for a way to utilize it in Minecraft. While Minecraft is not the prettiest game with the most eye candy, Ray Tracing can elevate the graphics performance of this game to the next level and bring it up to par with the lighting in games like the Battlefield series. Take advantage of your RTX card now.
Joseph Henry, Tech Times 29 June 2022, 03:06 pm
Ray tracing is becoming extremely demanding among developers and gamers. Although it's a very good feature to elevate the usual gaming experience, its requirements are no joke.
In "Minecraft," this graphics technology arrived on PC last year. However, the Xbox platform has just received it recently.
In this case, we will discuss how you can download ray tracing on your PC and Xbox Series X|S. Stay tuned for more information as we go along.
In the earliest days, the old video games relied on artificial lighting to simulate the lights coming from the surroundings. However, some people do not prefer this visual since it's not realistic and out of touch.
With ray tracing, the players could now see a more realistic light. However, this capability is not to be underestimated since it requires heavy graphical power to operate.
In "Minecraft," ray tracing has been available for some time on PC. However, the feature is still absent from the game's standard version.
'Minecraft' Ray Tracing Requirements
You need to have a high-end PC to meet the minimum requirements for ray tracing in "Minecraft." Here's what you need to consider.
- Operation System: Windows 64-bit
- GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 20 Series or later, or AMD Radeon RX 6000 Series or higher model
- CPU: Intel Core i5 or equivalent
- RAM: More than 8 GB
- Version: Minecraft 1.16.200 or later
How to Enable Ray Tracing in 'Minecraft' for PC
If you want to test the ray tracing feature on your computer, you first need to download the ray tracing pack via the Minecraft marketplace.
As of writing, Nvidia has released 14 RTX worlds that you can install right away. There's no extra charge upon downloading these packs.
When it comes to using ray tracing in your "Minecraft" world, you need to open the game first and turn on the feature. You also need to consider getting a resource pack from Nvidia through this link.
Once you're done obtaining it, go to the folder where it is located and open it. Restart the game afterward.
In case ray tracing does not work upon loading the game, you need to tweak a few options on the video settings. Search for RTX toggle and turn it on later.
Related Article: OpenAI Introduces a Neural Network That Can Play 'Minecraft'
How to Enable Ray Tracing in 'Minecraft' for Xbox
If you have an Xbox Series X or S, you switch on ray-tracing by first downloading the resource pack that's needed. Then, you can now proceed in downloading the Xbox Insider Hub by clicking here.
Scroll over the Previews menu until you see "Minecraft Preview." After that, link your Xbox account to the Minecraft PC. You will notice that the ray-tracing pack is already there.
Upon joining your Xbox console, head to the Settings and look for the sidebar. Tap Video and look for the Ray Tracing toggle. Click this option until it turns green.
Read Also: Ray Tracing to Android? ARM to Release Immortalis GPU For 'Ultimate' Mobile Gaming Experience'
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Written by Joseph Henry
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