Minecraft is getting a bit of a makeover.
The PC version of the ever-popular building game will soon support high end Nvidia RTX graphics cards. The update will allow the game to take advantage of the RTX series’ raytracing functionality.
Raytracing, for those who aren’t familiar, is a new way of modeling in-game lighting. Rather than being pre-rendered or “baked in” long before you start playing, raytracing renders each beam of light from every individual light source in real-time. It takes a powerful piece of hardware to run it but the results are dazzling.
See for yourself in the trailer below.
The difference it makes even to a game like Minecraft is striking. Last year’s Control also used raytracing technology on PC and benefited hugely from it.
Should you have an Nvidia RTX 20- series graphics card in your PC — that’s an RTX 2060, 2070 or 2080 card — you’ll be able to give it a shot for yourself in beta starting April 17. Be aware that this feature will only be available in the Windows 10 version of the game found on the Microsoft Store. Sadly, the old Java-based version of the game won’t be getting the RTX treatment.
RTX cards don’t come cheap, but they do go on sale pretty regularly. We recommend keeping an eye on local retailers like PC Case Gear, Scorptec or Centrecom for deals.
