Here's How Ray Tracing Works in Cyberpunk 2077 | Game Rant

For most players, ray-tracing is a buzzword that mostly just translates to better graphics and a clearer picture. However, for anyone looking at a more in-depth look at what this exactly means for games, Nvidia has given a closer look at exactly what it will mean for the upcoming title Cyberpunk 2077.

This comes not long after CD Projekt Red already promised to deliver ray-tracing on PC for any players who play Cyberpunk 2077 through the GeForce streaming service. So in response to that promise, a new trailer has released to show off exactly how the game will look when rendered using the ray-tracing capabilities available with the game streaming service.

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According to Nvidia, the ray tracing in Cyberpunk 2077 comes in four forms: Illumination, Shadows, Reflection, and Ambient Occlusion. The first two effects will have heavy implications on how light behaves in-game, specifically with how objects like the sun, moon, and neon signs cast light, as well as how objects blocking that light will cast shadows. If the process works properly, then lighting effects will have a more natural look, which should help the living, breathing Night City feel more realistic.

Ambient Occlusion is likely the graphical effect coming to Cyberpunk 2077 that most fans checking out the list of features likely read as technical jargon, but it also leans into the same effects as illumination and shadows. Namely, this feature will determine how each individual point in a shot is exposed to light, and both dim them accordingly with the ambient light that permeates the area. Combining these effects together will bring gameplay like what was revealed in the Braindance trailer to a whole new life when played with ray-tracing enabled.

Unfortunately, players are going to have to wait even longer before they can get their had on these features to test them out for themselves, thanks to Cyberpunk 2077 being delayed again. However, from how the game looks with these effects in place, it may be worth the wait to allow CD Projekt Red enough time to get the details just right.

Especially with how neon lights and ambient illumination effects litter the setting, having these effects that have such a strong impact on the way that light plays with each scene could be exactly the enhancement that the game needs for both the PC and GeForce versions to stand out against consoles.

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Source: Nvidia