After several months of scalping and hiked prices, GPUs with ray tracing support finally seem to be available at close to manufacturer’s suggested retail price. Nvidia’s RTX 30 series and AMD’s RX 6000 series of GPUs support ray tracing in certain games. Ray tracing significantly improves shadows, reflections, and other visual elements in games. If you have recently purchased a new GPU with RTX support, then here’s what you need to about ray tracing as well as the best games to play with ray tracing support.
What is ray tracing?
Ray tracing is a technique used to beautifully render and illuminate a scene. The technique is pretty similar to how light works in the real world. If you shoot multiple rays of light in a dark room, they will bounce off of various surfaces and return to the source. Rays that do not return to the source are most likely blocked by an object, which would create a shadow. This concept isn’t new and has been widely used in animated movies and CGI effects for several years. In fact, Pixar’s Toy Story made the technique popular back in 1995.
That being said, ray tracing entered the gaming scene in 2018 with Nvidia’s RTX 2080 GPU as gaming PCs and laptops lacked powerful hardware that could support it. Since the launch of Nvidia RTX 2080, the company has released RTX 3000 series of GPUs and its competitor AMD has launched Radeon RX 6000 series. Ray tracing is also available on current-gen consoles like PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
Best PC games with RTX support
- Control
- Metro Exodus
- Battlefield V
- Doom Eternal
- Minecraft
- Cyberpunk 2077
- Shadow of the Tomb Raider
- Dying Light 2 Stay Human
- The Medium
- Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
1. Control
Control takes place in a secretive agency in New York that has been invaded by a supernatural threat. You play as the new director of the agency named Jesse Faden who is trying to contain the threat and unravel other mysteries in the agency. You get access to various supernatural abilities and weapons that can be used to eliminate various enemies. Control features several haunting and trippy environments that look fantastic with ray tracing.
Control price in India
- Control – Rs 2,161
- Control Ultimate Edition – Rs 2,999
Download here – Steam, Epic Games Store
2. Metro Exodus
Metro Exodus takes place in the year 2036, where a few thousand survivors of a nuclear war try to live beneath the ruins of Moscow. The survivors have faced several challenges like poisoned elements, mutated beasts, and paranormal horrors. You play as Artyom, who has to flee the Metro and lead a group of Spartan Rangers on a dangerous journey across post-apocalyptic Russia to search for a new life in the East. Metro Exodus tells a thrilling story that spans over a year and is inspired by the novels of Dmitry Glukhovsky. Ray tracing gives you a much better look into the ruins of post-apocalyptic Russia.
Metro Exodus price in India
- Metro Exodus – Rs 749
- Metro Exodus Gold Edition – Rs 923
Download here – Steam, Epic Games Store
3. Battlefield V
Battlefield V takes you back to World War 2 with amazing visuals, thanks to ray tracing support. The game has a single player mode where you can live through the global conflict in crucial moments of the war. Besides this, Battlefield V has multiple fantastic online multiplayer modes such as Grand Operations, Combined Arms, Firestorm, and All-Out War. While the new Battlefield 2042 may seem quite disappointing, Battlefield V is a great shooter experience with the signature Battlefield style.
Battlefield V price in India
- Battlefield V – Included with EA Play starting Rs 315 per month
- Battlefield V Definitive Edition – Rs 2,599
4. Doom Eternal
Doom Eternal is the sequel to 2016’s Doom reboot, where demons from Hell have invaded Earth and the only thing they fear is the Doom Slayer. Doom Eternal improves on the gunplay and mechanics of 2016’s Doom to deliver an action-packed shooter experience. The fast-paced gameplay and the amazing Glory kills feel even more satisfying with ray tracing. Besides a great single player campaign, Doom Eternal has 2v1 PvP Battlemode, where a Doom Slayer fights against a duo of two demons.
Doom Eternal price in India
- Doom Eternal – Rs 1,799
- Doom Eternal Deluxe Edition – Rs 3,199
Download here – Steam
5. Minecraft
Minecraft is one of the most popular games out there and it gets even better with ray tracing. The signature blocks of Minecraft as well as trees, mountains, and water bodies look much better with ray tracing support. Minecraft is a survival game, where you need to look for food and resources to craft weapons and build a shelter. The game features various biomes and realms, where you will encounter different mobs of enemies and various types for necessary materials.
Minecraft price in India
- Minecraft for Windows – Included in Xbox Game Pass for PC starting at Rs 349 per month
- Minecraft for Windows Starter Collection – Rs 1,674
Download here – Microsoft Store
6. Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 had a really rough launch due to several bugs and performance issues. However, developer CD Projekt Red has fixed most of the bugs and worked on optimizing the game’s performance to deliver a much better experience overall. Cyberpunk 2077 is an action-adventure RPG set in the Night City. You play as V, trying to survive the ruthless megapolis of Night City and build reputation for yourself, while living with a rebellious rockstar in your head. The visuals of Night City look spectacular with the help of ray tracing.
Cyberpunk 2077 price in India
- Cyberpunk 2077 – Rs 2,999
Download here – Steam, Epic Games Store
7. Shadow of the Tomb Raider
Shadow of the Tomb Raider is the final chapter in the rebooted Tomb Raider trilogy. You play as Lara Croft, who has to master the brutal jungle setting of the game to survive. Lara needs to use the jungle to her advantage to sneakily attack enemies. Tombs in this game are even more dangerous than the previous titles as you will encounter several deadly puzzles. The beautiful visuals of Shadow of the Tomb Raider come to life with ray tracing support.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider price in India
- Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition – Rs 2,196
Download here – Steam, Epic Games Store
8. Dying Light 2 Stay Human
Dying Light 2 Stay Human is set in Harran, where a deadly virus took over the city 20 years ago. You will encounter a hostile environment, which looks even more haunting with ray tracing, and various monsters as well as enemies. You can change the fate of Harran while dealing with your past and taking down enemies with various weapons and special abilities. The game can be played solo or in co-op with up to 4 players.
Dying Light 2 Stay Human price in India
- Dying Light 2 Stay Human – Rs 2,999
- Dying Light 2 Deluxe – Rs 3,999
- Dying Light 2 Ultimate – Rs 4,999
Download here – Steam, Epic Games Store
9. The Medium
The Medium is a third-person psychological horror game that features dual-reality gameplay. As a medium, you can explore the real world as well as the spiritual realm to solve puzzles and uncover the game’s tragic and horrifying story. You get access to multiple abilities that will help you solve puzzles and survive against the Maw, a dangerous monster born from a horrible tragedy. Thanks to ray tracing, the haunting visuals of the spirit realm look much more horrifying.
The Medium price in India
- The Medium – Rs 2,999
- The Medium Deluxe Edition – Rs 3,199
Download here – Steam, Epic Games Store
10. Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is a third-person action-adventure game, where you play as Star-Lord. With your questionable and bold leadership skills, you will take a crew of misfits on a journey across the galaxy. A chain of catastrophic events is set to create an interplanetary meltdown. The Guardians of the Galaxy are the last hope of survival against these catastrophic events. Ray tracing makes the game’s environment and enemies look much more realistic.
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy price in India
- Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy – Rs 2,999
- Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Deluxe Edition – Rs 3,499
Download here – Steam, Epic Games Store
