Beyond 4K | 60 frames per second, there’s another next-generation topic we’re often reminded of: ray tracing. Possible on PS5 and Xbox Series X, but on Xbox Series S?
It’s the cheapest of the “new generation” consoles… Marketed on November 10, 2020 at a price of € 299.99, Xbox Series S is a great option for those who want to play without spending a fortune. Yes, here, no hard drives, a maximum resolution of 1440p – which often becomes 1080p – and less efficient components than the Series X. All in all: it’s the perfect machine to take advantage of Game Pass, the subscription service from Microsoft that provides access to a large catalog of games! Of course, at this price point, you can’t ask for it to be as big as the other Xbox, the PS5. However, with some ray tracing compatible games, it comes as a surprise.
(The FPS Atomic Heart uses, for example, Ray Tracing)
Ray Tracing on Series S, Really?
So yeah, what is ray tracing? Simply put, it’s a technology that makes it possible to render, in a very realistic way, the way light bounces off the surfaces of a video game. In doing so, we can have ultra-convincing lighting or our own reflection in a reflective wall. According to the titles | machine power: this technique can be used at different levels. Even if you check the ray tracing box, your software won’t necessarily become photorealistic.
Returning to our sheep, we’re interested in the new analysis from Digital Foundry, king of tech videos and JVs in between. In his last Contents, the editors were therefore interested in the affordable Xbox console and its compatibility with ray tracing. “The S series is based on the same RAM, storage, CPU and GPU technologies (as the X series),” explains journalist Oliver Mackenzie. On paper, therefore, the beast can show the famous technology – but “in practice it is a bit more complicated”. The man says he counted, in total, only 15 ray tracing games on Series S. While the option is available on Series X, it’s not automatically available on this model.
Great surprises depending on the game
Even so, the little car sometimes does big things. Like in Metro Exodus or Fortnite, where ray-traced lighting gives an ultra-believable rendering to the sets. The Matrix Awakens technical demo under Unreal Engine 5 also largely delivers on its promises on Xbox Series S. On the other hand, when we’re talking about a full game with reflections everywhere, it’s a bit more mixed, although quite acceptable. Digital Foundry thus takes the example of Watch Dogs Legion, where this technological leap is achieved at the cost of a few concessions! Not bad for €299.99.
#Ray #Tracing #Cheapest #NextGen #Console
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