Minecraft is brilliant in its simplicity, capturing the curiosity of the youngest gamers who want to build their own worlds just to play with all kinds of animals to the older gamers who want to collaborate, survive and thrive in a world they’ve imagined.
From the most basic builds to the outstanding fantasy worlds with details strewn about in every corner, Minecraft users benefit from the open-ended playground formed with basic blocks and materials. As technology improves, the graphics also level up in detail and functionality. One of the newest benefits for Minecraft lovers comes in the form of ray tracing due to a partnership with NVIDIA. This company has evolved along with the demand for high-quality 3D graphics for computer systems. With the high-level skills and smarts of the founders and board members, such as Mark Stevens, NVIDIA is at the forefront of supercharged computing, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence and they’ve brought this knowledge to the world of Minecraft.
What Hardware Do You Need?
Realistic graphics require a ton of computing power. You have to own a computer with the following requirements for ray tracing to work:
- 64-bit Windows 10 operating system
- Intel® Core™ i7-4790 processor or better
- 16 gigabytes of memory
- Six to ten gigabytes of VRAM
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, RTX 3070, or RTX 3080, which feature DLSS, or deep learning super sampling, technology
- At least 70 GB of storage space
What is Ray Tracing?
Ray tracing is the term used to describe the ability to render lighting and shadows in a realistic way. Simple ray tracing sends one ray of light from each pixel and then simulates how the light would react when it comes in contact with an object. The type of ray tracing brought to the Minecraft realm is called path tracing. This is more in-depth and mimics reality through reflections in the water, accurate shadows, vibrant block colors and global illumination. Path tracing is accomplished by sending tens to thousands of rays through each pixel instead of one. Each of these rays responds to items in the virtual environment like they would in reality.
For an even greater visual experience, Minecraft has incorporated physically based rendering to expand the lighting potential of block surfaces and provide intricate lighting behavior in the ray tracing. The blocks have additional textures and properties, which means the surface can be reflective or extra rough. Expanding the repertoire of your basic building materials opens up a whole new world of creative opportunities. You can try building massive skyscrapers with reflective surfaces to mimic the sleek and modern cities around the world. Additionally, you can create rustic hideaways with rougher textured blocks.
What is Global Illumination?
Global illumination simulates the way light bounces off of surfaces and lights up areas indirectly. You can see this happen in real life when you turn on a light. The direct rays of light hit objects around the room and reflect off of them. This reflected light hits areas behind doors and under tables. While those areas may be darker than the first objects illuminated, they aren’t pitch black. With global illumination, ray tracing has the ability to make this happen in the 3D Minecraft environment. Additional depth and texture can be noticed when this occurs.
How are the Graphics Rendered?
Minecraft has a graphics engine called Render Dragon that powers all of the amazing lighting technology. It’s necessary as a foundational element to continually improve the performance and provide new features for the Minecraft realm. Render Dragon allows for the optimal visual experience and smoothest gameplay on any device.
Where Do You Begin?
To experience what Minecraft is like with ray tracing technology you can start in the Minecraft Marketplace. There are 15 amazing worlds available for free that use ray tracing to enhance your gameplay. The two newest worlds include Colosseum RTX and Dungeon Dash RTX. Dive into the history of Rome when you download the Colosseum world and see what it may have been like to sit in Rome’s top arena that inspired the modern stadiums we see today. You can battle gladiator-style with up to three friends as you fend off swarms of mobs. Dungeon Dash plunges you into the medieval time period where you need to battle through ten levels of challenging dungeon areas. You’ll get to see floating islands, an Orc fortress, a village in the trees, and a mine.
With a powerful computer, you can participate in the highest level of gaming technology available at the moment. Immerse yourself in the rays of light illuminating your Minecraft realm like never before. The blend of pure pixelated materials with enhanced lighting allows you to mold a world exactly to your liking. With the vibrancy of color and true-to-life lighting, you’ll feel like you’re walking around inside the world you created.
