Are you wondering how you can enable ray tracing in Minecraft?
When a game comes out, it usually stays popular for a few months or even a year, then it slowly takes a step back, and other titles take over the spotlight. However, this is not always the case, and some games stick for years or even decades.
Well, this is the case for the sandbox video game developed by Mojang called Minecraft. Even people who don’t play the game probably know something about it or could’ve played it at least once.
Being one of the most popular games for almost a decade now, Minecraft has come a long way and continues to capture the hearts of every gamer.
Now, if you are here, you’ve probably heard of ray tracing and seen the stunning footage of the new technology in action on Minecraft.
So what does ray tracing or RTX do?
What is RTX or Ray Tracing?
Basically, ray tracing is a rendering technique that allows computers to generate more realistic lighting effects on games. It uses a unique algorithm that can trace the path of light and how it interacts with the in-game objects.
This means better shadows on games, life-like reflections on water and other objects, and an overall realistic effect on any title that supports it.
What Do You Need to Enable RTX or Ray Tracing?
Given the promising benefits of ray tracing, you need to remember that this feature requires a lot of computing power. If your rig is not capable, the experience would just be disappointing. After all, a smooth gaming experience is still better than having all the eye candies but not being able to play the game.
Now, if you want to experience ray tracing technology, here are some factors that you should consider:
1. Capable Graphics Card.
Since ray-tracing is still new, not every graphics card on the market can run the new technology on games. In this case, we’ve made a shortlist of graphics cards that support ray tracing:
- GTX 1660 / 1660 Ti
- NVIDIA TITAN X / XP
- GTX 1080 / 1080 Ti
- GTX 1070 / 1070 Ti
- GTX 1060
- ALL RTX SERIES CARDS
However, if you plan to use ray tracing on Minecraft, we suggest that you get at least an RTX 2070 graphics card for a smooth experience.
For reference, you can check this video to give you some idea of how an RTX 2060 or lower graphics card would perform when ray tracing is enabled:
2. Games That Support Ray Tracing
Currently, not all games support ray tracing, and even if you have a capable card, the feature would be useless if the game you are running doesn’t support the technology.
So before rushing to get a shiny new graphics card, make sure that the game you plan to use it on is supporting ray tracing.
Now, that’s out of the way. Let’s talk about ray tracing on Minecraft!
How to Enable Ray Tracing on Minecraft?
Enabling ray tracing on Minecraft doesn’t need extra work tweaking your computer’s settings or software. The only thing you need to do is download the correct version of Minecraft that supports ray tracing.
To use ray tracing, you need to install the Windows 10 released version of Minecraft that is 1.16.200 or higher. You can see this at the lower right corner of the launcher’s main screen.
If you don’t have the correct version installed, check out the guide below to install the correct Windows 10 version of Minecraft on your computer:
- First, open the Microsoft Store on your Windows computer.
- After that, click on the Search button and type in Minecraft.
- Now, locate Minecraft for Windows 10 and purchase the game.
- Lastly, wait for the download to finish and follow the prompts to install the game on your computer.
Once done, proceed to the following steps below to enable ray tracing on Minecraft.
- Find Xbox Insider Hub on the Microsoft Store and download it.
- Now, open the program and go to the Insider Content tab.
- After that, click on Minecraft for Windows 10 and select Join.
- Lastly, choose Minecraft for Windows 10 RTX Beta and click on Done.
After doing these steps, your computer should now be ready to run ray tracing on Minecraft.
Enabling Ray Tracing Inside the Game.
Before jumping into a random world on the game, keep in mind that you need to join an RTX-enabled world to enjoy ray tracing.
If you don’t know how to do that, check out the guide below:
- First, launch Minecraft on your computer by clicking on the Play button.
- After that, go to the Marketplace and search for ‘RTX’.
- Now, select one of the official RTX packs of NVIDIA and install it on your system.
- Go to Settings afterwards and click on Global Resources.
- Click on My Packs and enable the RTX pack you just download.
- Once done, join an RTX-enabled World or create one for yourself.
- Wait for the game to load and press the Esc key afterwards and access the Settings.
- Lastly, go to the Video tab and make sure that Ray Tracing is enabled.
On the other hand, you can also press the semicolon key (;) on your keyboard to toggle RTX On or Off.
You can now enjoy that stunning new look on Minecraft that gives the popular title a well-deserved graphics upgrade after a decade. After all, Minecraft became famous for the gameplay and having stunning graphics is just a bonus.
Can You Run RTX on Other Platforms? (Xbox, Playstation, Android, iOS)
Unfortunately, ray tracing is currently only available for Windows, and no other operating systems can run it. Given the computing power required for ray tracing, it is impossible for mobile devices at the moment to run it. Even the most powerful RTX cards struggle to maintain playable frame rates when ray tracing is on.
While the current generation of consoles supports ray tracing, Minecraft RTX is not yet optimized for those platforms. However, this can be a possibility soon, and we promise to keep you posted once it rolls out.
Is Minecraft Ray Tracing Worth It?
Well, if you’ve been playing Minecraft for quite a while, we think having RTX enabled on the game brings in a new experience for you. Since graphics from games improve each year, turning on ray tracing on Minecraft would give the game a modern feel.
On the other hand, if you are just after the gameplay and don’t have a capable RTX card, we suggest that you stay away from the new technology for now. Given the scarcity of high-end graphics cards, purchasing one now is close to impossible, or you have to pay three times the retail price.
You Might Ask (FAQs)
How do you use raytracing in Minecraft?
- While in-game, open Settings.
- Go to the Video tab.
- Press the toggle switch for Ray Tracing to enable the feature.
Is raytracing a gimmick?
Games will look even better when developers will design them with Ray tracing in mind from start. Yes, performance impact is big and RTX GPUs are expensive but first 3D accelerators were like that. As for RTX, yes, it is a gimmick.
Is Ray tracing out for Minecraft?
Minecraft ray tracing on Windows 10 is out now, bringing with it so much content to explore! To learn more about the features included and how you can experience it, visit Minecraft’s website.
Will Minecraft RTX be on Java?
No, the Minecraft RTX beta from Nvidia is not available for the Java Edition. However, if you can’t get the Windows 10 edition and you wish to stick with the Java version, you can experience RTX depending on the community.
We hope this guide helped you turn on ray tracing on Minecraft and give you a brief knowledge about this promising technology. If you have any questions, let us know in the comment section, and we’ll be happy to extend a helping hand for our fellow gamers!
