Digital Foundry experts face tough questions about Red Dead Redemption 2 getting ray tracing upgrades. The western epic presents bigger technical hurdles than Grand Theft Auto V did for similar enhancements. Rockstar already proved ray tracing works on older Rage engine versions through their GTA V implementation. However, the cowboy adventure uses completely different rendering systems that complicate any potential upgrades. Dense vegetation and diverse landscapes create unique visual challenges that urban environments avoid.
Most ray tracing benefits would disappear in RDR2's natural settings anyway. The game lacks reflective glass surfaces and metallic structures that make lighting effects pop. Green forests and brown deserts absorb light differently than city streets and skyscrapers do. Global illumination improvements might enhance existing ambient occlusion systems during different times of day. Shadow enhancements would prove pointless since the 2018 release already delivers exceptional shadow quality.
Players care more about performance than fancy lighting tricks. The six-year-old title still ranks among the most visually stunning open-world games available. Fans would celebrate smooth 60 FPS gameplay over any graphical bells and whistles.
Most ray tracing benefits would disappear in RDR2's natural settings anyway. The game lacks reflective glass surfaces and metallic structures that make lighting effects pop. Green forests and brown deserts absorb light differently than city streets and skyscrapers do. Global illumination improvements might enhance existing ambient occlusion systems during different times of day. Shadow enhancements would prove pointless since the 2018 release already delivers exceptional shadow quality.
Players care more about performance than fancy lighting tricks. The six-year-old title still ranks among the most visually stunning open-world games available. Fans would celebrate smooth 60 FPS gameplay over any graphical bells and whistles.
