Crysis Remastered has ray tracing mode on Xbox One X and PlayStation 4 Pro
Crytek is adding a ray tracing mode to Crysis Remastered for the Xbox One X and the PlayStation 4 Pro. Those consoles do not have ray tracing hardware, but Crytek uses a software variant in its CryEngine.
Ray tracing mode is an option that players can select. On the Xbox One X, the game will run in a dynamic 1080p resolution with a frame rate of 30fps. With the PlayStation 4 Pro, it is a dynamic resolution ‘lower than’ 1080p, with the same frame rate. Depending on how heavy the graphics load is, the in-game resolution will be reduced. Such a technique is widely used in console games.
Digital Foundry has been able to try out the ray tracing mode on the Xbox One X and shows an extensive video with a technical analysis. In the mode, reflections on metal and glass are realistically displayed thanks to ray tracing. Objects that are not in the picture are also reflected.
According to Eurogamer’s technical department, Crytek has used a further development of the software ray tracing implementation in the CryEngine. At the beginning of 2019, this technique was demonstrated in the Neon Noir demo.
| Xbox One X | PlayStation 4 Pro | |
| Performance mode | 1080p / unlocked frame rate | 1080p / unlocked frame rate |
| Resolution mode | 4k dynamic / 30fps | 1800p dynamic / 30fps |
| Ray tracing mode | 1080p dynamic / 30fps | <1080p dynamic / 30fps |
The software ray tracing implementation requires a lot of computing power, so the resolution and frame rate are relatively low. Crysis Remastered will also get a performance mode and a 4k mode on Xbox One X and PlayStation 4 Pro, for higher frame rates or higher resolution respectively. No ray tracing is used in those modes.
Crysis Remastered will be released on September 18 for PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4. The game previously appeared on Nintendo Switch. Crytek had planned to release the game on all platforms on July 23, but after criticism of a leaked trailer, the developer decided to delay the game in order to implement graphical improvements.
The upcoming Xbox Series X and S and PlayStation 5 will have ray tracing hardware on board. Whether the game on those consoles can make use of this and whether there will be a patch to make optimal use of the hardware of those consoles is not yet known.
The PC version of Crysis Remastered will also receive support for software ray tracing. As a result, the technology is also available to gamers who do not have an RTX or GTX video card with Nvidia’s ray tracing technology. It is not yet clear what the options for ray tracing are with the PC version.