How to Enable Ray Tracing in Minecraft | A Complete Guide!

The popular game Minecraft got a 2021 realism upgrade, which you probably never thought of. It is known as ray tracing, and renowned chipmaker Nvidia introduced it. Ray tracing in Minecraft will be made accessible for Xbox Series X as part of the new Minecraft RTX, even though it was initially designed for PC users.

Ray tracing is a technique for creating realistic-looking lights and shadows. You may create a dynamic, colorful, and realistic environment using ray tracing. The technology replicates and keeps track of each light ray in a certain scenario. It goes without saying that tracking and simulating every light beam requires a lot of system resources.

This guide will cover how to enable ray tracing in Minecraft as well as anything else you need to know to get RTX ray tracing in Minecraft.

What is Ray Tracing?

A sort of graphics technique called ray tracing enables the precise simulation of light, shadows, and reflections. When it comes to simulating light in their landscapes, video games have traditionally used methods like “baked-in lighting,” but these can frequently appear artificial when compared to how a space would be lighted in reality. Since 2018, we’ve had ray tracing-capable graphics cards that can finally do it right. 

Up until recently, real-time ray tracing in games was not feasible due to the enormous amount of graphical power needed to generate these realistic light beams. Since then, ray tracing has progressively made its way into several games, including Minecraft.

Requirements for Ray Tracing in Minecraft

If you want to use Minecraft RTX, you should take into consideration your specific graphics hardware. Nvidia claims that Ray Tracing is a fairly resource-intensive function, so if you want things to work smoothly, you should get the GeForce RTX 30 Series or newer. Here is a list of graphics cards that are RTX-compatible in light of this information.

1. RTX 30 SERIES
2. RTX 3090 Ti / 3090
3. RTX 3080 Ti / 3080
4. RTX 3070 Ti / 3070
5. RTX 3060 Ti / 3060
6. RTX 3050
7. RTX 20 SERIES
8. GTX 16 SERIES

Even if you have one of the aforementioned traits, things could not still go as planned. How the game plays will depend on your computer’s specifications. So, here is the very minimum you should think about.

1. Intel Core i5 10400 or AMD Ryzen 5 3600
2. Corsair DDR4 RAM 16GB or 32GB
3. Samsung 860 EVO SSD 250GB or Samsung 970 EVO SSD 250GB

For Minecraft RTX to function effectively, the aforementioned configuration should be regarded as a minimum requirement in addition to a compatible GPU running Windows 10 Home 64-bit. Going lower puts you at risk of having frames drop.

Related: How To Make A Beacon In Minecraft | Be The Minecraft Master

How to Download Ray Tracing for Minecraft?

You must visit the Minecraft Marketplace. From the Minecraft Marketplace, you can download a ray tracing enabled pack to enter a world with RTX ray tracing. These are easily accessible by searching for RTX or ray tracing. Nvidia has produced 14 distinct RTX environments that are presently free to use.

As was already said, in order to download ray tracing content, your hardware must match the minimum standards. You will receive a notice informing you that you cannot download or use ray-tracing-enabled Minecraft content if you don’t fulfill the minimal requirements.

Enabling Ray Tracing in Minecraft

It’s a little trickier to implement ray tracing in your own universe. Ray tracing cannot simply be enabled after starting a new world in Minecraft. Here is how to do it: 

1. Enable Ray Tracing in Minecraft on Windows 10 PC

As already said, installing Minecraft RTX is necessary to enable ray tracing in the game. However, Minecraft RTX is the only option in terms of compatibility. Windows 10 is the only choice right now, so you’ll need that.

Install the most recent PC client for Minecraft, Minecraft for Windows 10, in order to activate Minecraft RTX. Here’s a guide for setting up Minecraft on Windows 10.

1. Select the Start button or the search box.
2. Then, enter “Microsoft Store” and press “Enter.”
3. Launch the Microsoft Store app, then type “Minecraft for Windows” into the search bar.
4. Purchase the game, and then set it up similarly to setting up an app. You can examine the free trial as well. Windows version of Minecraft

Even after installing the most recent version, Ray Tracing in Minecraft for Windows 10 won’t instantly enable the game. To make the RTX feature available, you must install the Xbox Insider Hub. Install the software by searching for it on the Microsoft Store. Here is how to enable ray tracing after the app has been installed.

1. Start the Xbox Insider Hub application.
2. Select Insider material from the left-hand side of the screen by clicking the menu.
3. Under Games, select Minecraft for Windows 10.
4. To participate in the Windows 10 Beta experience, select Join.
5. Select Minecraft for Windows 10 RTX Beta from the list of available options, then click “Done”

Now that RTX Beta has been applied, your copy of Minecraft for Windows 10 should automatically install. Thanks to this approach, now you can use ray tracing in Windows 10. 

2. Enable Ray Tracing in Minecraft on an Xbox One

Unfortunately, those who own Nvidia RTX graphics cards can only run Minecraft RTX on Windows 10. Because of the difficulties in implementing ray tracing on XBOX ONE S/X consoles with AMD RDNA 2 GPUs, silence has gained attention at Mojang.

It is still feasible that ray tracing will be successful in the future, despite the current state of Minecraft on Xbox One S/X. After all, AMD is also making advancements in ray tracing.

1. Enable Ray Tracing in Minecraft on an Android or iPhone

More advanced video games on cellphones were not anticipated a decade ago. Naturally, that has changed now that we have much more sophisticated games than Minecraft on our mobile devices. So, is it possible to download Minecraft RTX on iOS and Android? Not right away, at least. Ray tracing requires cutting-edge graphics powerhouses, which are still years away from becoming available on smartphones and tablets.

3. Is Ray Tracing in Minecraft Worth It?

You might find the entire concept a little strange if you are a serious Minecraft player. After all, the primary goal of Minecraft is engaging gameplay, not stunning visuals. You will undoubtedly fall in love with Minecraft RTX after giving it a try, though. Even this plain-looking game is beautiful thanks to ray tracing technology. Both the lighting and the shadows are ideal.

However, the following are some of the interesting notes that you should consider:

1. The visual improvements provided by ray tracing are substantial.
2. The viewing experience in Minecraft feels a lot more realistic when the technology is activated.
3. Ray tracing transforms Minecraft into a largely fresh experience.
4. Nevertheless, there aren’t many changes to the gameplay as a whole. Furthermore, it should be mentioned that a large amount of FPS can be lost.
5. Ray tracing might not be worthwhile for you if all you want to do is change the way Minecraft plays or if you don’t want to sacrifice in-game performance.

Related: How To Install Minecraft On Chromebook With Easy Peasy Steps?

Wrapping Up:

Ray tracing in Minecraft is worth a try if you have a powerful gaming computer and would like to explore how new lighting may enhance Minecraft. Let’s try ray tracing and share your feedback in the comment box!

FAQs

Q1. Is Minecraft ray tracing free?

The Minecraft for Windows game includes the free function of ray tracing! If a player has Minecraft for Windows and meets the minimal requirements of the system and the game has the 1.16.200 update or higher, they can use ray tracing for free.

Q2. How do you turn on ray tracing in Minecraft survival?

You must visit the Minecraft Marketplace. Here you can download a ray tracing enabled pack to enter a world with RTX ray tracing. These are easily accessible by searching for RTX or ray tracing. Nvidia has produced 14 distinct RTX environments that are presently free to use.

Q3. Does Playstation 5 have ray tracing?

Along with the PS5’s almost instantaneous loading speeds, its support for ray tracing is one of its most intriguing features. If you’re not familiar with it, ray tracing is a challenging rendering process that creates lighting effects that are more realistic by simulating light in a natural setting.

Q4. Is a gaming PC better than a PS5?

You can play the majority of PC games from the day they are released, and there is a much larger selection of games overall. At least initially, you don’t have access to significant Sony first-party exclusives. Grand strategy and MMO games, for example, are available on the PC but are inaccessible on the PS5.

Q5. Does the PS4 have RTX?

The PS5 and Xbox Series X will likely feature support, but it’s possible that the Xbox One X and PlayStation 4 will as well. NO, none of the consoles will support RTX because Nvidia cards are the only ones that support it. However, Ray-Tracing will soon be supported on the PS5 and Series X.