RTX Finally Has a Reason to Exist: Minecraft!

The video opens with Linus explaining that the RTX real-time ray tracing beta for Minecraft Bedrock has finally arrived, and that his colleague Jake has handled the benchmarking in his absence. The host highlights that there have been important behind the scenes changes to how RTX is implemented, including new texture mappings that allow light to behave more realistically, such as metalness, emissivity, roughness, and height maps. He notes that RTX on in Minecraft introduces caveats: you need an RTX-capable resource pack and an RTX-capable GPU to enable true ray traced lighting, and you cannot expect compatibility with existing saves or non-RTX hardware. The discussion also covers the practical implications of RTX on different hardware configurations, including a comparison across three GPU tiers and how DLSS 2.0 helps maintain playable frame rates by rendering at a lower resolution and upscaling it, which is crucial for smoother gameplay when RTX is enabled. The review presents measured performance at 1080p with varying GPUs, concluding that the RTX 2070 Super offers a sweet spot for 1080p RTX on Minecraft, delivering about 72 FPS; the RTX 2060 KO trails with around 53 FPS on average, while the 2080 Super can push around 80 FPS but at a diminishing return relative to cost. The host emphasizes that even with DLSS, higher resolutions like 1440p are feasible with an RTX on, though 4K remains challenging, and overall, the RTX experience in Minecraft is impressive but GPU-bound and not universally practical yet. In closing, the video reflects on the potential for future optimizations and community-driven content, while also noting that the beta is still a demonstration and may improve with time, and teases the possibility of future servers and maps leveraging RTX, including a plug for the beta server mc.ltt.gg and a short sponsorship segment for accessories.

Topics · technology · gaming · computer graphics · ray tracing · Minecraft · hardware benchmarks