Nvidia RTX: Best Games That Utilize Ray Tracing The Best

It was in 2018 when Nvidia revealed its real-time ray tracing technology for games, titled Nvidia RTX. At the time, many people thought it to be the next best thing for video games, while others felt that it was going to be a side thing, like Nvidia Physx. Fast-forward to 2021, it’s been over two years since RTX cards hit the market and many new games have opted for the technology. This is why it’s interesting to see how many of these games have used it to goodwill.

RTX technology is all about real-time lighting, and its interaction with the environment. This doesn’t always mean good visuals, but yes, guarantees more physically accurate graphics. As graphics cards become more and more advanced over time, ray tracing technology will reach new heights that will make most games look downright photorealistic, which is groundbreaking for obvious reasons. Players will have their minds blown once ray tracing technology reaches a level where pretty much every game will have it, but for now, only a handful of titles have managed to integrate this technology with great finesse.

Updated October 22, 2024, by Hamza Haq: The graphical fidelity boost Nvidia’s RTX technology provides is no secret, elevating in-game visuals from okay-ish to downright gorgeous. Despite its popularity, few games truly utilize the tool to its fullest potential. While nearly all games that have come out in the last few years have the option to turn on ray tracing in their graphics settings, the difference is not always noticeable. Whether due to low-budget or poor implementation, games that truly showcase what ray tracing can do are quite uncommon. Luckily, with more and more developers learning how to incorporate this game-changing technology into their games, that may not remain the case in the future. For now, though, here are some of the best games to test out Nvidia RTX and its capabilities.

27 Dragon’s Dogma 2

The Ray Tracing Improves The Visuals Without Too Much Of A Performance Hit

Dragon’s Dogma 2 has been put through the wringer for its poor optimization, and most players should do their research to see whether this game has received enough updates to finally run smoothly on PC and consoles before taking the plunge. It’s a shame since the combat of this title takes all the strengths from the first game and dials it up to a hundred.

While it’s true that Dragon’s Dogma 2 may not be a looker compared to other big-budget AAA games, the ray tracing technology at play here does a great job of ensuring that the lighting of the game looks premium, which helps the graphics stand out even more. Players with systems who can support this state-of-the-art technology will get completely immersed in one of the best action games with ray tracing they can get their hands on.

26 Dying Light 2

Ray Tracing Is The Intended Way To Enjoy The Visuals, With Regular Lighting Looking Flat In Comparison

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Dying Light is a game that came out of nowhere and surprised players with a fun mix of parkour and zombie action. Fans were glad to see that a sequel was in the works that sported a bigger budget and would strive to build on the first game’s strengths. While the story-heavy nature of Dying Light 2 didn’t wow many fans, the moment-to-moment gameplay and familiar combat made it a worthwhile game to check out for Dying Light fans.

The bigger budget for this game could be seen in the title’s amazing ray-traced visuals, which completely dwarfed the baked lighting and almost made it look like a second thought. Given the first-person viewpoint of this game, anything that enhances the player’s immersion is worth sacrificing some FPS for, and the game’s great ray tracing makes it a visual spectacle as players deal with harrowing zombies and the like.

25 Ghostwire: Tokyo

The Ray Tracing Has A Major Hit On Performance But Makes Tokyo Look Breathtaking

The fate of Tango Gameworks has sent ripples through the video game industry, with Xbox’s decision to shutter this studio being criticized to the moon and back. Reports state that the studio’s main project, Ghostwire: Tokyo, failed to meet sales expectations, even if Hi-Fi Rush was a surprise hit that bagged a ton of awards. It’s a shame, since Ghostwire: Tokyo has a lot of strengths despite its open-world design being slightly uninspired.

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The visuals of this game are undoubtedly its strongest suit, featuring high-quality animations that are a joy to witness in first-person. If players enable this game’s ray-tracing mode, they’ll be greeted with an impressive visual display. This ensures that the city of Tokyo feels more moody and immersive than ever before as players battle ghosts and uncover the mystery behind the disappearance of this city’s residents.

24 Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy

The Diverse Color Palette Looks Even Better With Ray Tracing Enabled

The release of Marvel’s Avengers made many fans fear the worst for the Guardians of the Galaxy game, which is perhaps why so many people weren’t looking forward to this release. While this story-driven single-player game was released to poor sales, it didn’t take long for public perception to turn after more and more people talked about the amazing nature of this game’s narrative.

The combat, despite being the title’s weak aspect, still has many things that go for it. However, it’s the story and characters that end up being the saving grace of a video game that knows how to bamboozle players and let players enjoy an intergalactic narrative for the ages. This, coupled with the game’s great ray-tracing, makes it a veritable gaming feast that boasts both style and substance.

23 Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora

A Gorgeous World That Comes To Life When The Lighting Is Cranked To The Max

It’s a shame that Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora didn’t live up to its initial hype, feeling more like a reskinned Far Cry game than an original Avatar title. The focus on dated crafting mechanics and the dependence on scanning for efficient exploration took away a lot from Pandora’s gorgeous landscapes, which come to life with the use of ray tracing.

The biomes in Pandora are a treat to witness firsthand and one of the strongest aspects of the game. If a huge priority for a player is to witness a wealth of beautiful curated landscapes, then using ray tracing is downright necessary to make Pandora come to life in the best way possible, and to further the joys of James Cameron’s Avatar.

22 Alan Wake 2

The Imaginative Art Style Of This Game Benefits From Ray Tracing Turned On

A game absolutely bursting with style and atmosphere, it’s easy to see why Alan Wake 2 is one of the best video games of 2023. Remedy was at its very best when it developed this stellar survival horror game that isn’t afraid to take risks. People who love Remedy when they’re at their most creative will love just how unique and different Alan Wake 2 is.

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It’s easy to see why fans can’t wait for Remedy to churn out another game, especially with Alan Wake 2 essentially creating a shared universe for all Remedy games. With the critical success of Alan Wake 2 leaving many people impressed, fans can only hope that more AAA developers take the same risk that Remedy did in the creation of a unique story-driven adventure that is unlike anything players have experienced before.

21 Returnal

A Mind-Bending Roguelike Game That Looks Pretty Amazing To Boot

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Released

April 30, 2021

OpenCritic Rating

Mighty

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Many people are glad to see huge studios like Sony try their hands out on genres that most AAA games don’t try to experiment with. Not only is Returnal a pretty excellent roguelike, but the story it tells is a captivating psychological horror drama that will keep players invested from start to end.

Selene is a deceptively complicated character whose backstory is slowly revealed over the course of the game’s narrative. Repetition is a common theme prevalent in both the gameplay and narrative of the game, showing just how underrated Housemarque’s AAA roguelike game really is.

20 A Plague Tale: Requiem

A Sequel That Ups The Ante In Every Way, Including Its Visuals

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A Plague Tale: Innocence is an indie game that came out of nowhere and wowed people with its emotional story and excellent presentation. The idea of playing as two struggling survivors in a stealth-focused indie title during the Black Plague makes for a great time, and the sight of millions of rats hounding them every step of the way will be burned into the player’s mind at the end of this experience.

So, it was only a matter of time before this hit title would receive a sequel that is bigger, better, and bolder in every way. A Plague Tale: Requiem is an excellent sequel that wraps up Amicia and Hugo’s tale in a bold manner, making for a spectacular story-driven journey that is rife with amazing visuals. The title supports RTX, becoming even more visually appealing if players turn this option on.

19 Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered

A Web-Slinging Marvel In New York City

Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered

Action-Adventure

Open-World

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Released

November 12, 2020

OpenCritic Rating

Mighty

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Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered doesn’t really add all that much to the original game in terms of story, content, or even cosmetics. There are a couple of new suits players can unlock, the GOTY version DLCs and slightly better facial animations, but little else. The value proposition for this remaster lies almost entirely in how they have managed to elevate the graphical fidelity from the base game, primarily through the excellent implementation of ray tracing.

For machines that can handle it, there are few things prettier than web-slinging through a hyper-realistic New York City as Spiderman. The easiest way to notice the effects of RTX is to stick to a window on a skyscraper and look at the reflection. It’s like looking into a mirror. Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered is a gorgeous game without RTX, but when it is turned on, it turns into pure eye candy.

18 Crysis Remastered Trilogy

A Trilogy That Was The Peak Of PC Gaming Before, With The Remaster Adding RTX Support

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There was a time when the phrase “Can it run Crysis?” became synonymous with video game meme culture. Crysis truly was a spectacle when it was launched, with CryEngine flexing its muscles as the next great video game engine in the industry. At the time, only the highest-end PCs could even think about running Crysis at its highest setting, with the game looking gorgeous.

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In many ways, the game itself wasn’t a big deal as much as the engine was, but that didn’t mean that the title wasn’t fun to play through by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, with the advent of the Crysis Remastered Trilogy, players can experience the magic of the first three games with a fresh coat of paint. Fittingly enough, this collection arrives with ray tracing support, carrying forward the proud legacy of these titles still running rather choppily on regular gaming hardware.

17 Dead Space

A Remake Of A Popular Survival-Horror Game That Justifies Its Presence In Many Ways, Including Upgraded Visuals

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Released

January 27, 2023

OpenCritic Rating

Mighty

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Many people argued whether Dead Space really needed a remaster, to begin with. The title looks perfectly fine even now and many people argued that any visual improvements would be superficial, at best. However, the release of this 2023 remake ended up silencing any critics by looking gorgeous while also featuring expanded levels and tweaked combat.

To make things look even better, players could turn on ray tracing to make the cramped halls of the USG Ishimura look even more oppressive and bleak. The graphics of this title alone justify its stature as a worthy remake, even if many people won’t be enjoying this revamped lighting when Isaac’s head is getting ripped off by a necromorph.

16 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

The Next-Gen Update Adds Ray Tracing To The Game

The next-gen update for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt updates the visuals in a way that makes this game look pretty modern. While this update had some rough edges that needed to be ironed out, there’s no denying that this visual upgrade is a feast for the eyes. The ray-traced lighting and ambient occlusion genuinely look incredible, and players will be dumbstruck whenever they witness a picturesque sunset in this game. Rescuing Ciri can wait since appreciating this lighting and riding off into the sunset on Roach takes priority.

If anything, The Witcher 3 is a great example of why ray tracing is proving to be such a mind-blowing piece of technology that can elevate any video game to new heights. It’s been almost a decade since the game’s release, yet it’s hard to point out anything dated from a graphical point of view when players turn on ray tracing and have their minds blown by the incredible escalation in quality this game enjoys.

15 Portal

A Free DLC For The Game Lets Players Enjoy This Masterpiece With Ray Tracing

Portal was a groundbreaking puzzle game that proved once again why Valve is considered to be the master of its craft. Players who want an excuse to check out this game once again can do the same with a free DLC for the game that adds ray tracing.

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Exploring the test chambers of Aperture with this revamped lighting makes for a great time. The title still holds up to this day, and this visual upgrade makes a new playthrough feel fresh and interesting once again. The fact that a game as clean-looking as Portal can somehow look even better with the smart integration of ray tracing is a great endorsement of this technology.

14 Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales

Documents Miles’ First Time Webslinging Without Peter In A Glorious, Beautiful World

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Released

November 12, 2020

OpenCritic Rating

Mighty

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Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales serves as a standalone expansion that explores Miles’ journey as the new Spider-Man and how he adjusts to these powers. This game serves as the perfect way to fill in the blanks before the advent of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.

It helps that this game looks gorgeous, with ray tracing enhancing the visuals of this title even more. Players who want to swing through New York in style will be able to do the same with ray-traced lighting cranked up to the max in Spider-Man: Miles Morales.

13 Watch Dogs: Legion

A Unique Take On What A Protagonist Can Be In A Video Game, With RTX Technology Enhancing The Visuals

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Watch Dogs: Legion is a game with a pretty innovative take on DedSec recruitment, but the rest of the title is woefully lacking. It’s a shame since this game actually took some innovative steps forward, but this came at the cost of the title regressing in several other departments.

Watch Dogs: Legion also features ray tracing which makes the title look pretty astounding indeed. Players who want to mess about in an open-world game with beautiful visuals should look no further than Watch Dogs: Legion.

12 Shadow Of The Tomb Raider

Lara’s Final Chapter In The Rebooted Trilogy That Looks Incredible

Shadow of the Tomb Raider is the final title in the rebooted Tomb Raider trilogy, which was a disappointment for many players. The enhancement of underwater segments coupled with ray tracing technology certainly helps the title look brilliant, but that doesn’t make up for its unimaginative gameplay.

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With the studio behind this game being sold off to Embracer Group, fans don’t know what the future of the Tomb Raider series is. Thankfully, Shadow of the Tomb Raider looks great enough with ray-traced lighting and can hold over fans until the next game comes out.

11 Far Cry 6

A Somewhat Disappointing Sequel, But Definitely Shines From A Visual Standpoint

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Many people were disappointed with Far Cry 6 upon launch. The game could’ve been something truly great but was ultimately held back by Ubisoft’s cut-and-paste design, rendering it devoid of any creative zeal.

However, the game itself was undeniably very pretty to look at. Switching RTX on turns Far Cry 6 into a beautiful title indeed, with the various reflective surfaces in the game doing a great job of making the title look all the more realistic and engaging.

10 Doom Eternal

The Doom Slayer’s Bloody Journey Continues In A Title That Looks Jaw-Droppingly Good

The reboot of Doom was nothing short of an absolute masterpiece. So, it was only a matter of time before a sequel to the same was also released, and this appeared in the form of Doom Eternal.

This title was essentially the first game but bigger, better, and more engaging. It helped that the graphics of this title were spectacular as well and could look even more unreal with the enhancements brought about by ray tracing.

9 Quake 2 RTX

A Remaster Of An Old Classic With RTX

Quake 2 RTX was built from the ground up to highlight how big of a difference proper utilization of the RTX technology can make for a video game, especially one that’s a remaster like this one. The original Quake 2 was an era-defining FPS title, and there is no doubt about that, but because it came out so long ago (1997), it’s impossible not to notice the lack of graphical fidelity and dated visuals. Quake 2 RTX fixes that.

The main reason Quake 2 RTX is such a game-changer is that it’s built on top of the base game from 1997 and showcases how much technology can elevate a dated title like this one. Most modern AAA games that aim to provide great visuals require the latest and greatest hardware to run the game smoothly. Slapping RTX on top is a privilege usually only available to the absolute highest-end cards like the 4090. Quake 2 RTX goes to show that this technology is not exclusively the domain of high-end titles; even games like Quake 2 can shine. In fact, since the hardware requirements for the original are so low, even players with mid-tier graphics cards can turn on RTX to full-blast to see the difference.

8 Deathloop

A Time-Loop Adventure With Arkane’s Signature Gameplay That Looks Brilliant With Ray Tracing

Deathloop is one of the better time loop games to have come out in quite some time. It might not be as great as video game critics have stated it to be, but the overarching story and amazing gameplay of Deathloop make it a pretty fun joyride from start to end.

Arkane has clearly put a ton of work into making their visuals stand out more, and this is palpable throughout Deathloop. By enabling RTX, the game looks breathtaking as players dash through levels and take out their targets one and a time.