Recently, we reported that the developers of Shadow of the Tomb Raider released a long-promised update that introduced support for detailed ray-traced shadows using RTX and intelligent DLSS upscaling. You can see how this new shadow rendering method enhances the game's visual quality in the trailer released for this occasion and in the accompanying screenshots.
In Shadow of the Tomb Raider, the developers report that ray tracing is used solely for shadow calculation, producing five new types of shadows. These include shadows from point light sources like candles and light bulbs; shadows from more directed rectangular light sources like neon signs; shadows from cone-shaped lights like flashlights or street lamps; shadows from sunlight; and finally, shadows from translucent objects like foliage, glass, and more.
The provided screenshots clearly show that the shadows in the game have become significantly more realistic: soft and semi-transparent shadows are now present. Those interested can check out dynamic screenshots from NVIDIA that compare the game in RTX mode and without it: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.
Ray tracing can be activated in the graphics settings. There are three detail levels to choose from: 'Medium,' 'High,' and 'Ultra,' with the latter designed for enthusiasts who want to push beyond the capabilities of modern hardware (note that only semi-transparent shadows are supported here). The developers and NVIDIA recommend 'High' level for the best balance between image quality and performance. The 'Medium' level only supports light shadows from point light sources, which are noticeable only in some of the early urban locations in the game.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider also supports DLSS — according to the developers, this technology can improve performance by 50% in 4K, by 20% in 1440p, and by 10% in 1080p. For various NVIDIA graphics cards, the following RTX and DLSS combinations are recommended:
- GeForce RTX 2060: 1920 × 1080, high graphics settings and medium ray tracing settings, DLSS enabled;
- GeForce RTX 2070: 1920 × 1080, high graphics settings and high ray tracing settings, DLSS enabled;
- GeForce RTX 2080: 2560 × 1440, high graphic settings and high ray tracing settings, DLSS enabled;
- GeForce RTX 2080 Ti: 3840 × 2160, high graphic settings and high ray tracing settings, DLSS enabled.
Source: 3dnews.ru
