For some time now, the ray tracing options can be activated in the beta of World of Warcraft: Shadowlands. Some testers have looked at the new graphics, and a discussion among players has erupted. Some find it successful and pretty, while others seem to have expected more.
What is ray tracing in WoW? The new graphics technology allows for better and more accurate calculation of light and shadow, creating better and more beautiful effects. Ray tracing is therefore not a magical improvement of the entire graphics but a refinement of details.
In WoW, this mainly improves the shadows you see in the open world in the upcoming expansion Shadowlands.
For several days now, the option to activate ray tracing has been available in the currently running beta for the new addon. However, you need an RTX-capable graphics card and the latest Windows update for this. How it looks is shown by YouTuber KokushiGG in the video:
One of the greatest strengths of ray tracing is moving or multiple light sources and the shadows they create. A good example of this is the possible ray tracing in Call of Duty. In WoW, however, this is almost never the case, which is why players are now discussing how good this option actually is.
FPS loss due to ray tracing – Is it worth it?
This is the criticism: Currently, some performance is lost when using ray tracing. Players who are testing the option report FPS losses averaging from 120 FPS to 60 or even lower.
They believe that the minimally improved graphics are not worth it. Under the embedded video above, for example, YouTube user Luis Spezzia says: “I see no difference. Just softer shadows.” Some videos from fans with significantly improved visuals have led players to expect more from the technology.
Under the corresponding article from wowhead, a user ArmandFrvr even criticizes the innovation:
I’m not sure why blurred shadows are supposed to be better? I prefer to see clearly what’s above me, especially with the War Mode active.
This is what other players say: In contrast, other players argue that ray tracing can only be used for that purpose, at least in WoW, and that it was intended to be that way. RTX is not a “magic button” that makes everything better.
Moreover, WoW has had ray tracing shadows for some time, and due to an update to a new standard, no significant changes are expected (via wccftech).
The YouTube user Dwayne agrees: “WoW was never designed with ray tracing in mind. If the game isn’t built with ray tracing, it won’t look different whether it’s on or off.”
Players believe that the FPS loss really isn’t worth it all, but since these are still tests, this may change by release.
Blizzard still has to work on the graphics anyway, as there have already been some… interesting bugs in the beta. A revision of the lighting, as RTX does, has caused Draenei and Elves to suddenly look oiled. Sleazy, but certainly not intentional.
