Both the Xbox Series X/S and PS5 next-gen consoles bring a fair few graphical upgrades to the party, including up to 120fps gaming, but few are quite as immediately impressing as ray tracing.

The realistic lighting technology was first introduced with Nvidia PC graphics cards in 2018, but is now a part of console gaming too, with both new machines supporting it in glorious fashion.

It produces accurate reflections in windows and water - expect more puddles in many next-gen games - and diffuses light glare to react better with objects. In short, it makes a game look amazing.

But what games will feature ray tracing on PS5 and Xbox Series X and S? Find out more below.

What does ray tracing mean?

As we explain in full in our extended ray tracing feature, the lighting tech was initially devised as part of high-end graphics cards for PC gaming. It allows developers to adopt a more accurate and realistic lighting engine that reacts with all objects in a game.

This results in better reflections, shadows and ambient glare from light sources. It goes hand-in-hand with HDR to present some truly jaw-dropping effects.

You might have seen some console games with ray tracing already, as some studios use software rather than dedicated hardware management. However, this is fairly rare and using hardware means it is much more effective.

Does ray tracing work on all TVs?

Ray tracing is an in-game effect running on your console of choice - Xbox Series X/S or PS5 - so it doesn't matter what TV you have, it will still work. It isn't reliant on any TV technology.

However, we would encourage you to have HDR on your TV to get the best effect.

What games have ray tracing on Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5?

Here is a list of next-gen console games that we currently know to support ray tracing - some are available now, some will add it later down the line:

  • Astro's Playroom (PS5)
  • Bright Memory: Infinite (XSX, XSS)
  • Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (XSX, XSS, PS5)
  • Call of the Sea (XSX, XSS)
  • Chorus: Rise as One (XSX, XSS)
  • Demon's Souls (PS5)
  • Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition (XSX, PS5)
  • Enlisted (XSX, XSS)
  • Fortnite (XSX, XSS, PS5)
  • Forza Motorsport (XSX, XSS)
  • Gears 5 (XSX, XSS)
  • Halo Infinite (XSX, XSS)
  • Maneater (XSX, XSS, PS5)
  • Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales (PS5)
  • NBA 2K21 (XSX, XSS, PS5)
  • Observer: System Redux (XSX, XSS, PS5)
  • Poker Club (XSX, XSS)
  • RIDE 4 (XSX, XSS, PS5)
  • S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 (XSX, XSS, PS5)
  • The Medium (XSX, XSS)
  • Watch Dogs: Legion (XSX, XSS, PS5)

We will update this list as and when more titles with ray tracing are known to us.