IO Interactive lighting artist Stefania Hernandez has said that the PlayStation 5’s ray tracing technology will help to create more detailed 3D environments, utilizing “accurate light bounces, reflections, and shadows.”

Speaking to GamesRadar, Hernandez explained the difference between current-gen and next-gen technology in terms of realism:

With the current-generation tech, a lot of the in-game reflections are made using ‘reflection spheres,’ which are not very accurate. When placing a light in a scene we add additional ‘light bounces’ to make it look believable. The new ray tracing technology produces accurate light bounces, reflections, and shadows bringing out many of the details in 3D environments. This makes the overall picture look and feel much more realistic. Lighting plays a big role in setting the mood and feel of a game and I believe this can help towards a more immersive gaming experience for the player. I believe that we are nearing a point where it will be possible to get a visual gaming experience much closer to the one currently achieved only by pre-rendered scenes.

Hernandez’s thoughts were echoed by Ubisoft Toronto 3D artist, Marco Barrettara. According to him, if ray tracing is utilized properly, we can expect to see “more photographic lighting and surfacing consumers are used to seeing in VFX shots for films or animated movies.”

Hernandez went on to say that game artists are excited to work on next-gen hardware particularly because the upgraded technology allows them to make “more complex lighting setups.”

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[Source: GamesRadar]