The only 10 games that can justify the ray tracing tax

Even six years after ray tracing debuted on graphics cards, we’re still debating whether the performance overhead is worth the visual impact. Gamers must also consider the premium associated with the best graphics cards that deliver playable FPS at high resolutions with ray tracing turned on.

There might only be a handful of games that make ray tracing worth it, but their stunning visuals might justify the cost of a high-end GPU. If you’re a fan of big-budget narrative experiences where visuals are a big part of the equation, these 10 games might convince you to pay the ray tracing tax.

10 Dying Light 2 Stay Human (2022)

Zombie horror with a fresh coat of paint

Dying Light took all of us by surprise when it came out in 2015. Despite the zombie apocalypse genre suffering from fatigue, the game managed to deliver a fresh take on familiar tropes. The sequel, Dying Light 2 Stay Human, naturally faced sky-high expectations, as gamers wanted Techland to recapture lighting in a bottle, recreating the sorrow and atmosphere of Harran.

The sequel received mostly positive reception, but it was no Dying Light. There’s a bigger world to explore, more weapons to master, and more enemies to kill, but the story and overall feel of the game are lacking. However, it is technically superior to the first game, leveraging ray tracing to a great extent to craft a denser, more palpable world for players to get lost in.

9 Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered (2022)

The Spidey masterpiece arrives on PC

Marvel’s Spider-Man originally delighted PlayStation gamers in 2018 when it came out on the PS4. I remember playing it on my console and loving every second of it, finishing the story in an uninterrupted frenzy. The once-exclusive title finally landed on the PC in 2022, remastered with PC-optimized graphics, including ray traced reflections and shadows.

The game was beautiful even in its original PS4 avatar, but ray tracing elevated it to a new level of immersion. Flying around in the city, admiring nighttime in New York, and playing countless side missions became more satisfying than ever. Although Spider-Man isn’t the most intensive example of ray traced visuals, it remains one of the smartest ones.

8 Watch Dogs: Legion (2020)

The graphics were the best part

Watch Dogs: Legion might not be remembered as fondly as its predecessors, but one thing no one can fault it for are its brilliant ray traced visuals. In fact, for a long time, it remained one of the best-looking games around. London never looked better, thanks to the punchy reflections and lighting. At maximum settings, the game still struggles to break 60 FPS in most areas on modern GPUs like the RTX 4070.

The story might not have impressed gamers, and the gameplay can be a hit or miss for some, but Watch Dogs: Legion still ranks high on my list of graphically impressive titles that make the most of ray tracing.

7 Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora (2024)

A masterful showcase of modern ray tracing

Whatever your take on James Cameron’s multi-billion dollar Avatar movies, the world he created is a dream for any gamer. Massive Entertainment’s Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora strives to recreate the magic of Pandora in an open-world action-adventure game. Players are tasked with protecting the planet as they explore the breathtaking world, soaking in its rich diversity and action-packed gameplay.

The ray traced global illumination, reflections, and lighting deliver a truly next-gen visual experience as you master combat, take to the skies on your banshee, and discover unparalleled vistas. Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is a must-play title for those who appreciate the technical mastery and immersion of cutting-edge graphics.

6 Black Myth: Wukong (2024)

A modern retelling of an old legend

Another recent entry on this list, Black Myth: Wukong crafts a classic hero’s journey based on Chinese mythology. This action RPG takes you across wondrous landscapes, uncovering countless secrets and engaging in epic battles. If you’re a fan of Soulslikes, you’ll feel right at home with the gameplay and combat.

As a 2024 game, Black Myth: Wukong takes full advantage of modern ray traced visuals and graphics cards supporting the technology. Whether it’s the lush vegetation, rich reflections, or sharp shadows — the world comes alive in fabulous fashion. Besides the superb visuals, the game also delivers on the story, so if narrative-based titles are your thing, this one deserves your money.

5 Ghostwire: Tokyo (2022)

A haunted city, beautifully rendered

Ghostwire: Tokyo lets you loose in a haunted version of Tokyo where the citizens have mysteriously disappeared and ghosts roam the streets. By mastering supernatural abilities and ghostbusting techniques, you’re tasked with uncovering the truth while exploring a familiar city frozen in time. The open world is rendered in stunning detail through ray traced reflections and shadows.

Ghostwire: Tokyo might look different from many titles on this list due to its unique art style, but its technical achievements are equally impressive. It’s one of those games where ray traced brilliance doesn’t come at the cost of performance, allowing users to enjoy the title on mid-range and even budget graphics cards.

4 Control (2019)

The original ray tracing king

Control might have come out back in 2019, but it is still one of the most complete and successful implementations of ray tracing. It features ray traced reflections, shadows, lighting, and debris effects. In 2019, this was unheard of, and even the most powerful GPUs of the time struggled to maintain playable performance.

Five years later, graphics cards have come a long way, and if you haven’t experienced Remedy Entertainment’s Control yet, the good news is that your graphics card can probably max out the game and deliver 60+ FPS. Playing Control with and without ray tracing really highlights the kind of impact the technology can have when done right.

3 Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition (2021)

Reworked from scratch

Metro Exodus originally came out in 2019, and while it had ray tracing back then, it was nowhere near the more complex implementation seen in the Enhanced Edition two years later. The team at 4A Games completely reworked the lighting in the game, getting rid of pre-baked lighting completely. Combined with ray traced reflections and shadows, the game looked completely different from the 2019 original.

These serious graphical changes brought an unprecedented level of realism and immersion to the post-apocalyptic world of Metro Exodus, so much so that even if you’ve played the original, you have to give the enhanced edition a shot.

2 Alan Wake 2 (2023)

A huge step forward

When Alan Wake came out in 2010, it was undoubtedly a fantastic experience (as most Remedy games are), but it was nowhere near the best-looking game out there. In contrast, Alan Wake 2 has everything needed to push gaming visuals to the next frontier. Combining next-gen path tracing with rasterization, the game delivered a singular visual experience we’ve rarely seen the likes of.

Even without ray tracing turned on, the game looks fabulous. However, with the kind of environments and gameplay in this game, it’s worth turning the switch on if your graphics card can handle it. It’ll be exciting to see what Remedy Entertainment does next with Control 2 and a possible Alan Wake 3.

1 Cyberpunk 2077 (2020)

Top of the mountain

Cyberpunk 2077 might have come out before Alan Wake 2, but with the path tracing update the game received in 2023, it arguably transcends any other ray traced implementation to date. Path tracing, also known as full ray tracing, made almost every single light source in the game cast ray traced lighting, enabling more accurate lighting simulation and heightened immersion.

CD Projekt Red themselves called this path tracing implementation a “technology preview,” signaling the massive GPU horsepower required to experience it. Even the RTX 4090 couldn’t break 20 FPS without the aid of DLSS. Now that we’ve seen what full ray tracing can look like in games, it’ll be interesting to see how future games make use of it, and if mainstream GPUs can allow players to experience it without tanking performance.

It’s slow, but ray tracing has started to become worth it

Ray tracing might be taking time to truly justify its cost for the majority of gamers, but with many recent titles, people have started to change their opinions on it. What was once a tech demo and then a wasteful expense, is now seen as must-have visual technology for the future. With path tracing now making its way to games, it’s not long before we’ll start seeing fully ray traced titles gracing our gaming PCs.