Blizzard and Nvidia have improved Diablo 4 on all platforms. The new update adds ray-tracing shadows and reflections to the world of Sanctuary. By default, the shadows are too hard and sharp. When ray tracing is turned on, they are much more realistic and softer. Magic effects and distant objects of the environment stand out more.
Ray tracing effects are available not only on computers. Console players can enjoy them after selecting the graphics mode Enhanced Visuals. They just have to take into account certain reservations. The game only runs at 30 frames per second and doesn't include all the effects it offers on PC.
“Launching Diablo IV was just the beginning for us. Based on player feedback, we regularly iterate and explore how we can improve both the visuals and dark atmosphere of the game. The addition of ray-tracing effects is the next step in making the brutal world of Sanctuary even more immersive for the player. Effects such as lightning strikes are now reflected in pools of blood and water, damp basements and dungeons are more terrifying with realistic soft shadows, and the open world and cities are more believable with additional realistic shadows and reflections. We are very much looking forward to our community trying out the new technology,” Michael Bukowski, Technical Director of Diablo IV, describes the update.
“It's been great working closely with NVIDIA to implement ray tracing into Diablo IV. Their experience with ray tracing technologies helped us bring it to the desired quality, and the offered libraries, such as RTXMU, provided us with valuable support during development.” explains Kevin Todisco, Principal Software Engineer for Diablo IV.
Already tomorrow, Diablo 4 will be available in Game Pass for consoles and PCs. It will require Battle.net to be installed on PC and a Microsoft account to be connected.