Diablo 4 to Enhance Visuals with Ray Tracing in March Update

Excitement is building in the gaming community as Diablo 4 is set to receive a significant visual upgrade this March with the introduction of ray tracing. This eagerly anticipated feature will enhance the game’s already impressive visuals by adding more realistic reflections and shadows, promising to make every battle and environment even more immersive. The dark and grim atmosphere of Diablo 4, known for its surprisingly good looks, is expected to benefit greatly from the more vivid lighting that ray tracing will provide, potentially elevating the gaming experience to new heights.

Ray Tracing and DLSS 3 Performance

The addition of ray tracing to Diablo 4 is a significant graphical enhancement, but it comes with the cost of increased demand on system resources. To address the potential performance impact, Nvidia’s DLSS 3 technology will be supported, which uses AI to boost frame rates while maintaining high image quality. This is particularly beneficial for players who want to enjoy the improved visuals without sacrificing smooth gameplay.

Performance metrics shared by Nvidia, although not specifying the graphics card used, indicate that with ray tracing enabled, players can expect a frame rate of around 53fps. However, when combining ray tracing with DLSS 3, the frame rate jumps significantly, exceeding 144fps and even reaching 188fps at times. This demonstrates the effectiveness of DLSS 3 in offsetting the performance demands of ray tracing.

Additional Nvidia Announcements

Alongside the exciting news for Diablo 4, Nvidia’s CES 2024 Special Address was packed with other significant announcements. Notably, Nvidia confirmed that DLSS 3 support will be coming to the PC versions of Horizon: Forbidden West and Pax Dei, a new magical medieval sandbox MMO built in Unreal Engine 5. Both titles are expected to benefit from the enhanced performance and image quality that DLSS 3 provides.

In the realm of hardware, Nvidia unveiled three new additions to their RTX 40-series lineup: the RTX 4080 Super, RTX 4070 Ti Super, and RTX 4070 Super. These new Super graphics cards are designed to offer either increased performance or more attractive pricing compared to their predecessors. The launch of these new GPUs is set to begin with the RTX 4070 Super, which will be available starting January 17.

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