This summary of the video was created by an AI. It might contain some inaccuracies.
00:00:00 – 00:19:18
The video discusses the introduction of ray tracing in Elden Ring following the release of patch 1.09, which brings enhancements to shadows and ambient occlusion on PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC. Ray tracing introduces more natural and diffused shadows and improved shading in confined spaces. However, this upgrade leads to performance issues, with notable frame rate drops and increased shadow pop-in. Performance benchmarks across platforms show that while the visual benefits are evident, particularly with ambient occlusion, the trade-offs in frame rate and resolution are significant. The PS5 and Xbox Series X struggle to maintain consistent 30fps in ray tracing mode, with the Xbox Series X encountering slightly worse performance compared to the PS5. On PC, despite high-quality shadow rendering, enabling ray tracing results in substantial performance hits without the aid of performance-boosting technologies like NVIDIA's DLSS or AMD's FSR. The video concludes that while the visual improvements are noteworthy, they may not align with the priorities of the Elden Ring community, who might prefer enhancements in overall game performance and PC-specific features.
00:00:00
In this part of the video, the developer has released a patch (1.09) for Elden Ring which adds ray tracing features to the PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC versions of the game. The patch includes ray-traced shadows and ambient occlusion, but excludes Xbox Series S. On PS5 and Xbox Series X, ray tracing can be toggled on or off in quality mode, while the PC version offers four quality settings for ray tracing. The patch notes caution that enabling ray tracing may impact frame rate and resolution. The video questions the significance of this visual upgrade and its impact on game performance, showcasing a comparison on PS5 between quality mode with and without ray tracing, and indicating that the biggest visual changes occur in bright outdoor areas.
00:03:00
In this part of the video, the speaker discusses the implementation and effects of ray tracing in Eldon Ring. High-grade RT Global Shadows are produced using a dynamic time of day system, which creates more natural and diffused shadows. This enhances the realism, with shadows becoming softer as the object is further from the ground. For instance, shadows from trees and swaying branches at different times look more natural. However, there are drawbacks, such as lower refresh rates for shadows in some scenarios.
Further, ray tracing adds ambient occlusion, improving the shading of confined spaces and corners with more accurate shadows, replacing the lower-quality screen space ambient occlusion used previously. This upgrade eliminates the silhouette artifacts and light patches noticeable in earlier versions. Overall, ray tracing significantly enhances the visual fidelity of shadows and ambient shading in the game.
00:06:00
In this segment of the video, the discussion revolves around how Ray Tracing affects the visuals and performance in Elden Ring. Despite enhancing the shading consistency throughout the game, there are some downsides: ray-traced ambient occlusion (AO) and shadows are not always active during cutscenes, which may impact frame rates. Additionally, there is an increased shadow pop-in with Ray Tracing enabled, differing from the screen space ambient occlusion (SSAO) technique used in quality mode.
When comparing the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X with Ray Tracing turned on, both consoles show identical performance and visual quality, each reaching a peak resolution of 2880 by 1620. Dynamic resolution scaling appears to be in effect as both consoles occasionally dip to 1560p. Notably, the Ray Tracing mode has a lower resolution compared to the quality mode, which typically achieves pure 4K resolution, indicating a trade-off to accommodate the Ray Tracing features.
The video then hints at a forthcoming comparison of the PC version with its full Ray Tracing presets, suggesting a detailed exploration of its performance and capabilities.
00:09:00
In this part of the video, the focus is on the impact of ray tracing settings on Elden Ring across different platforms, mainly PC and consoles like the PS5. It highlights that turning off ray tracing on PC uses Elden Ring’s default shadows, while enabling it at various quality settings (low, medium, high, and maximum) enhances the shadow detail, especially in long-distance shots. For consoles, the ray tracing on PS5 compares well with PC’s max settings, showing little difference in shadow quality but better grass rendering on PC.
Performance testing reveals significant trade-offs: enabling ray tracing and ambient occlusion notably lowers the frame rate on PS5 and Xbox Series X, making it questionable whether it’s worth the visual improvement. PS5 offers three main settings:
1. Frame Rate Mode: Targets 60fps with dynamic 4K, dropping to 1512p.
2. Quality Mode: Pushes 4K resolution with a 15-20 fps drop.
3. Ray Tracing Mode: Targets 1620p with further frame rate drops, hovering around 30fps.
The three modes present distinct performance levels, with Frame Rate Mode aiming for 60fps, Quality Mode at 40-45fps, and Ray Tracing Mode around 30fps.
00:12:00
In this segment of the video, the discussion focuses on the performance of Ray Tracing mode in various conditions, particularly on consoles like PS5 and Xbox Series X. It highlights that Ray Tracing mode often runs at or slightly above 30fps, which is not ideal for smooth gameplay, although some areas like the Hub area reach closer to 45fps due to their sparse layout. The video points out that even a consistent 30fps with Ray Tracing mode engaged can be problematic, especially in areas like Stormhill on the PS5 where frame rates can dip below 30fps, affecting playability. During cutscenes, Ray Tracing mode behaves similarly to other modes with frame rates fixed and Ray Tracing often disabled. The Xbox Series X performs slightly worse than the PS5 in Ray Tracing mode, with more frequent drops below 30fps. The segment concludes by mentioning that the Xbox’s dynamic settings and resolution shifts contribute to these performance issues, with notable delays in the renderer keeping up with the action.
00:15:00
In this segment of the video, the discussion revolves around the performance impact of Ray tracing on both the Xbox Series X and the PlayStation 5, as well as a PC setup. It is noted that while the Series X and PS5 hover around 30 FPS, the PC setup equipped with a Ryzen 5 3600, 16GB of RAM, and an RTX 2070 GPU is used to test the practical impact of Ray tracing. When Ray tracing is enabled at high settings, the frame rate drops significantly, averaging 33 FPS compared to 51 FPS with it disabled, indicating a 34.8 percent performance hit. Additionally, Ray tracing introduces extra hitches and stutters. It is concluded that Ray tracing adds visual improvements in shadows and ambient occlusion, but its inclusion without complimentary technologies like NVIDIA’s DLSS or AMD’s FSR, which are typically used to mitigate performance hits, highlights certain limitations in the PC release of Elden Ring.
00:18:00
In this segment of the video, the speaker discusses the introduction of ray tracing in Elden Ring for both console and PC. They express skepticism about this addition being the most desired feature among fans, especially considering the game’s existing issues such as sub-60 FPS performance on consoles, lack of advanced PC features like higher frame rates, DRS options, or ultrawide display support, and the performance impact of ray tracing without DLSS or FSR technologies. Despite acknowledging the benefits of improved visuals and new technologies, the speaker hopes that Elden Ring’s commercial success will lead to more significant technical improvements. The segment concludes with the speaker encouraging viewers to like, subscribe, and check out their Patreon for high-quality videos and updates.