PGC NEWS

NVIDIA and Bethesda Softworks announced at Computex in Taiwan that the upcoming AAA title Wolfenstein: Youngblood will support real-time ray tracing, adding another high-profile game to the growing list of titles leveraging this advanced graphics technology. This announcement follows other AAA titles like Battlefield V, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and Anthem that have incorporated ray tracing.

Wolfenstein: Youngblood joins the ranks of games utilizing ray tracing, a rendering technique that simulates the physical behavior of light to achieve realistic lighting effects. NVIDIA has championed this technology, highlighting its ability to create cinematic-quality visuals. Ray tracing requires dedicated hardware, like the RT Cores found in NVIDIA’s Turing-architecture RTX graphics cards, to achieve stable real-time performance.

This latest installment in the Wolfenstein franchise marks the series’ first foray into ray tracing. Specifically, Youngblood will utilize adaptive shading, a key component of ray tracing technology, for dynamic real-time shadows. This feature promises to enhance the game’s visuals, creating more immersive and lifelike environments. Adaptive shading, previously implemented in Shadow of the Tomb Raider, allows for complex shadow processing and contributes significantly to the cinematic feel of the game.

alt text: Wolfenstein: Youngblood screenshot showcasing ray tracing effects

Set 19 years after the events of Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, Youngblood introduces cooperative gameplay to the core Wolfenstein storyline. Players will experience the game’s narrative alongside a friend, battling through an alternate-history 1980s Paris. This co-op feature is a first for the modern Wolfenstein titles and adds a new dimension to the series’ gameplay.

Wolfenstein: Youngblood is being developed using the NVIDIA VKRay toolkit, which allows the development team to work with the Vulkan graphics API instead of the standard Microsoft DirectX12 used in previous games. This marks a significant development, as it expands the use of ray tracing beyond DirectX12 and opens up possibilities for future game development.

Coinciding with this announcement, NVIDIA also unveiled its “Born to Hunt” bundle. Gamers who purchase select RTX graphics cards, including the RTX 2080 Ti, RTX 2080, RTX 2070, and RTX 2060, will receive a free copy of Wolfenstein: Youngblood. This promotion begins immediately, allowing gamers to experience Youngblood with ray tracing upon its release on July 26th.

In conclusion, Wolfenstein: Youngblood promises to deliver a visually stunning experience thanks to the implementation of real-time ray tracing and adaptive shading. The introduction of cooperative gameplay and the use of the Vulkan API add further intrigue to this latest entry in the Wolfenstein franchise. With the added incentive of the “Born to Hunt” bundle, now is a great time for gamers to upgrade to an RTX graphics card and experience the next generation of gaming visuals.