Battlefield 6 does not support ray tracing as developers choose to emphasize performance over graphical quality. As ray tracing is becoming a standard in AAA games, some players were surprised by this decision during the game’s open beta, which ended in mid-August.

The balance between performance and visuals is a common challenge for game developers. They must evaluate whether to implement resource-intensive features like ray tracing to enhance realism through better lighting, reflections, and shadows.

Battlefield 6 Chooses Performance Over Visual Effects

In a discussion with ComicBook, Christian Buhl, the technical director at Ripple Effect, explained that the absence of ray tracing in Battlefield 6 is due to the team wanting to focus on performance. He confirmed that the highly anticipated title will not include this visual feature at launch and that it is not planned for the near future. Buhl clarified that the team prioritized creating an optimized experience for default settings and users.

Despite the trend of integrating ray tracing in contemporary games, the decision could benefit fans of Battlefield 6, who typically value higher frame rates in multiplayer modes over enhanced visuals. By opting out of ray tracing, the developers aim to achieve a smoother gameplay experience for most players.

Following the game’s record-setting beta, excitement builds as Battlefield 6 gears up for its release on October 10, coinciding with Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, which launches a month later.