Metro Exodus Ray Tracing Benchmarked

Started playing Metro Exodus with Ray Tracing on and also off on my RTX 2080 Ti. The difference is interesting; because the lighting is now so realistic with Ray Tracing on, my brain no longer rejects the environment as fake and so the feeling of fear goes up (at least for me). With Ray Tracing off, it's just less scary since the lighting just still looks and feels fake to me.

Too bad you can't really see this gaming experience difference in the screenshots, but you can definitely feel the difference when you play Metro Exodus with Ray Tracing on.
Yes, there was not much I could see on the screenshots, but will check gameplay videos to see the difference. Though you got to remember that with a 2080ti you are the top 1% and rest of us won't be able to get playable framerates with RTX on for quite a while. I welcome ray tracing as I am convinced it is the way forward, however, with these 1st gen RTX GPUs it is an extremely expensive visual effect. I expect this to be widely affordable in a few years. I will hop on the train when it arrives to the mid-range in a playable fashion.
For now, I think playing in 4K without RTX is more affordable and gives a better visual upgrade from 1080p than RTX.

I don't disagree with anything you said. That said, the Extremetech article does say that the RTX 2070 (a more "affordable" card at less than half the price of the 2080 Ti) does seem to be able to do 50fps with ray tracing on and at RTX High settings @ 1080p. Given that Metro Exodus isn't a run-and-gun, insanely high pace FPS, 50FPS is very playable. Ray tracing isn't a "top 1%" only feature as a result; I believe that is what the Extremetech article was trying to say. It can be enjoyed even this 1st generation on lesser hardware than the 2080 Ti, such as the RTX 2070.

Especially with this game, the more realistic lighting from ray tracing really does change the atmosphere and the fear-factor, even more so than a jump from 1080p to 4k resolution, in my opinion. I literally FEEL the difference when I switch ray tracing from off to on in Metro Exodus.
 
I don't disagree with anything you said. That said, the Extremetech article does say that the RTX 2070 (a more "affordable" card at less than half the price of the 2080 Ti) does seem to be able to do 50fps with ray tracing on and at RTX High settings @ 1080p. Given that Metro Exodus isn't a run-and-gun, insanely high pace FPS, 50FPS is very playable. Ray tracing isn't a "top 1%" only feature as a result; I believe that is what the Extremetech article was trying to say. It can be enjoyed even this 1st generation on lesser hardware than the 2080 Ti, such as the RTX 2070.

Especially with this game, the more realistic lighting from ray tracing really does change the atmosphere and the fear-factor, even more so than a jump from 1080p to 4k resolution, in my opinion. I literally FEEL the difference when I switch ray tracing from off to on in Metro Exodus.
I have been playing on a 144hz monitor for 5 years. No way I am playing 50 FPS mate. We are just different. I still think RTX is a top 1% feature, RTX cards are just damn expensive, even 2070.
I don't play either Metro Exodus, nor BF5, sooooo..... not much left to showcase ray tracing with...
I understand you are very happy with your 2080ti, as you should be, and you got my thumbs up for it too.
But RTX is just not for the masses yet, maybe in 1-2 generations of RTX GPUs and with much more games supporting it (including non-AAA titles).Time....
 
I have been playing on a 144hz monitor for 5 years. No way I am playing 50 FPS mate. We are just different. I still think RTX is a top 1% feature, RTX cards are just damn expensive, even 2070.
I don't play either Metro Exodus, nor BF5, sooooo..... not much left to showcase ray tracing with...
I understand you are very happy with your 2080ti, as you should be, and you got my thumbs up for it too.
But RTX is just not for the masses yet, maybe in 1-2 generations of RTX GPUs and with much more games supporting it (including non-AAA titles).Time....

Well, if you decided 144Hz was important, it is most likely that your preference are for FPSs and not the RPGs that I enjoy. In FPSs there isn’t much time to look at how amazing the environment you are playing in is rendered, so indeed RTX is most certainly likely not something you would drop more money for. 50fps is quite fine for RPGs, esp since my TV can only do 60Hz anyways. Of course 50fps will render you likely dead from a headshot from someone with 100+fps. But then I know some nutty people who play with all the details down and effects off since it renders faster AND you can see you opponent more easily (at least that is what they tell me).

For me, each lighting or detail enhancing effect (whether it be even the simpler ones like HBAO, multi-sampling, NVidia Hairworks, NVidia TurfEffects, HDR, and, of course, Ray Tracing) makes my gaming experience that much better and more enjoyable since with the type of games I play (Metro Exodus, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Final Fantasy XV, Assassin’s Creed, etc.) I can savor and literally see the difference. Hence I value RTX, even at the expense of faster fps.

It isn’t the value proposition that I am selling, it is the fact that you said that you couldn’t see the difference in the screenshots. I’m merely saying that it no longer necessarily something visual, but something you can FEEL when you game with Ray Tracing on. But if FPSs are your preference, there may never be a time you value the quality of the rendered environment vs faster rendering speed.
 
Well, if you decided 144Hz was important, it is most likely that your preference are for FPSs and not the RPGs that I enjoy. In FPSs there isn’t much time to look at how amazing the environment you are playing in is rendered, so indeed RTX is most certainly likely not something you would drop more money for. 50fps is quite fine for RPGs, esp since my TV can only do 60Hz anyways. Of course 50fps will render you likely dead from a headshot from someone with 100+fps. But then I know some nutty people who play with all the details down and effects off since it renders faster AND you can see you opponent more easily (at least that is what they tell me).

For me, each lighting or detail enhancing effect (whether it be even the simpler ones like HBAO, multi-sampling, NVidia Hairworks, NVidia TurfEffects, HDR, and, of course, Ray Tracing) makes my gaming experience that much better and more enjoyable since with the type of games I play (Metro Exodus, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Final Fantasy XV, Assassin’s Creed, etc.) I can savor and literally see the difference. Hence I value RTX, even at the expense of faster fps.

It isn’t the value proposition that I am selling, it is the fact that you said that you couldn’t see the difference in the screenshots. I’m merely saying that it no longer necessarily something visual, but something you can FEEL when you game with Ray Tracing on. But if FPSs are your preference, there may never be a time you value the quality of the rendered environment vs faster rendering speed.

I do get you totally and agree with you on the above.
However, now don't laugh at me, but being excited about RTX too despite my opinion, I just ordered an MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z today.
Ray tracing is the way forward so I decided to hop on that bandwagon right now and see how I can make use of it. The card is still a great value in my opinion in non-RTX titles, and having RTX will be an extra nice to have I can tinker with later on. :D
 
I do get you totally and agree with you on the above.
However, now don't laugh at me, but being excited about RTX too despite my opinion, I just ordered an MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z today.
Ray tracing is the way forward so I decided to hop on that bandwagon right now and see how I can make use of it. The card is still a great value in my opinion in non-RTX titles, and having RTX will be an extra nice to have I can tinker with later on. :D

Not going to laugh at you at all. From the review I read on Tweaktown, why would I? A card that is usually almost as fast (or sometimes even faster) as a GTX 1080 for less than $400? Sometimes even rivaling the speed of an RTX 2070 depending on the resolution and gaming? The MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z, looks like a great (and much more sensible) choice, even without considering the RTX capabilities! Enjoy the extra zoom zoom and then the eye candy when your new card arrives!
 
Not going to laugh at you at all. From the review I read on Tweaktown, why would I? A card that is usually almost as fast (or sometimes even faster) as a GTX 1080 for less than $400? Sometimes even rivaling the speed of an RTX 2070 depending on the resolution and gaming? The MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z, looks like a great (and much more sensible) choice, even without considering the RTX capabilities! Enjoy the extra zoom zoom and then the eye candy when your new card arrives!
OK, I was wrong. 144hz is not that much without adaptive sync. I got the 2060 now and a 31,5 inch AOC IPS monitor with freesync and 75Hz. G-sync works out of the box with no issues, and it is much much better than 144Hz with no sync at all.
I can hardly wait to see RTX in action too.
 
Sounds awesome man! AOC monitors are that hidden gem: great image quality, great price ( and surprisingly clean and slick design). Report back on how you feel about the other features of your 2060!
 
When stereo records were first produced many people could not hear the difference (unless it was extreme separation) or even said they preferred mono. These days mono recordings sound odd. People prefer what they are familiar with. Perhaps something similar is happening with global illumination.
 
When stereo records were first produced many people could not hear the difference (unless it was extreme separation) or even said they preferred mono. These days mono recordings sound odd. People prefer what they are familiar with. Perhaps something similar is happening with global illumination.

It’s hard to get people to change in general. Some people who grew up with black and white movies will still tell you, even in this day and age, that it is better than 4K QLED/OLED. Hell even if you make a lasagna different from how one’s mother made it, people complain, even if it is better tasting.

When ray tracing becomes the norm, people will go back to old games and wonder “why does the lighting looks so fake?”
 
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