Ray tracing and other graphical improvements have long been something that Minecraft players have wanted. Modders have been able to implement rough versions of this technology in the game through some interesting techniques, but the fully supported official version has been in the works for a while. Nvidia and Mojang have finally released the Minecraft with RTX beta on Windows 10. Players can now get access to the test version of the game with the new content via the Xbox Insider app.
The new beta features support for path-tracing and PBR texture enhancement that will offer much more interesting lighting and texture conditions in your worlds for the popular PC game. There will be six creator worlds that users will have access to for the course of this beta. The worlds feature entirely new graphical tech with various lighting improvements. And once the fully released version goes live, all the old shaders and texture packs you’re used to using will still work.
Keep in mind that you need a GPU that supports RTX ray tracing and a decent CPU as well. Any newer GPU will have support for the new features.
If you want to know more about the tech, check out this video from Nvidia that details the tech behind the new graphics.
How to opt into the Minecraft with RTX beta
The first step is to make sure you’re using the right version of the game. Open up the launcher and ensure that you have all the updates loaded and are using the most recent version of the game. You should also make sure you’re running the most recent version of Java. So if you need to apply some updates, go ahead and do that.
Open the Microsoft Store and download the Xbox Insider Hub app. Open the app and click the “Join” button when prompted and follow the steps to enroll in the program. There is a box icon near the top of the screen that you need to click. This will open a second menu where you can choose the available tests to take part in. Minecraft for Windows 10 will be one of the selections you have available.
Your next step is to click on the “Manage” on the Minecraft screen once you have enabled the Minecraft for Windows 10 option. Once that screen opens, it’s time to actually opt into the Minecraft with RTX beta. Click on “Minecraft for Windows 10 RTX Beta,” then click “Done. After this is done, the system should download the needed files for the beta and restart the launcher.
To opt-out of the beta, just return to this screen and deselect the “Minecraft for Windows 10 RTX Beta” button.
If you are already part of the Xbox Insider program, just open the Insider Hub app and click on the Insider Content box in the top left corner. Click on the Minecraft app, then hit “Manage”. Select the “Minecraft with RTX Beta” option in the next window and hit “Done.”
