This story is part of Jacob Roach's ReSpec series, covering the world of PC gaming and hardware. AMDs current-gen graphics cards have been a revelation. Last generation, AMD was able to hit performance parity with Nvidia while sacrificing ray tracing performance. This generation, AMD is maintaining parity while getting closer in ray tracing, as showcased by GPUs like the RX 7900 GRE. But the next frontier of gaming is rapidly approaching, and AMDs current options arent up to the task right now.

Contents Player two in path tracingA key focus for the next generation Im talking about path tracing. Nvidia calls it full ray tracing, and its a lighting technique that can take gaming visuals to the next level. Path tracing is only available in a small list of titles right now, but with frame generation and upscaling tools better than theyve ever been, it wont be long before we see these destination gaming experiences everywhere.

　　Player two in path tracing

Nvidia has path tracing cornered right now. Better ray tracing and smart deployment of DLSS 3.5 has earned Nvidia a dominant position in the few titles that support path tracing. Portal with RTXis a prime example of that. Even at low settings and using the relatively ugly Performance mode of TAAU basically AMDs FSR 1 AMDs fastest GPU can only manage just shy of 40 frames per second (fps) on a 4K monitor.

Get your weekly teardown of the tech behind PC gaming ReSpec Subscribe Check your inbox! Privacy Policy High settings are even worse. You can step down to 1440p to get frame rates above 60 fps, but its important to remember that this performance is with TAAU turned on. It doesnt look great, and youre just barely getting over the line of playable performance, even on a GPU as powerful as the RX 7900 XTX.

For a game likePortal with RTX,this is the ceiling for performance that AMD currently offers. Even the driver-based AMD Fluid Motion Frames (AFMF) wont work withPortal with RTX the game uses Vulkan, which isnt currently supported. Meanwhile, Nvidias RTX 4080, which is slightly slower than the RX 7900 XTX on average, can hit 86 fps with DLSS 3. Thats with the ultra preset, too.

Portal with RTXisnt the only game with path tracing. The two other big titles areCyberpunk 2077andAlan Wake 2.With AFMF available now, I was hoping that AMD would be able to get over the line in these games. There are still some problems, though.

Looking atCyberpunk 2077,you cant get to a smooth frame rate at 4K, even with FSR set to Performance mode and AFMF rolling. And while 1440p is possible, and with the better-looking Balanced preset of FSR, its still not a great experience.

As I wrote about previously, AFMF has some issues when it comes to motion, making performance feel inconsistent even if the average frame rate is high. Cyberpunk 2077might be possible on AMDs current-gen lineup when it receives frame generation with FSR 3, but still probably only at 1440p. Thats not where you want to be with a GPU that can easily cost $1,000.

Alan Wake 2was much better, but I still wouldnt call the experience at 4K playable. With the low base frame rate at 4K, even with FSR 2 set to Balanced, AFMF doesnt have enough information to provide a smooth experience. Fortunately, 1440p was much better, not only due to the high base frame rate for AFMF, but also because I was able to bump FSR up to its Quality mode.

Across all three games, though, the experience wasnt good. I was able to achieve playable performance in all three titles, but not without some significant hits to image quality. Meanwhile, even a GPU like the RTX 4070 Super can play Portal with RTXandCyberpunk 2077at maxed-out settings thanks to DLSS 3 and better overall ray tracing performance. AMD could compete more if these games supported FSR 3, and some of them will eventually. Thats not the case right now, however.

　　A key focus for the next generation

In the next generation of AMD graphics cards, path tracing needs to be a critical focus. That will come with better overall ray tracing performance, but also through robust FSR 3 support something that Ive been hammering on the past few months. Its not that every game will support path tracing, but for the handful that do, it can make all the difference.

Over the past year, titles likeAlan Wake 2andCyberpunk 2077: Phantom Libertyhave been destination games. You buy an expensive GPU just to experience all the glitz and glamor in these titles, even if the card is overkill for most other games you want to play. As it stands now, Nvidia is the only one delivering that prestige gaming experience even with AMDs absurdly powerful RX 7900 XTX, there are a lot of compromises in these demanding games.

AMD has some compelling options lower down the stack. The RX 7600 effectively nullifies the RTX 4060, and theres some serious competition between the RX 7800 XT and RTX 4070. Even in the range of higher-end options, AMD has put serious pressure on cards like Nvidias RTX 4070 Ti Super with its current-gen options.

The main problem here are the flagship cards. When you start spending up, you want to have all of the bells and whistles, and AMD is struggling on that front. The raw performance is competitive, but ray tracing and features are not, which is a tough compromise when youre spending so much money on a graphics card.

AMD is well aware of the ray tracing gap with Nvidia.

This should be an area where AMD focuses on in the future, however. We currently expect to see AMDs RDNA 4 graphics card in the second half of this year. The release date is fluid, with some leakers pointing to late summer and other suggesting the cards will arrive in winter, but it seems like RDNA 4 will launch at some point in 2024.

AMD is well aware of the ray tracing gap with Nvidia, too. Former Radeon manager Scott Herkelman said, we just have to do better on future generations in reference to ray tracing, pointing out the fact that AMD undercuts Nvidias pricing due to the ray tracing gap.

In addition, leakers like Moores Law is Dead claim that AMD is going to go hard for ray tracing in future GPU generations. Thats certainly the trajectory AMD has been on, with the current generation being a bit of an inflection point.

Signs are positive, but some leakers suggest AMD is abandoning high-end GPUs with its next-gen options, and instead focusing on midrange GPUs where the vast majority of PC gamers live. This is speculation for now, but if its true, high-end experiences like path tracing in games dont seem likely if AMD focuses on the mainstream in the next generation.

Regardless, its an area AMD needs to address sooner rather than later. We already have a few example of how path tracing can transform the look of a game with Alan Wake 2, Cyberpunk 2077, Minecraft RTX,andPortal with RTX,and I suspect well see more games supporting the demanding lighting tech in the future. It wont be every game, but good performance in these prestige titles will continue to be important for flagship offerings.