Ray tracing memory usage could be reduced by up to 90% thanks to ‘most significant’ DirectX update
Microsoft is previewing significant new DirectX features designed to dramatically reduce the memory overhead of ray tracing. The technologies, called ‘Clustered Geometry’ and ‘Partitioned TLAS’, bring functionality similar to Nvidia’s existing RTX Mega Geometry to a broader range of GPU vendors, potentially making ray tracing significantly more efficient across different hardware configurations.
Ray tracing has become increasingly popular in modern games for producing realistic reflections and lighting effects, but the feature is memory-intensive and can stress older or mid-range hardware. According to Microsoft’s preview, these new optimizations could reduce ray tracing memory usage by up to 90%, potentially allowing older and less powerful hardware to handle ray-traced graphics with significantly better performance.
The update represents one of the most significant DirectX improvements in recent years, addressing a key technical barrier to wider ray tracing adoption. By distributing this optimization technology across GPU vendors rather than limiting it to proprietary solutions, Microsoft’s approach could help standardize and democratize ray tracing optimization across the industry, making the feature more accessible to gamers on a broader range of hardware.