Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition Ray Tracing Improvements Showcased In New Trailer

Capcom is releasing Devil May Cry V: Special Edition to coincide with the launch of the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S featuring additional content, new gameplay modes, and, more prominently, advanced visual features. Ray tracing is one of the big enhancements the special edition is introducing, and it has a dramatic effect on the game's lighting and reflections.

Ray tracing can be used in various ways, with Devil May Cry V implementing it to convey reflections from objects off-screen. This is one of the most frequent uses of the technology, which improves on traditional reflections that must rely on information that is currently on screen. On rain-soaked streets in avenues lit up with neon advertising, the whole scene and its lighting are changed by the reflections on the floor, which you can see in the gameplay below.

Lighting is another facet where ray tracing can be used, accurately calculating light bounces and color shifts on the world around you. In the example above, the red hues of the curtains near a window bathe the surrounding area in a tapering red light, where the original title featured none of the ambience. The effect also enhances indoor areas lit but sunlight from outdoors, where the light presence is far more accurate than the pre-calculated baked lighting from the original version.

Capcom says that ray tracing will be available with two of Devil May Cry V's gameplay modes, specifically a 4K/30 FPS mode and 1080p at 60 FPS. If you want to play the game at 120 FPS, you'll have to do so with no ray tracing.

Devil May Cry V: Special Edition launches with the Xbox Series X, Series S, and PlayStation 5. Capcom has said that ray tracing will not be available for the Xbox Series S version of the game, while PC players will not get the special edition at all.