Fortnite is getting a dose of realism this week with addition of ray tracing

If you have a next-gen console or a new GPU in your PC, Fortnite is about to look a lot better. Epic Games said last week that ray tracing would be coming soon, and now we know that means September 17th. Save the World, Creative, and Battle Royale modes will all get support for lifelike lighting effects that render and reflect on objects in realtime.

Shadows! Reflections! — The addition of ray tracing means you'll see some serious realism added to the Fortnite experience. Namely you'll be able to see shadows and reflections that are more realistic. When you're standing in front of another player, you'll see your character's reflection in their face shield. Shadows are also supposed to be more realistic and soften as you walk away from them. A teaser released by NVIDIA offers a taste of what it might look like running on one of its new RTX graphics cards:

Be ahead of the pack — NVIDIA specifically developed a new map called "RTX Treasure Run" designed to show off ray tracing effects. The map drops players in a museum filled with mirrors that emphasize the new tech. The company is also incorporating new DLSS tech into its GPUs that will boost frame rates.

Not many games support ray tracing yet because it's still so new, but both Microsoft and Sony are going to be advancing the tech with their upcoming consoles. Fortunately you don't have to wait to experience it if you have a souped up gaming PC.

If Fortnite isn't your thing, Battlefield V for PC also supports ray tracing and looks really great.