How To Turn On Ray Tracing In GTA Online

The newest DLC  for GTA Online, Los Santos Drug Wars, is making its way to servers very soon. This update is set to bring a ton of new content to GTA Online, and will keep players busy for hours on end. However, what good is any kind of update if the graphics aren't up to par? GTA Online has always had decent graphics, but what if they could be even better? Thankfully, there are several options to change your graphics settings in GTA Online, and the particular setting we'll be discussing today is ray tracing. 

For those unaware, ray tracing is a rendering technique designed to make games more realistic. It does this by better emulating the way light behaves in the real world, making in-game reflections and refractions more believable. Now that the science lesson is out of the way, let's talk about how to turn on ray tracing in GTA Online!

How To Turn On Ray-Tracing In GTA Online

Turning on ray tracing in GTA Online is an incredibly simple process. First of all, you need to have a next-generation console, such as a PlayStation 5 or an Xbox Series X. Unfortunately, at the time of writing this, other consoles, such as the Xbox Series S, and other hardware, such as PCs, do not have the option to turn on ray tracing. 

Once you log into the game, here is a step-by-step guide about how to turn on ray tracing:

• Open the menu using the "Options" button. 
• Navigate to the "Settings" tab.
• Navigate to "Display."
• On the "Graphics Mode" Tab, scroll until you see "Performance RT."
• You have now turned on ray tracing!

If done correctly, you should notice the difference almost immediately. Not only will light from car headlights and street lamps feel more realistic, but you should also be able to use your car mirrors more effectively.

Unfortunately, there is no word about whether ray tracing will be coming to other consoles or PC at this time. Additionally, using ray-tracing mode may affect your frame rate depending on your internet speed. If you find that the use of ray tracing is making your game choppy, it would be best to return to the regular "Performance" graphics settings. A high frame rate will likely always beat out any kind of light interactivity that you can acquire by playing on Performance Ray Tracing mode. 

And that's everything you need to know about GTA online Ray Tracing!

For more GTA Online news be sure to check out our dedicated section, or some of our Guides & Tutorials on the drop downs below: