Although ray tracing can add visual realism to top-tier games, it can also maul the performance of otherwise top-tier PCs. It’s been a hurdle for years now, but we’re now one step closer to overcoming it with Microsoft unveiling DirectX Raytracing 1.

Microsoft announced this week its DirectX Raytracing (DXR) 1.2 application programming interface, which introduces new features that significantly improve visual quality and rendering performance by up to 2.

With promises of massive performance gains and "next-generation realism," DXR 1.2 could be one of the biggest leaps forward yet for path tracing in games.