The Tool Desk
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Why both consoles support it but games differ
Microsoft’s Xbox Wire technology glossary, published on 16 March 2020, described Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S as the first game consoles with “high performance, hardware accelerated raytracing.” That statement describes the platform. It does not say any particular game uses ray tracing, and it does not say how much of a game’s lighting relies on it.
The game is the level where the feature actually appears. A developer can use ray tracing for one effect, several effects, or none. The result can differ between consoles, between graphics modes, and between editions of the same game.
What the Store filter does and does not tell you
In a 2026 search, Microsoft Store’s Xbox Ray Tracing filter returned 51 results, and Cyberpunk 2077 was among them. Treat that count as a snapshot. The catalog changes, so the number will not stay fixed.
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The filter is based on Microsoft’s publisher definition of the capability. Microsoft Learn’s Technical capabilities section of the Game Publishing Guide describes the “Raytracing” capability as graphical lighting effects, such as shadows, reflections, refraction, and global illumination, created by tracing rays through the environment. A game with the tag uses at least one of these effects. It does not necessarily use all of them.
- Useful for: building a shortlist of games that declare ray tracing support.
- Not useful for: confirming the effect type, whether it is always on, or how Series X and Series S differ for a specific title.
How to check a specific game
- Open the Xbox catalog in the Microsoft Store and apply the filter labeled “Games on Xbox for Ray Tracing.”
- Open the game’s listing and confirm that the edition you are looking at lists Xbox Series X|S as a supported console.
- Read the publisher’s feature description for the ray-traced effect, and check whether ray tracing is always on or tied to a specific graphics mode.
- After installing, open the game’s graphics settings and look for a ray tracing option or a mode that enables it. Note whether the setting changes resolution or frame rate.
- If the publisher does not state a performance trade-off, do not assume one. Record the setting you found and move on.
The four comparison points that matter
| Point | What to look for | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|
| Console | Series X, Series S, or both | The game’s Store listing |
| Effect | Reflections, shadows, refraction, global illumination, or a combination | The publisher’s feature description |
| Activation | Always on, or enabled through a graphics mode | The game’s graphics settings and publisher information |
| Trade-off | Any documented cost to resolution or frame rate | Only where the publisher states it; otherwise not stated |
Early planned-support list from 2020
Windows Central published a list of games with planned ray tracing support on 6 November 2020. It is useful as history, but it is a planned-support snapshot from before release. It does not confirm what shipped, and it does not confirm the state of any title on either console today. The list included:
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What is not established
No official Microsoft list was found that breaks down ray tracing support for each game on Series X and Series S separately. That means the 51 filtered results should not be read as having identical support on both consoles. For any title where the Series S version matters to you, use the game’s own listing and its published feature information, and check the graphics settings on that console.
The filter’s results can also change as titles are added, updated, or removed, so a check made today may not match a check made later.
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