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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →If ray tracing is greyed out in Minecraft, first check which edition and platform you’re using. Mojang’s built-in ray tracing is a Windows PC feature for Bedrock Edition, not Java Edition, and it also requires a DirectX ray-tracing-capable graphics card and a compatible world or resource pack. If the greyed-out option is actually Vibrant Visuals, that is a separate graphics mode with different restrictions.
Why is ray tracing greyed out in Minecraft?
The most common reason is that the game, platform, graphics hardware, or current world does not meet the feature’s requirements. Minecraft’s PC product page identifies ray tracing with Bedrock Edition; Mojang’s guidance describes the implementation for Windows PC. The setting does not apply to Java Edition, and playing Bedrock on a console or mobile device does not mean the Windows PC ray-tracing feature is available there. Minecraft for PC product details | Mojang’s ray-tracing guidance
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Check your edition and platform first
- Java Edition: The built-in Windows Bedrock ray-tracing setting is not a Java Edition feature.
- Minecraft for Windows (Bedrock): This is the edition to check if you are trying to use Mojang’s documented Windows ray tracing.
- Console or mobile Bedrock: Do not assume the Windows PC feature is supported just because the game is Bedrock Edition. Mojang’s cited ray-tracing instructions are for Windows PC.
Check the edition name in the Minecraft Launcher before changing graphics settings or considering new hardware.
Check whether your PC has a ray-tracing-capable GPU
Mojang’s general requirement is a DirectX ray-tracing-capable GPU. Its December 2020 launch article gives an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 or better as an example; that example is not a guarantee that every other component or world will be compatible. Mojang’s launch article
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A Minecraft Help requirements result also lists NVIDIA GeForce RTX 20-series-or-newer and AMD Radeon RX 6000-series-or-newer examples, along with 64-bit Windows, an Intel Core i5-equivalent processor, more than 8 GB of RAM, PC hardware, and Bedrock 1.16.200 or newer. The result is localized into Portuguese and warns that its translation may be AI-generated, so treat those figures as a guide rather than a definitive current compatibility list. Check the current requirements for your particular PC before making a hardware decision. Minecraft Help: ray-tracing requirements
Update the game, Windows, and graphics driver
If the edition and GPU appear suitable, update Minecraft, Windows, and the Windows graphics driver, then check the game’s video settings again. Minecraft Help recommends these updates, along with checking minimum system requirements, when troubleshooting Bedrock graphics issues. Minecraft Help: troubleshooting Bedrock graphics issues
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- 3.125-slot design with massive fin array optimized for airflow from three Axial-tech fans
- Phase-change GPU thermal pad helps ensure optimal thermal performance and longevity, outlasting traditional thermal paste for graphics cards under heavy loads
Try a ray-tracing-supported world or resource pack
A capable graphics card by itself does not make every Minecraft world ray-traced. Mojang’s ray-tracing guidance describes supported maps and worlds available through Marketplace and explains that ray-tracing worlds use physically based rendering (PBR) texture packs. If the option is unavailable in an ordinary world, try content specifically made for ray tracing. Mojang’s ray-tracing guidance
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Bedrock add-ons can conflict and cause visual problems. Before changing packs, make a backup of the world. Then disable optional resource or behavior packs one at a time and check whether the setting becomes available. Some maps and templates require particular packs, so removing a required pack can change how that content works. Minecraft Help: add-on troubleshooting
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If the greyed-out setting is Vibrant Visuals
Vibrant Visuals is a separate graphics mode, not another name for the Windows Bedrock ray-tracing setting. Minecraft Help lists three reasons its setting may be unavailable: you are actively inside a world, your system does not meet its compatibility requirements, or the world or texture packs conflict with it. Save and exit the world, return to the launch screen, and open settings there. If it remains unavailable, check system and pack compatibility. These conditions apply to Vibrant Visuals; they should not be substituted for ray tracing’s separate Windows, GPU, and supported-content checks. Minecraft Help: Vibrant Visuals troubleshooting
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