You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games here As F1 25 races towards its release this month, EA’s Si Lumb has revealed that the PC-exclusive Path Tracing hasn’t just helped the PC version of the game achieve unparalleled realism, but played a key part in boosting other areas of presentation that can be enjoyed by current gen console owners. Speaking to VideoGamer, Senior Producer Lumb, reaffirmed that the PC version of F1 25 is the way to play the game if you’re after the most realistic experience. “If you have a PC capable of experiencing it, Path Tracing is the most realistic simulation of light on track we’ve ever delivered,” he said. “With it, everything looks exactly like it would on the track, making the venue feel more authentic. This is particularly important for true-to-life realism in sports games.” But console players, even those sporting the new PS5 Pro, shouldn’t be too downbeat. There are a host of improvements coming to this year’s game, some of which Lumb says have been enhanced specifically because of the work to bring Path Tracing to PC. “We like to say that Path tracing is also ‘a tide that lifts all boats’,” he said. “Once you have a Path Tracing codepath in your engine, it can be used to further validate and enhance all rendering solutions, even those for non-Path Tracing platforms. We look forward to both the direct and indirect benefits it will bring and help us reach even higher standards of realism and immersion for all.” “With it, everything looks exactly like it would on the track, making the venue feel more authentic. This is particularly important for true-to-life realism in sports games.”si lumb on path Tracing in f1 25 While Some of the biggest technical leaps in F1 25 are only on PC, Lumb explained that console players will also see an improvement. For example, This year, five tracks – Bahrain, Miami, Melbourne, Suzuka, and Imola – have been digitally scanned during actual F1 race weekends and rebuilt in-game using millions of data points, enabling unprecedented accuracy. “These tracks now reflect every bump and detail, including safety barriers and fan areas, as well as accurate foliage and tree representation off the track,” said Lumb. “PC players benefit from new technology like Path Tracing, but there are other innovations that help enhance the visual fidelity and authenticity of the game across all platforms. Some examples of these are updated track shaders, which make the circuit surface look more realistic; tone mapping, which creates a more dramatic effect across all weather conditions; more extensive facial animations are included in the game thanks to NVIDIA Audio2Face technology; and new cinematics, which will provide more immersive media, paddock, and podium scenes; to name a few.” When asked if the current generation of consoles could potentially stall technological ambition, Lumb was adamant that there is still room to grow. “We don’t ever think we are done, and with each new innovation, we always find new opportunities in the current gen. We’re always exploring new ways to optimise and innovate on all platforms, and our commitment to delivering the best possible experience for our console players remains as strong as ever.” Related Topics F1 25 Subscribe to our newsletters! By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime. Share