AMD RDNA 4 GPUs To Debut Several New Ray Tracing Features

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Malik Usman

At HI Digital I test and write about different hardware configurations to show other PC users what they can expect from their build. My end goal is to educate the masses to make the right decision when they are looking for new PC parts to buy

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While AMD is still working on its next-generation RDNA 4 GPU design, leaks have pointed to an improved ray tracing engine for the GPU series, which will be compatible with the PS5 Pro console and graphics cards from the Radeon RX 8000 series.

There have been earlier reports that the ray tracing engine in AMD’s RDNA 4 GPUs would undergo significant modifications. The PS5 Pro and Radeon RX 8000 graphics cards will be powered by GPUs with these improved RT blocks.

Why it matters: AMD has historically struggled with ray tracing despite efforts to improve in this department. If the RDNA 4 can make major leaps, AMD will be closer to competing with Nvidia than it has been in recent years.

https://imgur.com/a/m0XWBxX

According to leaker Kepler, the PS5 Pro console will host “most, if not all,” of the new RT features offered with RDNA 4. Some of the features listed by the leaker include:

• RT instance node transform
• 64B RT node
• Double Ray Tracing Intersection Engine

The other improvements can be seen in the document shared by Kepler.

Given that Nvidia’s Blackwell-based GeForce RTX 50 series GPUs, such as the GeForce RTX 5090 and GeForce RTX 5080, are next-generation performance titans, AMD may not be able to compete with these GPUs.

That being said, it is encouraging to see AMD making strides in this department. A focus on performance and efficiency for RDNA 4’s ray tracing should prove to be quite useful, especially with modern games relying on this technology. AMD may have a competitive advantage with these latest RDNA 4 GPU modifications.

The flagship Navi 48 GPU is anticipated to debut at CES 2025 in January 2025, and the Navi 44 GPU is anticipated to debut in Q2 2025. As a result, AMD will likely launch RDNA 4 GPUs by 2025.

However, the PS5 Pro is expected in late 2024. Therefore, those looking to get an early look at RDNA 4 should anticipate this console’s release.

Malik Usman

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