Volumetric lighting (or just “volumetrics”) is often referred to as “god rays” in video games. Volumetrics is a technique used in three-dimensional computer graphics that adds lighting effects into a rendered scene.
The idea of volumetrics seems to stem from cinematography. It’s often applied to 3D modeling and rendering, especially when three-dimensional gaming is concerned.
Having the volumetrics effects on is decent enough for your average gamer, but turning the effect up to Ultra can decimate your framerate with a minuscule difference in the overall visual quality.
Volumetrics FAQ
Volumetric Lighting Explained
Volumetric lighting is an amazing illusion created when specific lighting techniques convey a specific perspective in a set space. It is a modern staple in physical lighting models.
The effect is manifested as visible beams of light that shine throughout an environment. Volumetric lighting effectively replaces flat lighting in video games.
Using volumetric lighting provides a realistic depth to any video game scene and amplifies the visuals overall.
Volumetric Fog
Volumetric fog is a derivative of the volumetric lighting technique. Instead of adding light beams, the effect creates a dense fog within the scene. When combined with volumetric lighting, this makes for intensely atmospheric visuals in your game.
While the name suggests that the effect is only accomplished through fog, that is not true. Volumetric fog can be achieved with fogs, clouds, dust, smoke, and any other airborne materials capable of material particle occlusion.
The combination of both volumetric lighting and fog greatly amplifies the results of the techniques. Most of the time, the two are used together to achieve amazing scenery effects.
Examples of Volumetrics
Both volumetric lighting and volumetric fog are heavily utilized when creating graphical effects for modern games. It’s hard to find a game that specifically uses one or the other.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is repeatedly referenced when looking at the amazing effects that proper volumetric lighting and volumetric fog can achieve. The entire game is packed with stunning volumetric effects, whether you’re waking up to a misty morning out on the plains or dredging through an intense snowstorm in the mountains.
It’s safe to say that the scenery in Red Dead Redemption 2 is absolutely gorgeous. Volumetric effects are the main reason for this.
These effects are typically intertwined, but that’s not always the case. A game that provides a good example of this is Alien Isolation, as it only uses volumetric lighting to create depth within its scenes.
How Demanding Are Volumetrics?
Volumetric effects are some of the most demanding graphics settings that you will find in many games. Volumetrics puts a ton of performance pressure on the GPU, which can cause frame rate drops from 5 to 40 percent, depending on the game.
You can always try to turn the effect down to medium or low before disabling it completely. However, if you have a high-end graphics card and can meet the performance requirements, it’s worth turning the volumetrics up as high as they will go.
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