Far Cry 6 PS5 and Xbox Series X versions drop ray tracing

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Ubisoft favors 60FPS gameplay over ray tracing for new-gen

Far Cry 6 Yara
(Image credit: Ubisoft)

Far Cry 6 will drop ray tracing on PS5 and Xbox Series X in favor of 60fps gameplay.

Earlier this week, Wccftech reported that Far Cry 6 would be limiting ray tracing features to PC only, skipping out PS5 and Xbox Series X. In a statement provided to TechRadar shortly after the interview, Ubisoft confirmed the news, stating that they would be dropping ray tracing for the PS5 and Xbox Series X versions of Far Cry 6 to prioritize 60FPS.

"Ray Tracing is a PC-only feature," the statement from Ubisoft reads. "On console our objective has been to take advantage of new hardware capabilities, optimizing performance targeting 4K and achieving 60FPS for instance, all while ensuring that the experience on the previous generation of console would remain consistent."

This is somewhat surprising, since Watch Dogs Legion, Ubisoft's blockbuster from late 2020, supported ray tracing on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X. Ray tracing was utilized in Watch Dogs Legion for some impressive shadow and reflection details, and it was even offered for the Xbox Series S version of the game, albeit at a far lower graphical fidelity. Watch Dogs Legion never achieved 60FPS on new-gen consoles though, opting for ray tracing and better graphics instead.

Far Cry 6 launches next month on October 7, for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S. Like Watch Dogs Legion before it though, Ubisoft is offering a free new-gen upgrade to anyone who purchases any version of the upcoming game on either PS4 or Xbox One. 

To see what we made of Ubisoft's open-world shooter after a fair few hours with it, head over to our Far Cry 6 preview for more.

Hirun Cryer
Hirun Cryer
Freelance Writer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.