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‘NBA 2K21’ gameplay improvements: Massive graphics improvements anticipated with next-generation consoles arriving in 2020

From the “NBA 2K20: Next is Now” trailer | Photo credit: 2K Games via NBA 2K/YouTube screenshot

Sports sim video games mostly maintain a steady development timeline from one iteration to another. However, the transition from “NBA 2K20” to “NBA 2K21” this year is extra special because Visual Concepts and 2K Games will have to consider the arrival of next-generation consoles from Sony and Xbox.

These companies have yet to reveal other details about their new gaming hardware products, but it has been confirmed that both have a holiday 2020 release date window. This means that “NBA 2K21” will most likely launch just a little bit earlier than these consoles. It is then to far-fetched to start wondering how the developers would maximize the new gaming power that PlayStation 5 and Xbox’s Project Scarlett will offer.

NBA 2K21’: What the next-generation consoles mean for the next NBA sim

Aside from the usual CPU and GPU upgrades, PS5 and Project Scarlett are both confirmed to feature never-before-seen specs on gaming hardware to stay true to the “next-generation console” label. Fans may have heard that these consoles will both arrive with ray tracing, which is possibly one of the best techs to ever arrive in a gaming console. And it could benefit the development of upcoming games like “NBA 2K21.”

Ray tracing is a rendering technique mostly known to be used in film production and other computer-generated imagery. It works by tracing the ray of light from and then visually mimicking its effects as the light bounces of other objects in the image. This process produces very realistic images like what movie fans are seeing on modern animated films.

NBA 2K21’ graphics to make use of ray tracing technology?

Ray tracing requires a heavy amount of computing, so image generation on video games, even on PS5 and Project Scarlett, might not have the exact same quality as animated movies from Disney, Pixar, and other top movie producers.

However, gaming fans like the YouTube channel Dom suggests that 2K Games would most likely make the most out of ray tracing to bring in an all-new level of visual improvement on “NBA 2K21.” This could manifest in several ways, such as the more improved likeness of the NBA players, better shadows and lighting on the court, and better movements during every play.

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