A public beta of Minecraft powered by RTX will launch this Thursday (April 16, 2020) on the Xbox Insider Program (PC version). This free ray-tracing update will completely revamp the game with Past Racer, a comprehensive rendering system that delivers realistic shadows, reflections, global illumination, and more. [because few other DXR-capable cards (strictly the Pascal 10 and Turing 16 series) can complete the task without feeling dizzy or throwing up on the keyboard. RTX-powered Minecraft will also be available as a DLSS 2.0-capable title. It will require RTX 20-series tensor cores to keep Nvidia's neural nets running and frame times ticking.

The beta version will include only limited multiplayer functionality from initial launch and will be available only among beta users. Microsoft has informed us that full multiplayer compatibility across Minecraft, including RTX and other Minecraft players, will be included later this year along with a full update.

The beta includes six new RTX worlds available on the Minecraft Marketplace, which were created specifically for the beta by the best Minecraft creator community.

I got an early peek at five of the six worlds above, each using different blocks, features, and structures to showcase the technology; Colour, Light, and Shadow is a clear showcase of what can be done with RTX, while the others showcase how ray tracing shows how it can be used to add rich atmospheres to cuboidal game worlds.

"What Minecraft with RTX brings to the game can only be described as mind-blowing," says RazzleberryFox, CEO of Razzleberries. "The addition of these amazing visuals to Minecraft has reinvigorated our creativity and allowed us to create amazing new worlds and experiences in Minecraft that were previously impossible.

We invite you to get out your minecart and ride the roller coaster on Imagination Island. Also, if anyone can tell me how to escape the underwater maze at Aquatic Adventure, let me know.

If you want to try out RTX-powered Minecraft for yourself, and I know many of you have been waiting patiently for over 8 months, I suggest you sign up for the Xbox Insider Program. It's easy to join - just go to the Xbox Insider website and click Join Now.

Also, the Minecraft with RTX trailer is available today, so try not to get bored while you wait for your own ride.

That's about all we can tell you right now about Minecraft's most important visual overhaul to date, but we're still messing around with the ray-traced world, so stay tuned for a Minecraft with RTX preview later this week.