Microsoft overhauls DirectX ray tracing to cut VRAM use by 90%

Microsoft has released a major preview update to DirectX Raytracing, introducing Clustered Geometry and Partitioned Top-Level Acceleration Structures. Instead of treating complex 3D models as single monolithic objects, clustered geometry breaks them into tiny reusable triangle units, while partitioned structures isolate updates to only the parts of a scene that move. In testing, this combined approach cut memory consumption for ray-tracing acceleration structures by up to 90% and accelerated build times by up to 66 times. The vendor-neutral API brings massive open-world rendering efficiency across Nvidia, AMD, and Intel GPUs without sacrificing visual detail.

Microsoft Developer Blogs · Oct 28, 2026