The worlds first dedicated real-time ray tracing benchmark known as 3DMark Port Royal has been given a release date. UL Benchmarks announced the release date of the upcoming demo which will be arriving next month and showed off a video demonstrating the benchmark in action.You've no doubt heard all about the new RTX Nvidia GeForce 20 series graphics cards supporting Microsoft DirectX Raytracing, which has recently been showing off the RTX capabilities in Battlefield V, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and Metro Exodus. Well, as more video games are likely to begin using ray tracing in upcoming titles, more gamers are going to need to know if their PC can run these games efficiently.This is where 3DMark Port Royal comes in by putting the insides of your computer to the test by having a demo play out while using DirectX Raytracing technology. Those unsure of the technology, to put it simply, anything that would generate a reflection, such as vehicle exterior panels, windows, stone flooring, even a characters eyeballs, will generate real-time, high-quality reflections, shadows, and other effects.You can see some examples of ETX in action by having a look at the official GeForce trailer or have a look at EA DICE's Media Editor, Petri Levälahti's Tweet below,

UL Benchmarks has stated that they've worked with some of the leading technology companies:

"3DMark Port Royal was developed with input from AMD, Intel, NVIDIA, and other leading technology companies. We worked especially closely with Microsoft to create a first-class implementation of the DirectX Raytracing API."

The benchmark will run tests up to 2560 × 1440 and only run on graphics cards that support ray tracing technology. 3DMark Port Royal is an addition to the 3DMark family joining alongside other benchmarks: 3DMark Time Spy, 3DMark Night Raid, 3DMark Fire Strike and more.

3DMark originally launched in 2013 and is available as a Basic Edition, Advanced Edition, Professional Edition, or as a demo edition on Steam. However, 3DMark Port Royal will not be capable of running on the Basic and demo editions. For those who already own 3DMark, they'll be able to upgrade by purchasing a Port Royal upgrade for $2.99. From launch onwards, 3DMark Port Royal will be included with the Advanced Edition ($29.99) if purchased from Steam or UL Benchmarks online store.

You'll find the video embedded below, showing off a sci-fi scene with highly reflective floors, lots of light, and even an explosion of water particles bursting out. You'll be able to see character animations playing out smoothly while running the ray tracing feature.

3DMark Port Royal will be launching on January 8 next year.