Reflections make water, glass and polished floors come alive, and the most common way games render them is a technique called screen space reflections, or SSR. It is efficient and widely used, but it has clear limitations that ray-traced reflections aim to solve. Understanding SSR helps you know why reflections sometimes look incomplete and whether the setting is worth its performance cost. This guide explains screen space reflections.
How screen space reflections work
SSR creates reflections using only the information already visible on screen. When a surface should reflect something, the technique looks at the pixels currently rendered and reuses them to fake the reflection. This is far cheaper than truly simulating reflected light, which is why it became the standard method for reflective surfaces in modern games.
Because it reuses on-screen data, SSR is convincing for reflections of objects that are visible in the frame, such as a character standing near reflective water whose reflection is clearly shown below them.
The limitations of SSR
The catch is in the name: SSR can only reflect what is on screen. If an object is off screen or hidden behind something, it cannot appear in the reflection, which causes visible artifacts, reflections that cut off at the screen edge, or objects that vanish from a reflection when you look away. You may notice a reflection disappearing as you tilt the camera.
SSR also struggles at grazing angles and can shimmer or flicker in motion. These flaws are the main reason ray-traced reflections, which can reflect off-screen geometry accurately, are such a noticeable upgrade, at a much higher performance cost.
| Reflection method | Reflects off-screen objects | Cost | Look |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screen space reflections | No | Moderate | Good, with edge artifacts |
| Cubemap / planar | Limited/static | Low | Basic |
| Ray-traced reflections | Yes | High | Most accurate |
Setting SSR for your hardware
Screen space reflections quality is often a meaningful performance setting; high SSR can cost a noticeable chunk of frame rate in games with lots of reflective surfaces, such as rainy cities. Lowering it to Medium usually keeps convincing reflections while recovering frames, and turning it off removes reflections but gives the biggest gain on weak GPUs.
If your GPU supports ray tracing and you value reflections in an atmospheric game, ray-traced reflections are the premium option, ideally paired with upscaling to offset the cost. For most players on mainstream hardware, medium SSR is the sensible balance of appearance and performance.
Spotting SSR artifacts and choosing a level
Once you know what to look for, SSR limitations are easy to spot: reflections that fade out toward the screen edges, objects vanishing from a puddle when you look up, or a slight shimmer on reflective surfaces in motion. These are not bugs but the inherent result of the technique only using on-screen information, and they are the reason ray-traced reflections look so much more complete.
For performance, SSR quality is often a meaningful slider, especially in rain-soaked or glass-heavy scenes. Medium usually keeps convincing reflections while recovering frames, and turning it off gives the biggest gain on weak GPUs at the cost of losing reflections entirely. If you have ray tracing hardware and value reflections in an atmospheric game, ray-traced reflections with quality upscaling are the premium alternative worth the cost.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do reflections disappear when I move the camera?
That is a limitation of screen space reflections, which can only reflect what is currently on screen. When an object moves off screen, it vanishes from the reflection. Ray-traced reflections solve this at a higher performance cost.
Is screen space reflections worth enabling?
Usually yes at Medium, which keeps convincing reflections for a reasonable cost. On weak GPUs chasing frames you can lower or disable it, and ray-traced reflections are the premium alternative for capable cards.
Are ray-traced reflections worth it over screen space reflections?
In atmospheric single-player games on capable hardware, yes, because they reflect off-screen objects accurately and remove SSR edge artifacts. In competitive games or on weaker GPUs, medium SSR is the more sensible balance of appearance and frame rate.
Bottom line
Screen space reflections render reflective surfaces cheaply by reusing what is already on screen, which is why reflections sometimes cut off at edges or vanish as you turn. It is a good-value setting at Medium for most players, while ray-traced reflections fix its limitations at a steep cost. Match the SSR level to your GPU, and reserve ray-traced reflections for capable cards with upscaling.
