To understand the baseline timeline, this direct comparison tracks the historical jump of each major V-Ray milestone across the standard 3ds Max implementation:
V-Ray 7 is the current version as of 2025–2026. Always check Chaos’s official website for the latest point releases.
Navigating the timeline of all V-Ray versions provides critical context for updating legacy projects, understanding feature deprecation, and managing production workflows today. Currently, Chaos officially supports and V-Ray 6 across major 3D platforms, while offering legacy access and active archival documentation for earlier milestones. vray all versions list
Added built-in presets for complex materials like plastic, car paint, and metals inside the standard V-Ray Material. 🌐 The World-Building Era: V-Ray 6
** The Transitional Bridge:** Target: V-Ray 3.0 – 3.6. To understand the baseline timeline, this direct comparison
| Version | Release Year | Key Features | |---------|--------------|----------------| | 2.0 | 2010 | V-Ray RT (real-time GPU rendering), VRayCarPaint, VRayFur, Lens Effects, Dome Light. | | 2.1 | 2011 | Improved RT GPU, VRayStereo, VRayMDL, faster proxies. | | 2.2 | 2011 | VRayDirt (AO), VRayMultiSubTex, better network rendering. | | 2.3 | 2012 | VRayBlendMtl, VRayScene, support for 3ds Max 2013. | | 2.4 | 2013 | VRayVolumeGrid (Phoenix FD integration), OpenEXR 2.0, raw caching. |
| Version | Release Year | Key Features | |---------|--------------|----------------| | V-Ray 7.0 | 2025 | Full AI-assisted rendering, Neural denoiser 2.0, VRayProceduralScatter, real-time caustics, USD native support, Chaos Cloud AI upscaling. | Currently, Chaos officially supports and V-Ray 6 across
Enhanced V-Ray Decal with cylindrical mapping and added customized light decay controls. It also introduced the initial stages of USD (Universal Scene Description) pipeline compatibility.
: Brought the revolutionary Irradiance Map and Light Cache algorithms, establishing V-Ray’s signature balance of speed and photorealism. The Production Standard Era (2009–2014) V-Ray 2.0 (2010)
Since its commercial release in 2002, has evolved from a niche ray-tracing engine into the global standard for architectural visualization, visual effects, and product design. Developed by Chaos (formerly Chaos Group), V-Ray is renowned for its ability to balance speed, quality, and scalability across CPU, GPU, and hybrid rendering.
: Adaptive Dome Light, automatic exposure/white balance, and a unified V-Ray GPU architecture.
