Path Tracing
Ongoing coverage on Path Tracing.
Latest coverage
Saturday Patches
This article discusses recent unofficial game patches and mods, highlighting a Starfield mod that adds over 2300 light sources to its cities and a new path tracing mod for Max Payne. The focus is on community-driven enhancements for various games.
Nvidia Introduces ReSTIR PT Enhanced With Up to 2.74× Speed Improvement
Nvidia has introduced ReSTIR PT Enhanced, a new rendering technology that significantly improves the efficiency of real-time path tracing, offering performance gains of up to 2.74x. This advancement aims to make advanced lighting techniques more accessible for a wider range of hardware. While still a research breakthrough, the technology has generated enthusiasm within the gaming community for its potential to bring path tracing closer to mainstream adoption.
Some gamers are going full conspiracy theory over Pragmata's path tracing vs ray tracing debate, so I've donned my tin foil hat and taken a look
Some gamers are debating the visual differences and performance implications between path tracing and ray tracing in Capcom's new sci-fi game, Pragmata. While path tracing offers more realistic lighting and reflections, it significantly impacts frame rates, leading to discussions about whether the differences justify the performance cost or if it's a push to sell more high-end GPUs. The author suggests that standard ray tracing provides a good visual experience with better performance.
Nvidia graphics research just made a 2-3x gain in performance, and this time it didn't use AI
Nvidia has published new graphics research detailing techniques like reciprocal neighbor selection and duplication maps that can reportedly achieve a 2-3x performance increase in path tracing scenarios without AI. This advancement aims to improve the efficiency of ray sampling for more realistic lighting in demanding rendering processes. While the research revises existing algorithms like ReSTIRs, it's currently unclear how and when these improvements will be implemented in games or if they will require new hardware.
Morning Patches
This article provides updates on various game patches and mods, including an official patch for No Man's Sky and an unofficial native PC port release for Mega Man 64. It also mentions the first version of a path tracing mod for Duke Nukem 3D.
Full path tracing might not be such a GPU hog in future, as Nvidia claims over 2x performance improvements in new…
Nvidia researchers have developed an enhanced version of the ReSTIR PT technique, claiming over a 2x performance improvement for path tracing. This advancement aims to make full path tracing more efficient and production-ready for games, potentially reducing the reliance on workarounds like Lumen for global illumination. The improvements address correlation artifacts and noise, leading to a significant speedup and better visual quality.
Pragmata’s, Resident Evil Requiem’s RE Engine Path Tracing Integration Explained in Hour-Long Video
Capcom and Nvidia have released an hour-long GDC talk detailing the integration of path tracing into the RE Engine for Resident Evil Requiem and Pragmata. The implementation, which took a year and a half, utilizes Nvidia's DLSS Ray Reconstruction for denoising and is exclusive to RTX graphics cards. The developers discuss design choices made to optimize performance and visual fidelity, including compensation for brightness and the use of specific lighting models.
Nvidia's very keen on you 'catching the future of real-time rendering' at this year's GTC, though I suggest not waiting with bated breath for anything groundbreaking
Nvidia's CEO Jensen Huang is expected to discuss the future of real-time rendering, likely focusing on AI integration within the graphics pipeline, at the upcoming GTC event. While the exact announcements are speculative, potential topics include AI-driven path tracing improvements and new DLSS features, though new hardware releases like the RTX 50-series Super refresh seem unlikely due to DRAM shortages.
'We want that the real-time images look indistinguishable from reality. We want them to look like a film.' Nvidia has lofty goals for path-traced graphics, but its support for Microsoft's shader stutter cure is a lot more interesting to me
Nvidia aims for photorealistic graphics in future games by leveraging AI and path tracing, with a focus on improving real-time rendering to be indistinguishable from film. The company is also officially supporting Microsoft's Advanced Shader Delivery system to eliminate shader compilation stutters for PC gamers, with broader adoption expected across platforms and hardware vendors.
The Witcher 4, Control Resonant, And More Will Use Nvidia's Ray Tracing Enhancements
Nvidia is introducing new graphical enhancements focused on improving path tracing performance in open-world games, particularly for complex geometry like foliage and architecture. Their Mega Geometry system clusters geometric data to reduce computational load. This technology is being integrated into Unreal Engine and will be featured in upcoming titles like The Witcher 4 and Control Resonant.
007 First Light NVIDIA Partnership PC Performance Features Revealed
IO Interactive and NVIDIA have detailed the PC performance features for the upcoming James Bond game, 007 First Light. The partnership brings DLSS 4.5 integration, full path tracing for realistic lighting, and GeForce NOW cloud gaming support. The game is set to release on May 27 for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2.
Tides of Annihilation Lights Things Up With An Official Path Tracing Trailer For PC
A new trailer for Tides of Annihilation showcases its advanced path tracing technology on PC, highlighting impressive lighting and particle effects. The fantasy hack-and-slash game from Eclipse Glow, set in a dystopian London, features NVIDIA's DLSS 4.5. While a release date for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S was not announced, the trailer demonstrates the game's visual fidelity.
CONTROL Resonant | Launching With Path Tracing & DLSS 4.5
Control Resonant is set to launch later this year with advanced graphical features including path tracing and NVIDIA RTX Mega Geometry. The game will also incorporate DLSS 4.5 and DLSS Ray Reconstruction for enhanced performance and visual fidelity.
CONTROL Resonant | Launching With Path Tracing & DLSS 4.5
Remedy Entertainment's upcoming game, Control Resonant, will feature path tracing and DLSS 4.5 at launch. This new title is a follow-up to the 2019 paranormal action-adventure game Control, and is described as Remedy's first-ever melee action game.
Control Resonant Will Support Latest NVIDIA RTX Tech at Launch
Remedy Entertainment announced that Control Resonant will feature NVIDIA DLSS 4.5 and full path tracing at launch. Technical Director of Graphics Tatu Aalto stated that DLSS Ray Reconstruction and DLSS 4.5 Dynamic Multi Frame Generation will enhance the game's visual quality and performance on PC.
Microsoft will start providing game studios with Project Helix consoles in 2027
Microsoft plans to begin distributing early development kits for its next-generation console, codenamed Project Helix, to game studios starting in 2027. The new system will support both Xbox console games and PC games, featuring a custom AMD chip capable of path tracing graphics. Microsoft and AMD are collaborating on technologies similar to those being developed for Sony's next PlayStation console.
Evening Tech Bits
Nvidia announced new features for its Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) technology, including DLSS 4.5 Dynamic Multi Frame Generation launching March 31. The company also revealed that DLSS 4.5 and path tracing will be implemented in games like 007: First Light and Control, alongside updates for RTX Remix.
Control Resonant Will Support Path Tracing, RTX Mega Geometry and DLSS 4.5 at Launch
Remedy Entertainment's upcoming game, Control Resonant, will feature advanced graphical technologies including Path Tracing, RTX Mega Geometry, and DLSS 4.5 at launch. The game, a sequel to Control, is set seven years later and takes place in Manhattan. It is scheduled for release later this year on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC, with the studio aiming for 60 FPS on all platforms.
Third time's hopefully the charm as Nvidia releases hotfix driver to tackle voltage issues and Resident Evil…
Nvidia has released a hotfix driver, version 595.76, to address performance issues and visual glitches in Resident Evil 4, particularly concerning path tracing. The driver also resolves an issue where GPU voltage could be capped when overclocked, preventing expected boosting. Nvidia advises caution as hotfix drivers undergo a less rigorous QA process than standard WHQL releases.
Nvidia hotfix targets broken GeForce driver that followed previous broken GeForce driver
Nvidia has released a new hotfix driver, version 595.76, to address issues with its previous GeForce driver updates. The latest driver aims to fix unintended voltage capping on RTX 50 series cards, resolve visual glitches in Resident Evil Village: Winters Expansion, and improve path tracing performance. This follows a series of problematic driver releases that have caused instability for PC gamers.
