Since yesterday, all owners of powerful computers can test the latest graphics mode in Cyberpunk 2077. Our native CDP, in cooperation with NVIDIA, has provided a preview version of the so-called. path-tracing, or otherwise – full ray-tracing, which completely changes the face of the entire game. How amazing the effects were achieved is a harbinger of next-generation graphics. I checked the performance in this mode in 4K and 2K resolution on three NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 series graphics cards.
I must admit that I did not expect the implementation of path-tracing in AAA computer games in 2023. It was the technology of the future, for years reserved for the most advanced, beautiful animations and fairy tales that delighted with their quality. Path-tracing, to put it simply, is a method of rendering three-dimensional scenes in such a way that the global illumination corresponds very faithfully to reality.A number of simulated effects such as soft shadows, depth of field, motion blur, caustics, ambient occlusion and indirect lighting, far beyond what “ordinary” ray-tracing can provide, must be taken into account. It’s not just more “lights”, but each scene undergoes gigantic changes. Finally, the light looks incredibly realistic, spreading around the room or surroundings in a natural way. In addition, the shadows look equally impressive, but this is not the end of the differences.
Cyberpunk 2077 gets a completely new face, but we’re talking only about graphics
Yes, in this text we will focus on the actual benefits of implementing path-tracing. I saw in the comments that many people negate these technologies, suggesting that Cyberpunk should get rid of a number of other problems first. Of course, that is beyond doubt. There are still bugs, flickering textures, lopsided animations and a number of other shortcomings, but in this text I would like to deal only with the new lighting generation system. I’m not surprised by the hardware requirements. CDP clearly communicates that a GeForce RTX 3090 graphics card (but sufficient for 1080p resolution in 30 frames) or at least a GeForce RTX 4070 Ti is required to run path-tracing.What’s more, even on the fastest system available today, i.e. the RTX 4090, it is impossible to play with satisfactory fluidity, because the number of frames drops to around 16. Only the use of DLSS 3 and the frame generator significantly improves the situation.
What is it caused by? First of all, the incredible amount of data that the graphics card must convert to generate such a beautiful image in real time. The light is literally everywhere. It is completely dependent on the weather and atmospheric conditions, on street lamps, neon lights, explosions, vehicle lights or reflections in puddles. It spreads throughout the rooms in a great way, generating spectacular effects, and in this it is completely dependent on the changing time of day and night.Here, even bad weather looks beautiful, because it completely changes the look of the scene. Sunsets are literally breathtaking, and the incredible number of reflections and details introduces an absolutely new quality to computer graphics. I only judge the lighting and shading, because the characters could have better animations or facial expressions, but their appearance also changed when path-tracing came. It has changed for the better.
I was most captivated by the feeling that when driving under the viaduct, you can almost feel the coldness that prevails there. The game has gained gigantic depth, and all possible shadows are finally where they should be. The light spreads in such a way that it is hard to imagine that this is only a preview version and CDP will continue to develop it. The sun’s rays are sharp and penetrating exactly where we might expect it.Metal surfaces reflect every single fragment of the environment. The windows cast reflections of the contents of the room, and all the neons and reflections fill the nearby area with their color, reaching even the deeply hidden nooks and crannies. The ambient occlusion has gained a lot, the appearance of all plants has also changed, and shadows consistent with reality are visible on the character’s clothes (behind the collar, in relation to the sun, it will be dark now) or under vehicles, where the shadow is cast by each of the wheels, and not the entire chassis, well unless the sun is very high. The reflections in the puddles and car windows themselves have greatly improved in quality and sharpness.
When we travel through Night City and look around the surrounding buildings, we can see literally every single detail related to lighting. When we talk about metal escape stairs, we see how the sun reflects from each of the parts of the structure, beautifully illuminating the object, adding such a delicate glow around it. It’s not a very visible glow, but such gradient, warm transitions that look like life. It is similar when we look at the city from a distance just after sunset. All neons, reflections and lights emanate, creating the impression that this is where the center of life is. Even garbage lying on the streets (like pizza boxes or soda cans) got its shadows and reflections. When at some point there is no light source, it will become very dark, in accordance with reality.Driving through the streets is also great, when suddenly from the illuminated road we fall between large skyscrapers, and the whole scene gets darker and darker with every second. Not immediately, but gently, as if someone was taking this light away from us. The effect, similar to that known from huge cities, is absolutely real and makes an electrifying impression. Below is a direct comparison between RT in unbelievable mode and path-racing.
Cyberpunk 2077 in RT Overdrive mode is one of those games that you literally have to see live. It’s a completely different experience when you can see for yourself how such advanced technology works and I hope it will reach a wider audience soon. As is usually the case with technological innovations, the entry price is also very high here, but the effects are literally stunning (and what’s worse, you can’t see them on such a scale and with such momentum in static images). I am a supporter of progress, which is why I strongly support path-tracing in as many games as possible and I hope that developers will be more willing and bolder to adapt such a solution in their titles.This way of tracing the rays changes the perspective and makes it finally possible to talk about the expected and real breakthrough. This is what I’ve been waiting for, although I didn’t think that thanks to DLSS 3, the frame generator and NVIDIA techniques, I would get it today in such a satisfactory fluidity.
Source: PewGames