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Cyberpunk 2077 Ray Tracing Overdrive




      Cyberpunk 2077 is a game that has been praised for its immersive and futuristic world, but also criticized for its technical issues and bugs. However, the developers at CD Projekt Red have been working hard to improve the game and deliver new features and updates. One of the most anticipated updates is the Ray Tracing Overdrive Mode, which was released with patch 1.62 on April 11, 2023.

What is Ray Tracing Overdrive Mode?

Ray Tracing Overdrive Mode is a new graphics option that enables full-blown path-traced lighting in Cyberpunk 2077. Path tracing is a technique that simulates realistic light behavior by tracing rays of light as they bounce around the scene. Even in Psycho RT settings before only a limited number of light sources are traced but with the overdrive mode every light source is traced. This results in more accurate shadows, reflections, global illumination, ambient occlusion, and more.

Ray Tracing Overdrive Mode replaces all rasterized lighting with path-traced lighting, creating a more consistent and immersive visual experience. The game looks stunning with this mode, especially in dark and neon-lit environments, where the path-traced lighting creates a more dynamic and atmospheric mood.

But Ray Tracing Overdrive Mode also places a heavy burden on the hardware because it uses a lot of processing power to render each frame with path-traced lighting. This mode is only compatible with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 Series (4070 Ti and up) and on the RTX 3090 (1080p, 30 fps) according to CD Projekt Red. Path-traced screenshots can be rendered in Photo Mode for other ray-tracing-capable graphics cards with at least 8GB VRAM.

What are the Benefits of Ray Tracing Overdrive Mode?


Ray Tracing Overdrive Mode offers a significant improvement in image quality and realism compared to the previous ray-tracing modes in Cyberpunk 2077. The previous modes used a hybrid approach of combining rasterized and ray-traced lighting effects, which resulted in some inconsistencies and artifacts. For example, some light sources were not ray-traced, some shadows were missing or incorrect, some reflections were low-resolution or missing.

With Ray Tracing Overdrive Mode, all these issues are fixed, as every light source is path-traced and every pixel is accurately lit. The game looks more coherent and natural with this mode, as the lighting matches the geometry and materials of the scene. The game also looks more vibrant and colorful with this mode, as the path-traced lighting enhances the contrast and saturation of the scene.

Some of the most noticeable benefits of Ray Tracing Overdrive Mode are:

Source: Digital Foundry

  • More realistic shadows: Path tracing creates soft and hard shadows depending on the size and distance of the light source. The shadows also have more detail and variation, as they are affected by occlusion and scattering.
  • More realistic reflections: Path tracing creates accurate reflections on any surface, including curved and transparent ones. The reflections also have more detail and depth, as they are affected by roughness and refraction.
  • More realistic global illumination: Path tracing creates indirect lighting that bounces from one surface to another. This creates more natural and consistent lighting across the scene, as well as subtle color bleeding effects.
  • More realistic ambient occlusion: Path tracing creates darkening effects around corners and crevices where light is blocked or occluded. This creates more contrast and depth in the scene, as well as more realistic contact shadows.
  • More realistic translucency: Path tracing creates subsurface scattering effects that simulate how light passes through thin or semi-transparent objects like skin or cloth. This creates more lifelike skin tones and fabrics in the game.

What are the Drawbacks of Ray Tracing Overdrive Mode?

Ray Tracing Overdrive Mode is not without its drawbacks, as it comes with a hefty performance cost. According to CD Projekt Red, this mode requires the highest-performing hardware available to run it properly. Even with a powerful GPU like the RTX 4090, the game struggles to maintain a smooth framerate at 4K resolution with Overdrive Mode enabled. To achieve 60 FPS or higher, players need to use DLSS, an AI-based upscaling technology that boosts performance while preserving image quality.

According to some performance tests by Digital Foundry, the RTX 4090 can run the game at around 18 FPS at 4K native resolution with Overdrive Mode and DLSS off. With DLSS 2 performance mode on, the framerate jumps to around 60 FPS. With DLSS 3 frame generation on, the framerate reaches nearly 100 FPS.

At lower resolutions, such as 1440p and 1080p, the RTX 4090 can run the game at around 45 FPS and 60 FPS respectively with Overdrive Mode and DLSS off. With DLSS on, the framerate can go up to over 100 FPS at both resolutions.

For mid-tier GPUs, such as the RTX 4070 Ti, the game is barely playable with Overdrive Mode on. RTX 4070 Ti can run the game at around 15 FPS at 1080p native resolution with Overdrive Mode and DLSS off. With DLSS 2 performance mode on, the framerate improves to around 30 FPS. With DLSS 3 frame generation on, the framerate reaches around 50 FPS.

As this is a technology preview, Ray Tracing Overdrive Mode may also have some bugs and glitches that need to be fixed. Some users have reported issues such as flickering lights, missing textures, and crashes. CD Projekt Red and NVIDIA have stated that they are working on further full ray tracing enhancements, bug fixes, and performance optimizations.

Is Ray Tracing Overdrive Mode Worth It?

Ray Tracing Overdrive Mode is a remarkable feat of technology that showcases the potential of full ray tracing in video games. It transforms Cyberpunk 2077 into a stunning visual spectacle that rivals any Hollywood blockbuster. It also enhances the immersion and atmosphere of the game's dystopian world, making it more believable and captivating.

However, Ray Tracing Overdrive Mode is also a very demanding feature that requires a high-end PC to run it smoothly. Even with DLSS enabled, players may still experience some framerate drops and stuttering in some areas. Moreover, Ray Tracing Overdrive Mode may not be compatible with some mods or settings that alter the game's visuals or gameplay.

Therefore, Ray Tracing Overdrive Mode is not for everyone. It is a feature that is meant for enthusiasts who want to push their hardware to the limit and experience Cyberpunk 2077 in its full glory. For casual players who value performance and stability over graphics, Ray Tracing Overdrive Mode may not be worth it.

Ultimately, Ray Tracing Overdrive Mode is a matter of personal preference and choice. If you have a PC that can handle it and you want to see Cyberpunk 2077 in a new light, you should give it a try. If you don't have a PC that can handle it or you are happy with the game's current graphics options, you can skip it.

Either way, Ray Tracing Overdrive Mode is an impressive achievement that demonstrates the future of gaming graphics. It is a feature that will likely inspire other developers and games to adopt full ray tracing in their projects. It is also a feature that will likely improve over time as CD Projekt Red and NVIDIA continue to work on it and optimize it.

Sources 

  • Digital Foundry ( highly recommend watching this YouTube channel if you want to learn more )
  • IGN
  • Tomshardware
  • MSN
  • Tweaktown
  • Techpowerup

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