Tag: 2077
‘Cyberpunk 2077’ is getting a path-tracing ‘Overdrive Mode’ in April
Nvidia wants game developers to remember that ray tracing isn’t the end of the line. A new Cyberpunk 2077 technology preview (“Overdrive Mode”) supports path tracing, the next goalpost to make games look even prettier and keep you buying expensive new GPUs. The two-year-old game joins Minecraft, Portal and Quake II — titles with relatively primitive graphics — in supporting the technology. In addition, Nvidia announced the availability of a developer kit to pave the way for the next generation of bleeding-edge graphics.
While ray tracing follows a single beam of light across a virtual scene, path tracing follows the light as it bounces around an environment, more realistically mimicking how it works in the physical world. It determines how nearby surfaces reflect or absorb the light, producing physically accurate soft shadows that more easily convince our brains that we’re viewing a natural, real-life scene. And humans perceiving graphics as more realistic is (naturally) an advancement the gaming industry will pursue without hesitation. Hollywood has used path tracing for decades, but it was a slow and expensive process that couldn’t work on consumer gear or in anything close to real-time.
However, we need to keep our expectations in check for the moment: You’ll need the most powerful Nvidia RTX 40-series GPUs to enjoy Cyberpunk 2077’s path tracing (and those who do may run into performance issues). Still, Nvidia is eager to nudge the industry toward what will be increasingly possible for consumer graphics in the coming years.
Nvidia says two of its technologies were vital in producing this milestone: DLSS 3 (AI-based image upscaling without performance loss) and Shader Execution Reordering (more efficient ray tracing without losing quality). “DLSS allows games to render 1/8th of the pixels, then uses AI and GeForce RTX Tensor Cores to reconstruct the rest, dramatically multiplying frame rates, while delivering crisp, high-quality images that rival native resolution,” Nvidia explained in its announcement.
Although we’ll probably have to wait a while before this technology becomes widely accessible, Nvidia launched a new SDK this week to let developers prepare. Owners of the latest and greatest Nvidia GPUs can test the Cyberpunk 2077 “Overdrive Mode” tech preview starting on April 11th.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cyberpunk-2077-is-getting-a-path-tracing-overdrive-mode-in-april-171558980.html?src=rss
Forget ray tracing, Cyberpunk 2077 path tracing is coming to PC
Ray tracing is all the rage, but Cyberpunk 2077 could help make path tracing a viable gaming PC feature. While you’ll need one of the best graphics card options around to take full advantage of the rendering technique, CD Projekt Red says it’s working with Nvidia to make the method a mainstream setting.
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This new Cyberpunk 2077 texture mod makes Night City more eye-popping than ever
Keanu Reeves loves his bad-mouthed Cyberpunk 2077 role as much as you
Surprising absolutely no one at this point, Cyberpunk 2077’s Johnny Silverhand actor Keanu Reeves has proved once again that he’s one of the nicest people to ever live, as he shares his love for Silverhand, CD Projekt Red, and Cyberpunk in general. Reeves answered a question about the RPG game in a recent Reddit AMA while doing promo work for John Wick 4, and his response about working on the game, along with all of his other answers, was about as delightful as you’d expect.
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Cyberpunk 2077 joins the list of Steam Deck verified games
It’s 2023 and Cyberpunk 2077 finally works… on the Steam Deck, I mean (it’s worked elsewhere for a while now.) The open-world RPG has always been playable on the portable machine, but it’s now Steam Deck verified – meaning Valve have tested it and used their almighty wisdom to determine it’ll run without a hitch.
Hogwarts Legacy sets Twitch world record, beating Cyberpunk 2077
The new Harry Potter game, Hogwarts Legacy, has already broken one world record on Twitch and is fast approaching a second, surpassing fellow RPG game Cyberpunk 2077, as well as Elden Ring, World of Warcraft, and Call of Duty. It comes just after the Hogwarts Legacy early access period, but still days ahead of the full Hogwarts Legacy release date.
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New Cyberpunk 2077 mod from top Witcher 3 mod creator overhauls looks
A huge visual upgrade is on the way for Cyberpunk 2077, but not from CDPR. The creator of the most-downloaded Witcher 3 mod announces that they’re currently in development on their next project, Cyberpunk 2077 HD Reworked. The comprehensive project for CD Projekt Red’s open-world RPG game is set to become one of the best Cyberpunk 2077 mods with texture overhauls across the whole game, with some work already complete and viewable in an announcement trailer.
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Cyberpunk 2077 mod lets you eat your way through Night City
There’s a lot of food on display in Cyberpunk 2077, but you rarely get to sample any of it – at least, outside a few pre-scripted cutscenes. Now, a new Cyberpunk 2077 mod adds new interactions at Night City’s many food vendors, so you can grab a hot dog or a taco as you make your way through the open-world game.
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This Cyberpunk 2077 makes smart weapons smarter
Cyberpunk 2077 smart weapons offer the ease of use of the Zorg ZF-1 pod weapon from The Fifth Element – you point the gun, and all the bullets will make sure they reach their target. The trouble is, the RPG game makes important distinctions between different areas of the body, and its smart weapons… don’t. Not to worry though: now there’s a Cyberpunk 2077 mod that makes sure smart weapons go for headshots.
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