In the wake of Nvidia’s latest GeForce RTX 4070 cards, CD Projekt Red is bringing some serious new graphics capabilities to their hit open-world RPG. The newest Cyberpunk 2077 update patch 1.62, is available on PC and introduces the game’s first full ray-tracing mode.
The new feature is called “Path Tracing: Overdrive Mode,” and it’s exclusive to high-end PCs. The technology preview is still in its early stages, so players may encounter some initial issues when using it.
Path Tracing is a cutting-edge rendering method that uses path-traced lighting to create incredibly detailed, textured environments. It’s an ambitious addition that pushes graphical fidelity to the limit, but it also has a significant performance hit.
To help gamers who want to try out this new feature, developer CD Projekt Red is providing a technology preview version of Overdrive Mode featuring path-tracing. This preview is only available for very high-end gaming rigs and requires an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090 or RTX 4070, which both support path-tracing and are equipped with at least 8GB of VRAM.
This update also adds NVIDIA DLAA, an AI-based anti-aliasing mode, and supports Intel Xe Super Sampling 1.1, an upscaling technology that can provide dynamic scene upscaling in Cyberpunk 2077. Additionally, the in-game benchmark tool has been improved to include more information about a player’s system on the results screen.
While this technology preview is only available on high-end PCs, it’s a great example of how far ray tracing has come since it was first introduced to the gaming industry in late 2020. It’s certainly a step in the right direction and we look forward to seeing this new feature fully implemented in the game in the future.