Cyberpunk 2.0 Ray Reconstruction Comparison, DLSS 3.5, & Benchmarks

Summary

The video delves into the new features of Cyberpunk 2077 with Nvidia's DLSS 3.5 and Ray Reconstruction technology. It discusses the impact of Ray Reconstruction on lighting and visual quality, showcasing improvements in reflections, shadows, and overall scene depth. The script also addresses performance implications and bugs encountered during testing, concluding that Ray Reconstruction offers a generally positive visual enhancement with minimal performance cost.

Takeaways

• 😀 Nvidia and CD Projekt Red have implemented multiple embargoes to control the release of information about the new Cyberpunk updates and DLSS 3.5.
• 🔍 The script discusses Ray Reconstruction, a new feature introduced with Nvidia's DLSS 3.5, which aims to improve the visual quality of games like Cyberpunk 2.0.
• 💡 Ray Reconstruction is designed to enhance ray-traced lighting by intelligently predicting and outputting fully lit frames, potentially offering a better visual experience than traditional denoising techniques.
• 🎮 Cyberpunk 2.0 is presented as a significant update to the game, making it a good time for players to reevaluate the game, especially with the upcoming Phantom Liberty expansion.
• 📈 The video includes visual comparisons and benchmarks to demonstrate the impact of Ray Reconstruction on the game's lighting and environment interactions.
• 🛠️ Ray Reconstruction is enabled only on RT capable Nvidia cards when using DLSS upscaling, and it's mandatory for path tracing in Cyberpunk 2077.
• 📉 Despite the visual improvements, Ray Reconstruction has been observed to introduce some graphical artifacts and bugs, such as issues with transparent items and long light trails.
• 📊 The script mentions a slight performance uplift when using Ray Reconstruction, suggesting that it may not have a significant impact on frame rates.
• 🛑 The video highlights the need to verify and double-check graphics settings in Cyberpunk due to numerous bugs and inconsistencies in the game's menu system.
• 🌟 Ray Reconstruction is positioned as a 'no downsides upgrade' that could potentially offer better visual fidelity without compromising performance.
• 🎉 The script concludes that Ray Reconstruction is a valuable addition for Cyberpunk 2077, with the overall uplift being positive for most instances, and recommends enabling it for an improved gaming experience.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the video script regarding the new updates in Cyberpunk?

The main focus of the video script is on the new feature called Ray Reconstruction that debuted with Nvidia's DLSS 3.5 and its impact on Cyberpunk 2.0, including visual comparisons and performance benchmarks.

What are the different types of embargoes mentioned in the script related to the Cyberpunk updates?

The script mentions four different embargoes: a coverage embargo to announce the existence of embargoes, a review embargo for Phantom Liberty using only CDPR or self-captured screenshots and b-roll, a third for Cyberpunk 2.0 using first-party materials, and a fourth for Phantom Liberty allowing the use of own materials.

How does Ray Reconstruction work in the context of DLSS 3.5?

Ray Reconstruction is a feature of DLSS 3.5 that uses an AI model trained by Nvidia's supercomputers to intelligently predict and output fully lit frames, improving upon the inconsistencies and performance issues associated with traditional denoising in ray tracing.

What is the significance of Ray Reconstruction for gamers who have not played Cyberpunk since its launch?

For gamers who have not played Cyberpunk since its launch, Ray Reconstruction in Cyberpunk 2.0 is significant as it represents a major update that could make the game more visually appealing and potentially worth revisiting, especially with the upcoming Phantom Liberty expansion.

How does the video script describe the impact of Ray Reconstruction on in-game lighting and shadows?

The script describes Ray Reconstruction as having a significant impact on in-game lighting and shadows, making them appear sharper and more defined, and reducing issues such as ghosting and smearing that were present with traditional denoising methods.

What are the performance implications of enabling Ray Reconstruction in Cyberpunk 2.0 according to the script?

The script suggests that enabling Ray Reconstruction in Cyberpunk 2.0 may actually result in a performance uplift rather than a penalty, with an 8.5 to 8.6 percent advancement in performance observed during testing.

What is the role of the Thermaltake swappable blade fans in the video script?

The Thermaltake swappable blade fans are mentioned as a sponsor of the video, offering a product feature where fans can change the blade direction to optimize light presentation and cable management in PC builds.

What issues did the script identify with the Cyberpunk 2077 graphical settings menu?

The script identified numerous bugs with the Cyberpunk 2077 graphical settings menu, including settings getting reset for unclear reasons, inconsistencies in applying changes, and issues with the built-in benchmark that made it unreliable for visual comparison.

How does the script address the visual bugs encountered during the testing of Ray Reconstruction?

The script categorizes the visual bugs separately from the visual fidelity analysis, noting issues such as transparent items becoming partially invisible and long light trails appearing with Ray Reconstruction enabled, which were not present when the feature was disabled.

What is the script's final verdict on Ray Reconstruction in Cyberpunk 2.0?

The script concludes that Ray Reconstruction is generally a positive upgrade for Cyberpunk 2.0, offering the same or better visual quality in most cases and sometimes even outperforming native settings, with the added benefit of improved performance in this specific game test.