Cyberpunk 2077 is getting an Overdrive mode this month, enabling path tracing for PC users with fancy RTX graphics cards.
Despite some janky moments at launch, Cyberpunk 2077 has always been a pretty looking game. But what if CD Projeckt Red’s sprawling Blade Runner-’em-up didn’t just look pretty, but really, really, really, ridiculously good-looking?
To make that happen, you’ll need a PC, a copy of Cyberpunk 2077, and a GeForce RTX 40 Series graphics card. Armed with all that, you’ll be able to fire up Nvidia’s really, really, really, ridiculously good-looking mode – or Overdrive Mode, as it’s actually calling it.
Due out on 11 April, the update will add “full ray tracing, otherwise known as path tracing”. What does that mean? Let Nvidia explain (thanks, Kotaku):
Full ray tracing accurately simulates light throughout an entire scene. It is used by visual effects artists to create film and TV graphics that are indistinguishable from reality, but until the arrival of GeForce RTX GPUs with RT Cores, and the AI-powered acceleration of NVIDIA DLSS, real-time video game full ray tracing was impossible because it’s extremely GPU intensive.
If you want to know what all this means in practice, Nvidia has you covered with a handy preview video:
As you can see, it all looks absolutely gorgeous. Shadows are softer and more realistic, and the whole game runs buttery-smooth, even when there’s all sorts of chaos going on.
The wonders of path tracing really come into their own, though, when night falls. With the power of your fancy RTX card, rays of coloured light from neon signs now bounce around the scene, illuminating everything with a rich, realistic glow.
The bad news, of course, is that you’ll need a high-end PC to run Overdrive Mode, with 40 Series cards alone retailing for at least £800. If you’re lucky enough to have a PC capable of running it, though, Cyberpunk 2077’s new mode truly is really, really, really, ridiculously good-looking.
Overdrive Mode is out on 11 April.
