Cyberpunk 2077's photorealistic DreamPunk mod looks incredible in 8K with a GeForce RTX 4090

DreamPunk 2.1 is the latest photorealistic mod for Cyberpunk 2077 from NextGen Dreams, and it looks incredible running on a GeForce RTX 4090.

Cyberpunk 2077's photorealistic DreamPunk mod looks incredible in 8K with a GeForce RTX 4090
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Thanks to developers CD Projekt Red's ongoing support, the Phantom Liberty expansion, and tech like Path Tracing and DLSS, Cyberpunk 2077 is still one of the most visually impressive games you can play on a modern PC. Running on the company's internal Red Engine, it's a technical marvel open to modders to tweak and tune to their liking.

Cyberpunk 2077 with the DreamPunk 2.1 visual overhaul mod, image credit: NextGen Dreams.

Cyberpunk 2077 with the DreamPunk 2.1 visual overhaul mod, image credit: NextGen Dreams.

NextGen Dreams, the creators of the hyper-realistic DreamPunk mod that aims to give the game a photorealistic look, have dropped a new video showcasing the latest version of the impressive mod. Unfortunately, access to the mod sits behind a paywall, but DreamPunk 2.1 overhauls how it handles various graphics and lighting effects, from Indirect Lighting, Light Diffusion, LUT saturation, and more.

The mod and footage we see above look incredible, and yes, some of the shots are indeed photorealistic or movie-like in terms of how "real" they look. The mod sits on top of the game's impressive Path Traced lighting mode, RT Overdrive, with DLSS 3.7.10 enabled on a GeForce RTX 4090 - running in 8K.

 It's hard to believe this isn't a real photo, image credit: NextGen Dreams.

It's hard to believe this isn't a real photo, image credit: NextGen Dreams.

The video and description don't provide a detailed performance breakdown of what we see; however, with the footage captured at 60 FPS, we have to assume Frame Generation is also being enabled. There are some genuinely stunning environment shots here, with vehicles, buildings, and foliage looking like something from a movie or a game from the distant future.

However, as good as it looks, it's work. Keep in mind that DreamPunk 2.1 and other photorealistic mods tend to showcase their tech with overcast or cloudy weather for a reason. This turns the sky into a giant single lightbox or diffusion box, which is less demanding for producing accurate soft shadows and other lighting details - making it easier to trick your brain into thinking it looks real.

That said, what NextGen Dreams has achieved here is still remarkable. To their credit, the DreamPunk 2.1 showcase video does include shots and footage captured with blue skies and at night to complement the more realistic overcast gameplay.

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NEWS SOURCES:youtu.be, dsogaming.com

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Kosta is a veteran gaming journalist that cut his teeth on well-respected Aussie publications like PC PowerPlay and HYPER back when articles were printed on paper. A lifelong gamer since the 8-bit Nintendo era, it was the CD-ROM-powered 90s that cemented his love for all things games and technology. From point-and-click adventure games to RTS games with full-motion video cut-scenes and FPS titles referred to as Doom clones. Genres he still loves to this day. Kosta is also a musician, releasing dreamy electronic jams under the name Kbit.

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