RTX Volumetrics is another step forward for Path Tracing visuals on GeForce RTX GPUs

When we got to go hands-on with the GeForce RTX 50 Series during NVIDIA's big reveal event earlier this year, we saw some of the fascinating new RTX technologies, such as RTX Neural Shaders, in action. These cutting-edge technologies, which include RTX Neural Radiance Cache, RTX Skin, and RTX Volumetrics, will be present in the Half-Life 2 RTX demo that will be released next week, giving gamers the chance to experience the future of game visuals in a mod/remaster/remake of one of the best PC games ever made.

3

"In Half-Life 2 RTX, explosions light up rooms, embers fly and illuminate the fog, and grenades cause dust plumes to scatter, which can catch the light."

RTX Neural Radiance Cache is a real-time neural network that runs on the GPU, analyzing the scene and environment as you play. What it does is, after partially tracing a ray for Path Tracing effects, the AI model then infers an infinite number of bounces, with the result being a more detailed ray-traced image and a performance boost.

During its GDC presentation to the media, NVIDIA announced a new piece of neural rendering developed to improve path-traced visuals and lighting. You will also be able to experience next week's Half-Life 2 RTX demo. RTX Volumetrics is about leveling up fog, smoke, and air effects by accurately simulating how a light source travels through fog or smoke.

Light from an open door high above a burning pyre in the Half-Life 2 RTX demo's Ravenholm chapter looks much more cinematic and realistic. It doesn't stop there as "explosions light up rooms, embers fly and illuminate the fog, and grenades cause dust plumes to scatter, which can catch the light." RTX Volumetrics uses a Reservoir Spatio-Temporal Importance Resampling (ReSTIR) algorithm to calculate volumes and "precisely track how light scatters through the air, fog, smoke, and atmosphere."

It's another puzzle piece that adds to path-traced graphics' immersion and cinematic realism. It's also pretty cool that NVIDIA is introducing some of the latest advancements and developments in PC graphics in Orbifold Studios' impressive Half-Life 2 RTX mod. As more titles add path tracing support, we'll see more implementations of things like RTX Volumetrics, RTX Neural Radiance Cache, and RTX Skin. The latter is also coming soon to Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, where it will be used to render realistic hair.

Personally, I'd love to see RTX Volumetrics added to Cyberpunk 2077 - that would be, just, wow.