RTX Remix adds path-traced particles, and they look incredible in Portal RTX

NVIDIA is set to release an update to its RTX Remix modding platform in September that will add a particle system. That's particles as in little floating objects like embers or dust, that will be realistically lit with the same path-traced lighting found throughout a scene. This update will allow modders to add new particles to a catalogue of over 165 classic PC games, with NVIDIA noting that the majority of these titles didn't feature a particle editor.

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Ahead of the announcement, NVIDIA showed us a quick preview of the new RTX Remix particle system in NVIDIA Lightspeed Studios' impressive Portal with RTX mod and DLC. In the demo, we got to watch one of those glowing orbs floating through a portal, except this time it's got tiny, ember-like particles falling off it as it moves.

And because each of these particles exists in the scene and is lit, their light affects other objects in the scene, and they're also reflected with impressive detail. What was also impressive about the particle effects was how they showcased accurate physics as they fell and interacted with each other and objects in the environment.

NVIDIA also showed us a quick slider that allows RTX Remix users to adjust the intensity of particle effects, with modders also getting the ability to adjust particle settings like look, size, quantity, light emission, turbulence, and even gravity - all in real-time.

As NVIDIA used Portal with RTX to demonstrate this new feature, hopefully, this means it's coming to Orbifold Studios' ambitious and impressive Half-Life 2 RTX mod that feels more like a full-blown remake than a remaster. Check out our recent preview for how that's shaping up.