Cyberpunk 2077's new graphics mode is blowing fans away

It never fails to amaze me just how far Cyberpunk 2077 has come. When it was first released in a bug and glitch-ridden state, I really didn’t think we’d be here in 2023 talking about a gorgeous god-tier new graphics mode, with a DLC and sequel on the way.

Phantom Liberty, which is the name of Cyberpunk 2077’s upcoming DLC, is set to release this year but we don’t have a specific date just yet. I’m presuming that CD Projekt RED will now only release future games when they’re confident in the stability of the game. Holding back release dates feels like the right call. Phantom Liberty will star Idris Elba as Solomon Reed - a character who players will need to trust as they embark on an impossible mission of espionage and survival. All we know about the mainline sequel is that it’s happening. Let’s get back to that new graphics mode though.

Take a look at the trailer for the Phantom Liberty DLC below.

As reported by TweakTown, Cyberpunk 2077 is getting a RT: Overdrive update that will bring a fully path-traced overhaul to the game’s lighting. NVIDIA is set to showcase the new mode at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) which runs in just a few days from 20 to 24 March. This project was first teased last year when NVIDIA unveiled their new GeForce RTX 4090 and GeForce RTX 4080 GPUs.

The mode is still in development but this upcoming glimpse at RT: Overdrive should give us a pretty good idea at what to expect. Judging by the screenshots we’ve seen so far, we’re in for a treat. Never have I seen such beautiful puddles which is really what we all want from a game, right? I jest, somewhat, but I do appreciate a well-reflected puddle.

CD Projekt RED, NVIDIA

The mode “gives each neon sign, street lamp, car headlight, LED billboard and TV accurate ray-traced lighting and shadows, bathing objects, walls, passing cars and pedestrians in accurate colored lighting,” while “ray-traced indirect lighting and reflections now bounce multiple times, compared to the previous solution's single bounce. The result is even more accurate, realistic and immersive global illumination, reflections, and self-reflections.” Finally, “ray-traced reflections are now rendered at full resolution, further improving their quality.” I’m sold.