On April 11th, Cyberpunk 2077 will receive a massive update, picking up ‘Overdrive Mode’, which introduces path tracing to the game and gives it some of the most mindblowing graphics and lighting effects you’ll ever see. There’s one problem – it’s going to fry your PC.
For a long time now, CD Projekt Red has been on a path of redemption with Cyberpunk 2077, turning it from a failed title into something to be proud of – and in a few months, it’ll be made better than ever with the game’s first and only expansion – Phantom Liberty.
For now, take a look at Overdrive Mode, and understand why it’s going to make your PC sweat.
Overdrive Mode Looks Gorgeous in 1 FPS
That’s not exactly a joke.
It was shown that in testing, Cyberpunk 2077’s Overdrive Mode pushed an RTX 4090 GPU down to its knees, forcing it to max out at a framerate of just sixteen f p s. That was when the game was being rendered in native 4K, but when DLSS 3 was switched on, the game stabilised, leaping up to around 100 FPS.
When Overdrive Mode drops in Cyberpunk 2077 in a few days, it’ll ‘ray-trace every light’, introducing enhanced shadowing, realistic tones and hues, and jaw-dropping visuals, the likes of which have never been seen before!
That’s provided you have a good rig, as the showcase below was recorded on a PC running an Intel i9 12900K and an RTX 4090 with Overdrive Mode, Reflex, and DLSS 3 on:
Even without ray-tracing – or path tracing – Cyberpunk 2077 is a good-looking game, but this update takes things to the next level. It’s a sad fact, but the vast majority of PC gamers won’t be able to take full advantage of this update – unless they walk down to their hearest PC parts store and pick out a brand-new 40-series RTX GPU, that is.
This is a fantastic glimpse into what will – hopefully – become the norm one day, and before long, we’ll have games that are utterly indistinguishable from reality.
God help us.
For more Insider Gaming news, check out our coverage of the new No Man’s Sky update and the fancy ships it brings.
