Testing Nvidia DLSS three.Five Ray Reconstruction Using Cyberpunk 2.Zero



The subsequent generation of Nvidia's DLSS era has landed and these days we are finding out what DLSS three.Five is and greater particularly, take a closer examine its new ray reconstruction feature.

The new tech has been incorporated into Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 which launched this week in advance of the Phantom Liberty expansion, and we've got been spending some time with it over the past week or so to peer how nicely DLSS three.Five works.

TL;DR: What is ray reconstruction and why is it an important upgrade?

Ray tracing outcomes in ultra-modern video games are noisy, due to the fact running these effects at a higher high-quality stage might cripple contemporary graphics cards. To fight and put off this image noise, developers put into effect denoising filters, which do assist this noise but include a host of different problems, like ghosting, lower ranges of detail, and numerous inaccuracies.

Ray reconstruction replaces the game's denoiser with a DLSS AI-more suitable denoiser that promises greater exceptional and less artifacts than popular denoisers. It achieves this by way of combining the upscaling and denoising passes into the only set of rules, successfully changing DLSS Super Resolution with a combined DLSS ray reconstruction and Super Resolution algorithm. Like current DLSS strategies, it requires recreation engine inputs as visible on this diagram.

DLSS 3.Five ray reconstruction is skilled to now not simplest provide upscaling reconstruction from a decrease pixel count image, but ray tracing impact reconstruction from a low ray depend photo, too.

As ray reconstruction replaces the same old Super Resolution set of rules with a blended model, it need to be used with Super Resolution enabled, but Nvidia believes this may deliver an standard superior picture at very little price to performance relative to playing with conventional denoisers and best Super Resolution.

DLSS three.Five could have been named better

In our opinion, DLSS three.Five is confusingly named. When DLSS changed into first launched, it referred only to Nvidia's upscaling era, "Deep Learning Super Sampling." Nvidia has when you consider that changed this to consult their collection of AI rendering technology, so what was once DLSS and DLSS 2.Zero is now DLSS Super Resolution.

Then, with the release of GeForce RTX 40 series GPUs, they've brought in Frame Generation to the DLSS family, and now we're getting ray reconstruction as well.

Each of these additions has caused a new DLSS version variety: three.0 for Frame Gen, 3.Five for ray reconstruction. Staying with us to date? Good...

On pinnacle of this, every DLSS era has its very own version quantity. So with DLSS three.Five, Nvidia has brought ray reconstruction, and up to date both Super Resolution and Frame Generation to version three.5. Game developers are free to choose whatever technologies they prefer.

Cyberpunk 2077, as an instance, has been up to date to apply DLSS 3.5 but simplest for the ray reconstruction element; Super Resolution remains on model three.1.1, and Frame Generation is on three.1.Thirteen. Similarly, there can be games that use DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution, but don't combine ray reconstruction. Still with us?

To make certain that gamers honestly cannot follow all of this, DLSS 3.5 ray reconstruction works on all RTX GPUs. But not all of DLSS three.Five works on all RTX GPUs: Frame Generation continues to be special to RTX forty collection merchandise.

Considering that Nvidia spent numerous time marketing DLSS 3 as an exceptional to RTX 40 playing cards, it is a piece bizarre to have DLSS three.5's fundamental new feature working on older RTX cards.

But don't get us incorrect, it is excellent that ray reconstruction is to be had to the sizable majority of cutting-edge GeForce proprietors, but certainly there was a higher manner to call all of this.

Can DLSS Render "Better Than Native" Graphics?

We're confident that at some point RTX 30 series owners, for example, may not understand that their card does not aid DLSS 3 Frame Generation however does aid DLSS three.Five ray reconstruction.

Early obstacles of ray reconstruction in Cyberpunk 2077

Moving on, having tested ray reconstruction in Cyberpunk, it is clear that this is an early stage technology this is effectively a preview of what is (hopefully) to return. It's tough to draw too many overarching conclusions from seeing it in just one recreation, but ray reconstruction does have some without delay apparent obstacles.

Ray reconstruction is most effective skilled for use with DLSS upscaling enabled, no longer DLAA (Deep Learning Anti-Aliasing), so you can not use each simultaneously, similar to you can not use ray reconstruction without any shape of DLSS Super Resolution. Nvidia says they are operating on schooling ray reconstruction to be used with DLAA and in an effort to in the end be supported.

But the bigger dilemma is that ray reconstruction is only available while the use of Cyberpunk's direction tracing mode, a.K.A. RT Overdrive mode. It can not be enabled when the usage of the game's ordinary and much less taxing ray tracing results. Nvidia informed us this is an intentional restriction, as a minimum for now. They "targeted [their] efforts to make RT Overdrive look wonderful in Cyberpunk 2077, and [are] operating with CD Projekt to feature assist for ray reconstruction for different RT modes."

We suspect this is due to the fact the first model of ray reconstruction has most effective been optimized for path traced effects and desires optimization work for regular ray tracing. We do not know this for certain, and Nvidia does declare DLSS 3.5 has been educated on 5x more statistics than DLSS 3 and acknowledges one-of-a-kind RT outcomes.

This is a chunk disappointing for maximum GeForce RTX GPU owners because the direction traced mode in Cyberpunk is punishing on GPU hardware. Unless you've got a excessive-cease GPU like an RTX 4090 or RTX 4080, it's tough to attain acceptable performance the use of RT Overdrive even at decrease resolutions like 1080p.

So at the same time as it is first-class that DLSS 3.5 does work on decrease tier RTX GPUs, practically speakme, someone with something like an RTX 3060 isn't always going to be the use of it – as a minimum for now. That's why it might had been great to see ray reconstruction to be had for use with the ordinary RT outcomes which are extra playable on mid-tier GPUs.

Ray reconstruction visual analysis

So how does ray reconstruction impact the visible high-quality of Cyberpunk 2077's path tracing mode? There's regions of development and there are areas which might be the equal. Watch the video below for a full breakdown.

We recorded gameplay the use of an Asus ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 on a Ryzen 7 7800X3D test gadget, placing the image high-quality to 4K on extremely, route tracing enabled, DLSS Quality mode, and no frame generation until otherwise distinct.

For a better representation of photograph first-rate comparisons, check out the HUB video beneath:

For ray traced reflections on especially reflective surfaces, ray reconstruction is able to denoise these effects to supply a higher obvious decision. In a few scenes it produces a rather higher reflection first-rate compared to the route traced mode with out ray reconstruction, and the normal ray tracing mode.

The ray reconstructed image is sharper and clearer, each desk bound and in movement. It's a disgrace this tech isn't always available with the ordinary RT mode as I think it is able to advantage from it simply as a great deal as we are seeing inside the course traced mode. It's not diffused and makes ray tracing a extra profitable impact to allow.

Ray reconstruction also improves the temporal accuracy of reflections. The direction tracing mode via default genuinely uses a temporal denoising clear out that works over a long time period. When you circulate around and forestall even as viewing a reflection, it is able to often take a few seconds for the very last mirrored image to "settle" into region, with the reflection acting to transport whilst it should not be. Ray reconstruction substantially shortens that settling period and nearly removes this temporal artifact.

This brings the ray traced picture an awful lot towards the responsiveness of the game's non ray traced display screen space reflections. While the display screen area reflections are also of a higher apparent resolution at times, they've some… quite tremendous boundaries in movement, like disappearing completely.

At times at night we see a mixture of these improvements to reflections, though this is not this situation. The scene above has a higher mirrored image resolution, reduced reflection ghosting and reflections which might be more aware of motion whilst ray reconstruction is enabled. Ray reconstruction additionally handles the actual denoising component better for a few extra diffuse reflections.

Not all reflections are greater through ray reconstruction though. In a few examples we noticed reflections in transparent glass. Both with and without ray reconstruction enabled, the readability of reflections is first-rate both way, so for this kind of effect, more desirable denoising is not necessary.

It's now not just reflections that ray reconstruction improves even though. When assessing shadow nice, ray reconstruction produced less noisy shadows in motion, it is a subtle impact it's now not as noticeable because the improvements to reflections – and generally the responsiveness of shadows in movement is a lot higher than reflections – but ray reconstruction did seem a bit sharper.

On top of improved noise discount, ray reconstruction provided more correct vehicle headlights with decreased smearing, ghosting and blur. With the regular direction traced mode, car headlights lack definition in movement and almost appear to be a blob of light on the the front of the automobile – sometimes with light acting before the actual function of the headlight, an effect of temporal denoising. With ray reconstruction enabled, the light emitted from the headlight is extra defined and less probably to appear before its real function, improving the accuracy of this impact.

Global illumination and ambient occlusion are also advanced thru ray reconstruction. Ambient occlusion enhancements are subtle, though various scenes do look one of a kind with ray reconstruction on.

For a higher illustration of picture fine comparisons, test out the HUB video below:

The scene above is one of the more strange ones we observed for photograph first-rate. Here we have a light panel that illuminates concrete above and beneath. With all 3 ray traced modes: the ordinary RT Psycho mode, RT Overdrive without ray reconstruction, and RT Overdrive with ray reconstruction; it takes a brief moment for the color trade of the light to effect the global illumination visible right here. Ray reconstruction does not solve this postpone, there may be nonetheless an unnatural disconnect.

However when the colours do trade, with out ray reconstruction you get this unsightly transition between colorations it truly is especially important across the shifting pedestrians. It's this weird coloration ghosting impact and it occurs among each coloration. With ray reconstruction, some shade transitions occur immediately without this unsightly ghosting, like purple to yellow, or blue to crimson. Other colours see some but reduced ghosting, like yellow to green. Quite a bizarre discovery.

Unfortunately ray reconstruction does not always look better when it is enabled. The generation struggles with a few unique varieties of reflections, commonly when it is a semi-reflective, not as shiny surface with texturing. Take the scene above for instance which has this marbled concrete tiling on the floor. The path traced mode without ray reconstruction produces a sincerely higher resolution and greater described reflection. It's a stark distinction, too, to the point in which we were certain we were getting the settings tousled. But nope, we have tripled checked and that is indeed labelled correctly.

When we add movement to the mix, the ray reconstructed picture additionally has worse ghosting and balance. It appears to be the case wherein the ray reconstruction algorithm isn't quite certain whether what it is seeing is a reflection or now not, and ends up dealing with each the reflection and the feel carried out to this surface alternatively poorly.

And eventually here is perhaps the clearest instance of the strengths and weaknesses of those varieties of reflections. When we start further far from this glassy surface, ray reconstruction is able to produce a higher first-rate reflection.

When taking walks closer to the floor, after a sure factor a texture loads in across the glass, it is smudgy and has a number of scratches and stuff. After this factor, the non ray reconstructed photo higher preserves this texture and produces a better detail image.

Also, as predicted, with a decrease render decision, now not handiest does standard photo nice get worse, but so does the sharpness and readability of ray traced outcomes. Still, even with DLSS Performance being used, we still get maximum of the advantages of ray reconstruction, so mirrored image first-class as one example doesn't become worse than not the usage of ray reconstruction, it nevertheless ends up searching higher no matter the decrease render resolution.

DLSS 3.Five ray reconstruction overall performance

There's lot a lot to mention with regards to performance. When testing the usage of the GeForce RTX 4090 across more than one resolutions and DLSS satisfactory modes, ray reconstruction has little impact to border charge whether it's enabled or disabled. On the RTX 4090, having the putting off changed into barely faster in the vicinity we tested, but even then we are speakme about as much as a 4% difference, with a standard margin around 1% which is correctly margin of errors type stuff. Given that it typically affords advanced photograph high-quality, it's pleasant to peer this putting has little effect to overall performance.

DLSS 3.Five Performance

This is likewise actual whilst searching at the setting across a number GPUs, right here we've four fashions tested at 1440p the use of the DLSS Quality mode. While the RTX 4090 became barely faster with out ray reconstruction, the alternative models had been all barely faster with ray reconstruction enabled.

Best case, we saw a 7% win for ray reconstruction with the RTX 4070. By the time we were given to the RTX 3070, this card is without a doubt too slow for path tracing at 1440p, so overall performance is largely identical either manner.

At 1080p again maximum of those lower tier cards really are not able to route tracing, although normally the ray reconstruction mode is slightly faster. It's not an earth shattering margin, we would typically call this a tie which is a good result for higher image pleasant at the whole.

What We Learned

Overall, we are moderately impressed with this primary study DLSS three.Five ray reconstruction in Cyberpunk 2077. With no impact to performance, ray reconstruction usually improves picture great for ray traced consequences in some of approaches: higher fidelity reflections and shadows, a much less noisy photo in movement, a more responsive photo in movement with a miles shorter settling time for results, reduced ghosting, and advanced accuracy for lighting fixtures ensuing in greater picture definition.

For the most element, this solves numerous problems we've got had with ray tracing over time. In many video games, while you permit ray traced effects, virtually we can see more stunning reflections that appearance extra correct and paintings properly in more conditions. But this has often come at a cost of a lower effect decision, a more grainy photo, more artifacts and less temporal responsiveness.

Sometimes ray traced results will boil, sizzle and circulate even if there is no actual motion on display, a byproduct of very low ray counts and susceptible denoisers. There are times we haven't desired to play with ray tracing on due to the fact those problems are so substantial and demanding and definitely do not justify the big performance hit.

Ray reconstruction is a step toward solving this form of problems, making ray tracing much more usable. We're more likely to permit ray tracing in a sport whilst the picture excellent is definitely magnificent, while there may be now not many artifacts or troubles, and when the performance hit is visually justified. This technology looks like a appropriate manner to lessen artifacts and improve ray tracing high-quality while not having to growth ray counts and make the performance hit even larger.

We're also hopeful that ray reconstruction will inspire developers to apply extra in depth ray tracing outcomes due to the fact the resulting great will virtually justify the overall performance price. It's clean that a few developers are being conservative with ray tracing to the point wherein the visible difference is negligible with it enabled, all due to the fact they don't want to reason a massive hit to performance.

Ray reconstruction doesn't lessen the overall performance hit from permitting excessive best RT consequences, however it makes them less complicated to justify due to the fact the final image best is greater perfect than it in any other case would be. However, ray reconstruction without a doubt still has a few troubles and Nvidia has an extended way to go earlier than this feature is a slam dunk win for improving ray tracing.

In numerous regions we noticed ray reconstruction cripple photograph nice, as it does appear to warfare with a few sorts of reflections on textured surfaces. This is not some thing you'll see all of the time, it is relatively dependent on the floor, lighting fixtures, location, time of day, and so forth, but it become obvious at times across many hours checking out Cyberpunk.

If we needed to positioned a few numbers to it, we say that ray reconstruction improves photograph nice about 60% of the time, ~20% of the time there is no effect, and ~20% of the time we see a regression.

If we had to positioned some numbers to it, we are saying that ray reconstruction improves photograph first-class approximately 60% of the time, ~20% of the time there may be no impact, and ~20% of the time we see a regression. However Nvidia does have a confirmed song document of enhancing DLSS fine over the years via updates – we've visible that with Super Resolution and Frame Generation. Nvidia additionally stated that there are certain eventualities where ray reconstruction would gain from additional AI training, so we'll be keeping an eye out for improvements over time.

What also leads us to consider that that is an early, possibly even rushed implementation and that's why ray reconstruction is not available for the everyday ray tracing modes, when they would actually advantage from superior denoising and extra image satisfactory.

Having it operating with the maximum extensive direction traced mode is fine, however the majority of RTX owners do not have the GPU electricity for route tracing. It's slightly feasible on an RTX 4070 or RTX 3080, the latter of which doesn't even have the crutch of Frame Generation. Once we get to GeForce models priced at $500 or less (or the whole Turing era), at first-class you may be the usage of the everyday ray traced modes, which currently aren't well matched with ray reconstruction.

Nvidia and CDPR need to get the characteristic operating with normal ray tracing, so the bulk of GeForce proprietors can gain, and in order that DLSS 3.Five can really live as much as its compatibility claims throughout all RTX GPUs, because right now it is just on-paper help. In addition, supporting DLAA might be high-quality, even though DLAA with path tracing is quite crippling even on an RTX 4090.

Once once more, this is an early look of the generation based on checking out with just one recreation. DLSS 3.5 ray reconstruction replaces the ray tracing denoiser in the game, so the gain over wellknown photo pleasant will range relying on how correct the game's conventional denoiser is. It's viable that video games with terrific denoisers will gain less from ray reconstruction, while those with rubbish denoisers or terrible implementations will advantage more. Over time we'll get a higher idea of the overall effect in games, even though this initial look is reasonably astonishing and we've got yet to look many (or any) examples of games with advanced ray tracing effect pleasant than what DLSS 3.5 is offering.

At gift, ray reconstruction isn't a promoting point to purchase a GeForce GPU. Game help, even in upcoming titles, could be very restricted and Nvidia has plenty to work on to enhance the feature. But AMD and Intel must be operating on a competing era proper away, due to the fact neither will want to fall at the back of in ray tracing photograph best over time if ray reconstruction takes a maintain across a huge quantity of video games. AMD particularly shouldn't want to be the emblem where not handiest does ray tracing perform worse on their products, however appears worse as nicely.

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