Excellent news! This week, a Cyberpunk 2077 patch added ray tracing assist for AMD’s Radeon RX 6000-series graphics playing cards, loosening Nvidia’s (worryingly) unique grip on the cutting-edge lighting options. However that got here with a little bit of dangerous information too, as Cyberpunk 2077 drove dwelling that AMD’s lacking DLSS rival, dubbed FidelityFX Tremendous Decision, can’t come quickly sufficient.
AMD launched real-time ray tracing assist within the Radeon RX 6000-series GPUs, after Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 20-series graphics card introduced the expertise to PCs in 2018. Nvidia didn’t simply concentrate on ray tracing, nonetheless; it additionally rolled out a complementary Deep Studying Tremendous Sampling (DLSS) characteristic. DLSS leverages machine studying and devoted AI cores in RTX graphics playing cards to render video games at a decrease decision internally, then upscale the ultimate picture to your chosen decision. That helps GeForce playing cards negate the terrifying efficiency influence that happens if you flip on ray tracing.
With out a characteristic like DLSS, ray tracing can ship efficiency plummeting to unplayable ranges even on the beefiest graphics playing cards. AMD’s Cyberpunk 2077 efficiency proves that out. The entire Radeon GPUs launched this era price lots and goal greater resolutions. The Radeon RX 6700 XT is constructed for 1440p gaming, whereas the Radeon RX 6800-series and monstrous $1,000 Radeon RX 6900 XT goal 4K decision. For historically rasterized video games—together with Cyberpunk—these GPUs kick ass and take names.
Cyberpunk 2077’s ray tracing drives AMD’s graphics playing cards to their knees even at lowly 1080p decision, although. GameStar’s benchmarks present the Radeon RX 6700 XT struggling to carry 30 frames per second with ray tracing set to Extremely and even Medium high quality settings. The 6800 XT does a bit higher, hitting 35 fps at RT Extremely and 45 fps at RT Medium. That’s nonetheless pitiful for a $750-plus providing. GameStar notes that comparable GeForce playing cards are 66 % to one hundred pc quicker with RT enabled. In the meantime, PCGamer confirmed that the beastly Radeon RX 6900 XT isn’t able to enjoying Cyberpunk 2077 at even 1440p decision with ray tracing on.
Oof.
To be honest, AMD has been up-front about the truth that its playing cards at present solely deal with ray tracing at 1080p, and Cyberpunk 2077’s luscious open-world eye sweet earned a status for making GPUs sweat. It’s nonetheless a staggeringly poor exhibiting for such staggeringly costly graphics playing cards.
Worse, the AMD Dynamic FidelityFX CAS characteristic that CD Projekt built-in into Cyberpunk (and we advisable to assist the sport’s efficiency on any GPU) is flat-out damaged with ray tracing enabled on Radeon playing cards. The video above from WCCFTech’s Keith Might—a hoopy frood and repeat visitor on PCWorld’s The Full Nerd podcast—exhibits environments blinking out and in of existence with the characteristic turned on. Alas.
Most video games aren’t as crushing as Cyberpunk, a real ray tracing showcase, however the 1080p limitation holds true on Radeon graphics playing cards regardless. DLSS lets Nvidia playing cards recreation at 1440p, 4K, and even ludicrous 8K decision with ray tracing on (although that final is awfully uncommon). It’s an ace within the gap for Nvidia proper now.
AMD’s answer is coming. The corporate has been teasing FidelityFX Tremendous Decision for the reason that Radeon RX 6000-series debut final fall, claiming the open answer may even work on AMD-powered consoles and thus be extra interesting to builders. Nevertheless it may not be coming quickly. Radeon chief Scott Herkelman lately appeared on The Full Nerd podcast and promised that FSR will launch earlier than the top of the 12 months (together with dropping a cryptic teaser that AMD’s DLSS rival doesn’t want machine studying to work).
“It’s in all probability one of many greatest software program initiatives we’ve got internally as a result of we all know how vital it’s that if you wish to activate ray tracing, that you simply don’t simply need to have that aggressive hit, or your GPU get hit so arduous,” Herkelman mentioned. “FidelityFX Tremendous Decision is one thing key to us to launch this 12 months, nevertheless it’s going to take just a little bit extra time. We’re progressing nicely, however we nonetheless have some work to do.”
It might’t come quickly sufficient. The overwhelming majority of as we speak’s video games aren’t ray traced, and AMD’s ferocious Radeon RX 6000-series playing cards go toe-to-toe with Nvidia’s finest in conventional titles. When you flip on ray tracing, although, GeForce GPUs put a bruising on AMD. Happily, Cyberpunk 2077 appears to be like drop-dead attractive even with ray tracing turned off.