Cyberpunk 2077 Has A Secret Cinematic RTX Graphics Mode
Cyberpunk 2077 players can improve image quality by tapping into the game's built-in Cinematic RTX mode to enhance lighting and atmospheres.
At this point after Cyberpunk 2077's launch, it may seem that CD Projekt Red's controversial release had been thoroughly explored, but a new RTX Cinematic mode has been discovered by players. The built-in system is designed to enhance lighting quality throughout Night City, making the dark alleyways and shady, dimly lit rooms more atmospheric. Up until this point, there was no prior knowledge of this ray-tracing mode. It was hidden within the fabric of the game's code. The built-in mode recently emerged on the popular modding site Nexus Mods, where it is listed under the moniker "Enable Cinematic_RTX." Players have since figured out how to uncover the cinematic RTX mode and have been sharing a series of instructions on how exactly to turn on the settings. The GOG and Steam versions require different directions but both are fairly straightforward.
A multitude of mods have already been introduced to improve Cyberpunk 2077. The majority of the mods so far have focused on making improvements to the graphics by integrating surface-level modifications. When Cyberpunk 2077 was released, it contained no shortage of glitches and bugs, some of them completely disrupting the experience for many players. While CD Projekt Red continues to struggle, the hope is that the modding community might be able to offer some short-term solutions to streamline the gaming experience until the Polish developer has the ability to introduce substantial improvements at some time in the near future.
According to Tom's Hardware, the "mod" by andwhat112 at Nexus Mods simply provides instructions on how to enable the ray tracing mode already present in the game. Owners of the GOG version can enable a shortcut to the game’s .exe file, from which players can add the following ending: -qualityLevel=Cinematic_RTX in order to enable ray tracing in the game. For Steam, players must right-click on Cyberpunk 2077 in their game library, select properties and insert the same code language in the "launch options" text. The RTX mode improves lighting, ambiance and attention to detail. It is not a reshade preset. Once activated, is is important to note that the mode uses nearly 2GB of extra VRAM. There are other ways to improve the quality of the game's lighting and shadows as well. An alternative is to add the command “-qualityLevel=” to the end of the .exe file and type in any of the words Low, Medium or High. There are several different options available as well.
For now, the problems keep piling for CD Projekt Red amidst game-breaking bugs, fans demanding refunds and criticism on all fronts. While Cyberpunk 2077 has received scathing reviews from critics and fans, the harshest criticism is being dispensed by its developers, who say that CD Projekt Red has misled investors and consumers.
Mods have become extremely common for many games. The fact that so many graphical mods have already been prioritized for Cyberpunk 2077 speaks volumes about how difficult the launch has been. So far, a game that had so much promise has failed to deliver on its expectations to revolutionize the RPG genre and chart a new direction for the developer behind record-breaking titles like Witcher 3.
Cyberpunk 2077 is available on PS4, Xbox One, Stadia, and PC.
Source: Tom's Hardware, andwhat112/Nexus Mods