The video discusses the new RT Pro mode in Cyberpunk 2077 on the PS5 Pro, which offers an enhanced ray tracing experience by incorporating all available ray tracing effects such as reflections, shadows, skylight, emissive lighting, and ambient occlusion. This mode is essentially a quality mode that leverages the PS5 Pro’s capabilities for improved visuals but operates at a lower frame rate. The conversation highlights how this mode compares to the original PC ray tracing features at launch, noting that while many ray tracing effects are present, some, like full RT reflections, are limited on the PS5 Pro version.
Alex explains the various ray tracing enhancements, starting with RT shadows from the sun, which provide sharp, high-quality shadows without the common issues seen in traditional shadow maps. The RT local shadows feature adds realistic shadows from local light sources, creating more natural lighting effects. Skylighting and emissive lighting improve the game’s ambient and neon-lit environments, respectively, delivering more accurate and immersive lighting under structures and around neon signs. Ambient occlusion is also enhanced with ray tracing, grounding objects more realistically compared to screen-space ambient occlusion.
One notable limitation on the PS5 Pro RT Pro mode is the restricted use of RT reflections, which primarily appear on car windows and, to a lesser extent, on glossy car bodies. Unlike the PC version, which applies RT reflections to various surfaces including metallic and plastic objects, the PS5 Pro implementation is more conservative, likely due to performance constraints. Oliver remarks that while the RT suite overall looks impressive and adds significant visual improvements, the absence of comprehensive RT reflections is a missed opportunity, as reflections were a major visual upgrade in the original PC release.
The discussion also covers technical aspects such as the use of the new PSSR (screen-space reflections) and FSR 2.1 for improved image quality, which results in a sharper and cleaner 4K output at an internal resolution of around 1440p. Despite these enhancements, the game still suffers from texture and object popping issues during fast movement, which detracts from the overall visual experience. Performance-wise, the RT Pro mode typically runs locked at 30 fps for 60 Hz output, with an optional 40 fps mode for 120 Hz displays, though frame rates can dip in complex scenes.
Finally, the video touches on why full RT reflections are limited on the PS5 Pro. The game’s use of clear coat materials on cars creates layered reflections that are computationally expensive to render, especially for rough or diffuse surfaces which require more GPU resources and complex shading calculations. Additionally, denoising these reflections adds to the performance cost. These technical and performance challenges likely influenced the decision to restrict RT reflections mostly to car windows and select glossy surfaces, balancing visual fidelity with the hardware’s capabilities.
