Capcom and NVIDIA Explain Path Tracing in RE Engine for Pragmata and Resident Evil Requiem

Capcom and NVIDIA recently shared new technical details about the integration of path tracing in the RE Engine, the graphics engine used for titles like Pragmata and Resident Evil Requiem. During a presentation at GDC, the developers explained that the process took about a year and a half of work, highlighting the complexity of the implementation.

Path tracing represents one of the most advanced technologies for rendering light in video games, allowing for extremely realistic lighting. However, to make it usable in real time, Capcom had to adopt several technical solutions. Among these, the use of NVIDIA's DLSS Ray Reconstruction technology stands out, which is crucial for reducing visual noise (denoising) and maintaining acceptable performance. This choice did, however, come with a significant limitation: path tracing in the two games is available exclusively on RTX graphics cards, thus excluding other hardware platforms. Despite this, the visual benefits are evident, with more believable environments and a much more natural light management compared to traditional techniques.

Not Just Path Racing for Pragmata and Resident Evil: Requiem

The developers also introduced several optimizations, such as the use of RIS streaming to select the most relevant light sources, improving system efficiency. Other solutions include brightness compensation to avoid overly dark effects, the adoption of simplified reflection models, and the removal of heavier techniques such as image-based lighting. Emissive polygons have also been added to further enhance visual rendering.

DLSS Ray Reconstruction has also proven useful for correcting complex visual artifacts, such as those related to transparent surfaces, frosted glass, or refraction effects like raindrops. In combination with DLSS 4 and Multi Frame Generation technology, it is possible to achieve a significant increase in frame rate, making the experience smoother.

Both titles have received positive reviews, confirming Capcom's good standing in the sector. Resident Evil Requiem is already available on various platforms, while Pragmata is set to release today.