A March 4, 2026 update reportedly disabled ray-traced global illumination (RTGI) in the Raccoon City section of Resident Evil Requiem on PS5 Pro. The change has been called a downgrade because some scenes lose reflective and indirect-lighting detail, though the image may look cleaner where RTGI previously produced noisy artifacts. That is a visual tradeoff, not an official Capcom description.
What changed in the PS5 Pro version?
Players noticed the difference after the March 4, 2026 update, which addressed graphical glitches. According to Notebookcheck’s report, the update switched off RTGI in the Raccoon City section on PS5 Pro. The reporting does not establish that ray tracing was removed throughout the game.
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RTGI simulates how light bounces off surfaces and contributes to indirect illumination. Removing it can reduce artifacts from noisy ray-traced lighting, but it can also make some scenes feel less reflective or visually deep. The change is therefore reasonably described as a downgrade by players who value those lighting effects, but that label is an evaluation rather than a Capcom statement.
Why do opinions on the change differ?
The reported tradeoff is between a cleaner image and richer lighting. Notebookcheck summarizes Digital Foundry’s analysis as pointing to noisy RTGI and limits in the denoising process; it reports that Digital Foundry favored making ray tracing optional or improving the denoiser. Those are attributed observations and analysis, not a documented explanation from Capcom.
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- Ray Tracing - Immerse yourself in worlds with a new level of realism as rays of light are individually simulated, creating true-to-life shadows and reflections in supported PS5 games.
- Faster Loading - Fast-travel across the map and get back into the game almost instantly with the PlayStation 5 console’s ultra-high-speed SSD and fast load times.
- Stunning Visuals - Experience the vast world in stunning 4K and HDR at 120 FPS (with a 4K and HDR compatible TV or display)
- Breathtaking Immersion - Discover a deeper gaming experience with support for haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, and 3D Audio technology.
- Backwards Compatibility - Play over 4,000 PS4 games on PS5. Enjoy faster and smoother frame rates in some of the PS4 console's greatest games.
ElAnalistaDeBits’ version 1.11 comparison description likewise characterizes the effect as mixed: some darker or heavily occluded scenes may benefit, while some situations lose indirect-lighting detail. Its description says the change is visible in the first Raccoon City area and reports no visible change in later areas it names, including R.P.D. and ARK. These are source-reported comparisons, not controlled tests conducted for this article.
Does the patch remove ray tracing from the whole game?
The available reports point to a localized change in Raccoon City on PS5 Pro, not a game-wide removal. ElAnalistaDeBits’ description distinguishes the first Raccoon City area from later named locations, where it reports no visible change. The cited material does not establish whether a later update altered the behavior again.
Is this related to upgraded PSSR?
No connection between upgraded PSSR and the RTGI change is established in the cited sources. Sony says Resident Evil Requiem was the first title to use upgraded PSSR at launch. Its February 27, 2026 PlayStation Blog post explains that PSSR analyzes game images pixel by pixel as it upscales them, and includes Capcom’s comments about rendering fine image detail and texture. The post does not explain the March patch or say PSSR caused the ray-tracing change.
Rank #2
- Ray Tracing - Immerse yourself in worlds with a new level of realism as rays of light are individually simulated, creating true-to-life shadows and reflections in supported PS5 games.
- Faster Loading - Fast-travel across the map and get back into the game almost instantly with the PlayStation 5 console’s ultra-high-speed SSD and fast load times.
- Stunning Visuals - Experience the vast world in stunning 4K and HDR at 120 FPS (with a 4K and HDR compatible TV or display)
- Breathtaking Immersion - Discover a deeper gaming experience with support for haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, and 3D Audio technology.
- Backwards Compatibility - Play over 4,000 PS4 games on PS5. Enjoy faster and smoother frame rates in some of the PS4 console's greatest games.
What did the PS5 Pro graphics options look like at launch?
A launch-era Tom’s Guide review described a ray-tracing mode targeting 4K at 60 frames per second and a ray-tracing-off mode offering up to 120 fps on supported displays. Those figures describe launch-era options; they are not a post-patch benchmark or a guarantee of performance after the update.
What is confirmed—and what remains unclear?
- Reported change: Notebookcheck says the March 4, 2026 update disabled RTGI in the PS5 Pro version’s Raccoon City section.
- Reported visual effect: Sources describe fewer noisy artifacts in some scenes, alongside less convincing reflections or indirect lighting in others.
- Not established: The sources do not include a direct Capcom explanation for the change, a patch-specific performance benchmark, or confirmation that no later update changed it.
Capcom lists Resident Evil Requiem for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC, with a February 27, 2026 release date in its official announcement. The ray-tracing report discussed here is specifically about PS5 Pro.
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