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What changes between standard ray tracing and Overdrive?
Standard ray-tracing presets add ray-traced lighting effects at different quality levels. Ray Tracing: Overdrive is a separate, more demanding path-tracing mode. CD PROJEKT RED introduced it as a technology preview in Patch 1.62 and said it was “very GPU intensive.” The studio described it as “a vision of the future” that it intended to keep improving. Read the Patch 1.62 announcement.
That distinction matters when deciding whether to enable it: a graphics card that can run standard ray tracing acceptably may still struggle with Overdrive. Path tracing in Photo Mode is for rendering still images, so its VRAM guidance does not establish how smoothly a GPU will run path tracing during gameplay.
What performance targets has the publisher published?
CD PROJEKT RED’s June 2023 requirements were based on internal testing. The publisher cautioned that results vary with hardware and software configuration, graphics settings, and resolution. Treat these as dated reference points, not guaranteed frame rates or a current independent comparison.
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| Preset and target | GPU examples listed by CD PROJEKT RED | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Ray Tracing Low: 1080p, expected 30 FPS | GeForce RTX 2060, Radeon RX 6800 XT, or Intel Arc A750 | Publisher’s 2023 internal target; actual results vary. |
| Ray Tracing Ultra: 1080p, expected 60 FPS | GeForce RTX 3080 Ti or Radeon RX 7900 XTX | Publisher’s 2023 internal target; actual results vary. |
| Ray Tracing: Overdrive: 2160p, expected 60 FPS | GeForce RTX 4080 with 16 GB VRAM | Publisher’s 2023 internal target with DLSS Frame Generation enabled; not a universal guarantee. |
See CD PROJEKT RED’s PC system requirements and target notes.
The publisher also lists Photo Mode path-tracing minimums of 8 GB VRAM at 1080p, 10 GB at 1440p, and 12 GB at 2160p. Those figures concern screenshots, not live-play frame rates; they are not a way to predict whether gameplay will run smoothly. Photo Mode path-tracing requirements.
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Which setting should you choose?
Choose ray tracing off or a lower preset for steadier play
If you prioritize responsiveness, or your system falls below the publisher’s dated standard-ray-tracing reference, begin with ray tracing off. You can also lower the ray-tracing preset or output resolution. Keep the more demanding setting only if it feels acceptable during actual play—not just in a still screenshot.
Try standard ray tracing if you have performance headroom
If your PC has room to spare and you value the lighting effects, test a standard ray-tracing preset at the resolution you intend to use. Compare it with ray tracing off and keep the higher setting only if the experience remains smooth enough for you.
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Treat Overdrive as an optional quality mode
Try Overdrive separately after establishing how standard ray tracing performs. Its path tracing costs substantially more GPU performance, so it is best approached as an optional visual upgrade for a system with considerable headroom. The RTX 4080 reference applies specifically to the publisher’s 2023 2160p/60 FPS target with DLSS Frame Generation; it does not mean that card is necessary for standard ray tracing or guarantees a particular result today.
How to compare settings on your PC
- Choose your intended output resolution and a repeatable scene, or run the game’s benchmark.
- Record how the game feels with ray tracing off, including frame rate and responsiveness.
- Enable a standard ray-tracing preset and compare under the same conditions.
- If standard ray tracing remains acceptable, try Overdrive as a separate test.
- Keep the most demanding option only if its visual improvement is worth the change in smoothness and responsiveness for you.
Use the same scene and settings for each comparison. An average frame-rate figure alone may not capture whether controls feel responsive, and a generated frame rate is not the same thing as the underlying rendered frame rate.
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Can DLSS or FSR make ray tracing more practical?
Upscaling and frame generation can change the experience, but they do not make path tracing equally affordable on every GPU. DLSS 4 support in Cyberpunk 2077 includes hardware-dependent features: Multi Frame Generation at 2x, 3x, or 4x is for RTX 50 Series cards, while the Transformer reconstruction model for Super Resolution and Ray Reconstruction is available for all RTX cards. The game provides a choice between Transformer and CNN models. CD PROJEKT RED’s Patch 2.21 DLSS 4 notes.
FSR 3 also offers optional frame generation, but it requires FSR 3 upscaling. CD PROJEKT RED recommends a baseline of at least 60 FPS before enabling frame generation and warns that artifacts and frame-pacing problems may be more noticeable below that. The publisher also recommends a display with a 120 Hz or higher refresh rate and Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling for FSR 3 frame generation. These are the support page’s recommendations, not a guarantee of improved responsiveness. Cyberpunk 2077 FSR 3 support details.
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What if your PC cannot run ray tracing locally?
NVIDIA describes GeForce NOW as supporting Cyberpunk 2077 with ray tracing and DLSS, offering a possible cloud-play route if your local hardware is unsuitable. Availability depends on the service’s current game catalog, region, plan, and network conditions, so check those details before relying on it. NVIDIA GeForce NOW.
How to enable Overdrive
In Patch 1.62, CD PROJEKT RED documented two ways to enable it: select the Overdrive preset under Settings > Graphics > Quick Preset, or enable Path Tracing separately in the Ray Tracing section. Menu labels may change with later game updates. The driver requirement named in that 2023 announcement was specific to that release and should not be treated as current driver advice.
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