NVIDIA today has officially released DLSS 4.5 Ray Reconstruction, bringing a series of neural rendering updates to ray-traced and path-traced games. Unveiled alongside a slate of new game announcements at Gamescom 2026, the tech replaces traditional hand-tuned denoisers with an updated AI model to refine lighting, stability, and image clarity across all GeForce RTX GPUs.
Under the Hood: 2nd-Gen Transformer Model
The main highlight of this release is the transition to a brand-new 2nd-generation transformer architecture. Instead of relying on legacy, manually tuned denoisers that struggle with sparse ray sampling, the supercomputer-trained AI model combines denoising and Super Resolution into a single unified step.
Unlike features like DLSS Frame Generation, Multi Frame Generation, and Dynamic Multi Frame Generation, which are limited to newer architectures, this is available on all GeForce RTX models:
- 35% More Compute & 20% Parameter Increase: The upgraded network uses 20% more parameters and delivers a 35% bump in compute capability, while maintaining performance similar to its predecessor.
- Better Spatial Awareness: Takes advantage of enhanced temporal and spatial game engine data to improve motion clarity, reduce ghosting, and deliver sharper light sources in complex scenes.
- Expanded Training Dataset & Finer Tuning: Trained on a much larger dataset, giving developers tighter control over temporal accumulation to clean up residual visual artifacts.
Real-World Image Quality Improvements
In side-by-side visual comparisons according to NVIDIA, the improvements from DLSS 4.5 Ray Reconstruction are fairly noticeable depending on the title:
- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: Virtually eliminates “snow ghosting” on moving elements and results in significantly cleaner particle lighting.
- PRAGMATA: Improves laser light responsiveness when activated, while instantly clearing up residual trail artifacts when turned off.
- Alan Wake 2: Preserves the subtle static white noise lines on CRT televisions with much higher clarity and temporal stability.
Availability & Supported Games
DLSS 4.5 Ray Reconstruction is currently available to opt into via Early Access inside the NVIDIA App (requiring GeForce Game Ready Driver 580.88 WHQL or newer). Once enabled via the driver override, it can be applied out of the box across 30 supported titles, including Cyberpunk 2077, Hogwarts Legacy, Doom: The Dark Ages, Star Wars Outlaws, and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.
Full native integrations featuring path tracing are also lined up for several upcoming releases:
| Game | Integration Features | Release Window |
| 007 First Light | Full Path Tracing + DLSS 4.5 Ray Reconstruction | September 15, 2026 |
| CONTROL Resonant | Native Path Tracing + Dynamic Multi Frame Gen | September 24, 2026 |
| AION 2 | Full DLSS 4.5 Suite | September 30, 2026 |
| Gears of War: E-Day | RTX Mega Geometry + Full DLSS 4.5 | October 6, 2026 |
For modders, the latest update to NVIDIA RTX Remix also incorporates the DLSS 4.5 Ray Reconstruction runtime, making it easier to remaster classic titles with updated path-traced illumination.
While traditional denoisers have served us well, shifting to a more capable transformer model feels like the right direction for path-traced titles moving forward. The performance cost stays identical to the previous version while delivering cleaner temporal stability, making it a solid upgrade for GeForce RTX users.
