Path tracing looks stunning in video games, both old and new, but the hardware definitely still isn't quite there yet to offer decent performance on anything that isn't top-end, as highlighted in a new showcase of a recently released Left 4 Dead 2 RTX Remix mod.
The mod, which can be downloaded here, is a compatibility mod that makes the classic game by Valve compatible with RTX Remix and, as such, lacks some advanced features. Even with some issues, however, path tracing undoubtedly breathes new life into the game's visuals in some scenarios but does so at a very heavy cost, as highlighted in the new showcase shared on YouTube by MxBenchmarkPC. At 4K resolution, very high settings, the game goes from running at around 500 FPS to running at unsteady 60 FPS with the RTX Remix mod and NVIDIA DLSS 4 at the Performance preset, a huge hit in performance that highlights how even one of the most powerful GPUs on the market isn't ready to handle path tracing at 4K resolution. Even at 1440p resolution, the RTX 5080 doesn't run the game as well as one might expect with the path tracing mod, requiring Frame Generation to hit an average of 90 FPS with NVIDIA DLSS Quality.
Looking at how the Left 4 Dead 2 RTX Remix path tracing mod challenges even an RTX 5080 GPU, it looks like Frame Generation will continue to be a necessity to reach acceptable levels of performance in games that support the technology. Multi Frame Generation, which is currently available on RTX 5000 series cards only, makes it possible to enjoy games with path tracing at high resolution and framerates, as seen in Cyberpunk 2077.
About the author: Francesco De Meo has been covering video games and technology since 2012, starting his career at small outlets like Gamersyndrome and GeekSnack. After joining Wccftech gaming section in 2015, he quickly expanded his video gaming coverage with in-depth reporting, interviews with iconic industry figures such as Grasshopper Manufacture founder and No More Heroes creator Goichi "Suda51" Suda, Resident Evil series creator Shinji Mikami, Team NINJA's president and Nioh series director Fumihiko Yasuda, and Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama, reviews and on-the-ground coverage of major industry events such as Gamescom and E3. When he's not reporting or reviewing, Francesco can be found playing the genres he loves most, spending time with his six cats, reading, writing music, playing guitar and drumming for his progressive rock band.
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