The Dark Ages Shows Off Path Tracing With Neural Rendering

The launch of Doom: The Dark Ages is almost here and Bethesda is adding the cherry on top with the introduction of path tracing to enhance reflections, shadows, and global illumination. Bethesda has stated that path tracing will be available “Shortly after launch” for GeForce RTX GPUs, and the screenshot comparison shows a big difference.

DOOM: The Dark Ages’ Cosmic Realm Trailer Showcases Stunning PS5 Pro Gameplay

Better Graphics, New World, New Weapons.

The game has been tested, and the reviews are overwhelmingly positive, with the focus primarily being on the stunning graphics, vast landscapes and structures, and a new stand-your-ground style combat system. With the dark and evil vibe that Doom: The Dark Ages is giving us, path tracing looks to be the last layer of polish, to really make things pop.

Example of Path Tracing (Via INVIDIA)

According to NVIDIA only PC gamers will have the chance to add this extra layer of polish to their Doom experience, and it won’t be available at launch.

“Shortly after launch, an update will introduce PC-exclusive Path Tracing, taking ray traced lighting to the next level on GeForce RTX GPUs, as well as DLSS Ray Reconstruction, which replaces traditional denoisers with a superior, unified AI model that enhances image quality and accelerates performance.” (Via NVIDIA)

Beautiful graphics with realistic lighting aren’t easy to generate though, and you’ll need some sturdy hardware to bring your journey through The Dark Ages to life. NVIDIA is making it easier by including a premium edition of Doom: The Dark Ages with the purchase of a GeForce RTX 50 Series GPU or laptop.

In a review of Doom: The Dark Ages done by The Digital Foundry team, John Linneman mentions his excitement to see path tracing in close-quarter environments lit by torches, rather than the open view of the latest screenshot, “These are the areas that I’m most interested to see.”

Over 20 years ago, the original Doom was released, and now Doom: The Dark Ages is continuing the legacy with state-of-the-art graphics and lighting systems, and early demo-reviews are very promising.

“Every aspect of it looked and felt incredible.” – Tristan Ogilvie, a video producer for the IGN Reviews Team.

Doom: The Dark Ages will be available for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S on May 15th and details on Path Tracing specifications will be revealed at a later date.