Cyberpunk 2077 update 1.62 is out, and we’re happy because the new version of CD Projekt Red’s game is running better than ever!

Cyberpunk 2077 update 1.62 was released on 11 April. A detailed changelog detailing the new patch has also arrived. This is the first update to the successful open-world RPG since the game’s 1.61 patch was released in November 2022.

The PC-only update primarily revolves around the improved ray-tracing support coming as part of Cyberpunk 2077’s Overdrive mode, which CD Projekt Red detailed at GDC 2023 in late March.

As the name suggests, it’s a rather ambitious addition to the game that pushes graphical fidelity to the limit. It does all this by relying on path-traced rendering, which generates multiple rays for each pixel and bounces them in a random direction every time an object is hit. The resource-intensive process continues until a given ray encounters another light source or reaches an arbitrary bounce limit.

Unsurprisingly, this shinier version of Cyberpunk 2077 is reserved for the most powerful machines equipped with Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090 (1080p only) or RTX 40 series graphics cards. As for performance, we tested Overdrive on the “priority” GeForce NOW. The results were dismal: the game dragged between 7-10 fps. It’s probably not a problem with the latest cards or at the “ultimate” subscription level, but it’s not worth trying without them.

AI assist and other goodies

From the patch notes just shared, it appears that update 1.62 adds some other graphical tweaks to the game. Among them is support for Nvidia DLAA, an AI-based anti-aliasing solution for smoothing curves pixel by pixel.

This is not the only AI technology introduced in the 1.62 update. The patch notes also mention support for Intel Xe Super Sampling 1.1. Intel XeSS is essentially an alternative to the game’s DLSS 3.0 frame generation for dynamic scene upscaling. In addition to being able to output similarly polished frames, XeSS has the advantage of being slightly less resource intensive. This makes it somewhat more readily available in Intel’s GPU offerings compared to how prevalent DLSS support is in Nvidia’s ecosystem. Finally, the Cyberpunk 2077 1.62 update also improves the in-game benchmarking tool.

The results screen now includes more detailed information about a given system, including hardware specs and driver details, according to the latest patch notes.

While this is certainly not the last update for the hit game, its lifecycle is rapidly coming to an end. CDPR has already ended support for Cyberpunk 2077 on last-generation consoles at the end of 2022. It now plans to end development shortly after the release of Phantom Liberty, the game’s first and only expansion pack. The DLC is scheduled to debut sometime in the second half of 2023. Keanu Reeves will reprise his role as Johnny Silverhand in the espionage-themed expansion. The latter will also introduce Solomon Reed, a new character Idris Elba plays.

Source: Cyberpunk.net

Patch 1.62 for Cyberpunk 2077 is being rolled out on PC. This update brings the technology preview of Ray Tracing: Overdrive Mode.

Please note that this cutting-edge feature is only available on the highest-performing hardware. Read more: https://t.co/xoH99JyW7g pic.twitter.com/SVMBw9YgFb

— Cyberpunk 2077 (@CyberpunkGame) April 11, 2023