While hardware ray tracing has since become mainstream (with UE5’s Lumen and RTX Remix), there is a certain charm to forcing a 2012 game like Dishonored to compute light bounces using a screen-space shader from 2021. It feels like hacking reality.

The ReShade Ray Tracing Shader RTGI 0.3.3 has significant implications for the graphics industry. Here are a few areas where it's making an impact:

Because v0.33 was a Patreon‑distributed version, you need to have a valid subscription to Pascal Gilcher’s Patreon. Assuming you have the qUINT_RTGI.fx file, follow these steps:

: RTGI will not work in multiplayer matches. Use it exclusively for single-player titles or offline modes. Extreme Ghosting or Smearing

A common misconception in 2021 was that RTGI 0.33 was "true" hardware ray tracing like NVIDIA’s RTX. It is not.

The 2021 iteration became the "go-to" download for modding guides, as it was the first version where the visual benefits consistently outweighed the artifacts for most users.

: The success of this shader led NVIDIA to adopt a version of it, known as

In the ReShade menu, go to the Add-ons tab.

Unlike SSAO, which simply darkens corners, RTGI calculates "color bleeding"—if a red car drives next to a white wall, the wall will actually take on a soft red hue, simulating light bouncing off the car surface. Installation and Setup (Context: 2021)

Because ReShade applies effects to the final image on your screen, RTGI can sometimes bleed onto user interfaces and text.

: Adjusts how the shader treats thin objects like grass or fences to prevent light leaking through solid geometry. Performance Impact and Hardware Recommendations

This article explores the shader, a 2021 masterpiece that brought screen-space and hybrid ray tracing to nearly any game, transforming dull scenes into realistic, illuminated environments. What is ReShade RTGI 0.33?