Release — Rtgi 0.17.0.2
While the jump from 0.17 to 0.17.0.2 is incremental, it focuses heavily on stability and accuracy:
Installing RTGI 0.17.0.2 requires ReShade 5.9.2 or newer with depth buffer access enabled. The shader comes as a .fxh and .fx file. Add it to your ReShade Shaders/Shaders folder.
Good news: Depth buffer auto-detection has improved. In Hogwarts Legacy, Resident Evil 4 Remake, and Starfield, RTGI found the correct depth buffer on first launch without manual COPY_DEPTH tinkering.
Bad news: It still fails in some UE5 titles (Remnant 2, Immortals of Aveum) because those engines use a custom, inverted, or pre-tonemapped depth buffer. You’ll need to manually edit the RTGI.fx constants or use a third-party depth buffer unlocker.
Also, RTGI 0.17.0.2 breaks on very old ReShade versions (pre-5.0). Update or stay on 0.16.
RTGI v0.17.0.2 is available now on the usual channels:
⚠️ Important: RTGI requires ReShade 5.0 or newer with depth buffer access enabled. Make sure your ReShade is up to date.
Previous versions suffered from "boiling" artifacts on fine geometry (fences, grass, hair) when using lower ray counts. Version 0.17.0.2 introduces an improved temporal reprojection filter that significantly reduces noise without blurring dynamic details. Users running at 1080p with medium ray counts will notice a smoother, more cinematic image.
The RTGI 0.17.0.2 release is a significant historical update for the ReShade Ray Traced Global Illumination shader, created by Pascal Gilcher (also known as Marty McFly). rtgi 0.17.0.2 release
As part of the qUINT shader suite, this version focused on refining the path-tracing logic used to simulate realistic light bounces and shadows in games that do not natively support hardware-accelerated ray tracing. Key Highlights & Features
Ray Traced Global Illumination (RTGI): Models both diffuse and specular lighting by simulating how light physically interacts with objects in a scene.
Hardware Independency: Unlike native RTX, this shader operates on depth buffer data, making it compatible with non-RTX GPUs.
Flicker Reduction: Earlier versions often struggled with flickering in high-contrast areas; this release cycle introduced workarounds and patches to stabilize the lighting channel.
Temporal Stability: Improved the consistency of light over time to minimize the "wobbling" effect common in screen-space ray tracing solutions. ReShade RTGI | Ray Traced Global Illumination
The RTGI 0.17.0.2 release is a significant historical update for the Ray Traced Global Illumination (RTGI) shader, developed by Pascal Gilcher (also known as Marty McFly). This specific version was released on October 30, 2020, as part of the early beta development for the shader suite. Core Technology
RTGI is a state-of-the-art post-processing shader for the ReShade universal injector. It brings realistic lighting to games by physically simulating how light interacts with the environment through:
Diffuse Global Illumination: Simulates real-time interactive bounce lighting, allowing light to illuminate areas not directly hit by a primary light source. While the jump from 0
Ambient Occlusion: Enhances contact shadows and depth perception between objects.
Screen Space Ray Tracing: It utilizes the game's depth buffer data to calculate lighting paths, making it compatible with non-RTX video cards. Key Features of Version 0.17.0.2
While this version was part of a broader beta cycle, it was notable for several implementation details:
ReShade Compatibility: This version is often paired with ReShade 4.9 or similar versions from that period to ensure stability.
Game Versatility: It was widely tested and used in popular titles like GTA V, Skyrim SE, and Minecraft Java Edition to provide a "next-gen" visual look before official ray tracing updates were common.
Hardware Independence: Unlike official hardware-accelerated ray tracing, RTGI 0.17.0.2 operates solely on depth data, allowing older GPUs to achieve similar visual results. Distribution and Legacy
Access: This specific build was distributed primarily through Pascal Gilcher’s Patreon, where it was offered as a benefit for supporters in the early development phase.
Evolution: Since 2020, the shader has evolved into the iMMERSE Pro suite, featuring more advanced algorithms like ReSTIR and improved denoising. Installing RTGI 0
Mainstream Adoption: The technology behind RTGI was eventually adapted by NVIDIA for use in their NVIDIA FreeStyle and Ansel driver modules as "SSRTGI". RTGI 0.17.0.2 Release! - Patreon
Getting the Most Out of RTGI 0.17.0.2: A Guide to the Latest Ray-Traced Global Illumination Update
If you are a PC gamer who loves modding, you are likely familiar with Pascal Gilcher’s RTGI (Ray-Traced Global Illumination) shader for ReShade. It is the gold standard for bringing realistic, dynamic lighting to older or unoptimized games without needing official engine-level ray tracing.
With the release of RTGI 0.17.0.2, Pascal (often known as Marty McFly in the modding community) has pushed the shader even further. This isn't just a simple bug fix; it's a refinement of how the shader handles complex lighting scenarios.
Whether you are upgrading from an older version or installing RTGI for the first time, here is a helpful breakdown of what’s new in 0.17.0.2, how to configure it, and how to make sure your game looks its absolute best.
One of the long-standing criticisms of screen-space GI is the handling of rough, glossy, or metallic surfaces. The new hybrid mode blends two different ray lengths based on material roughness values sampled from the depth buffer. This results in more accurate reflections on wet roads or polished wood, especially in games like Cyberpunk 2077 (when used alongside the built-in RT) or Skyrim with ENB.
Prerequisites:
Step-by-step:
Warning: Do not overwrite an older version without deleting the previous
.cachefolder in your game directory. Some users reported shader compilation errors that were resolved by a clean install.
Without specific information on the 0.17.0.2 release, any analysis would be speculative. However, typically, a version like this could imply: