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For most PC players, the sensible order is to choose a resolution and a native-performance target first, then decide whether ray tracing or path tracing is worth the GPU cost, and only after that select DLSS, FSR or XeSS. Ray Tracing: Overdrive is the game’s path-traced preset and is substantially more demanding than Ray Tracing Ultra. Upscaling can recover performance, while frame generation creates additional displayed frames but cannot replace a low, uneven base frame rate.
The guidance below reflects CD PROJEKT RED’s Update 2.0/Phantom Liberty requirements, its ray-tracing and FSR support documentation, and PC Update 2.3 notes dated July 16, 2025. Options and driver support can change in later builds, and console or Mac menus should not be assumed to match the PC version.
What the graphics options actually change
Conventional rendering
The non-ray-traced presets control rasterized lighting, shadows, reflections, crowd detail, textures and other scene effects. They are the least demanding way to run the game and provide the clearest baseline for judging whether your system needs an upscaler. CDPR’s Update 2.0 table separates these targets from ray tracing and Overdrive; the figures are vendor expectations, not independent benchmark results.
Ray tracing and path tracing are not the same setting
Ray tracing is a family of effects that can be enabled at several quality levels. Ray Tracing: Overdrive is the preset above Ray Tracing Ultra and includes path-traced rendering. CDPR describes it as “very GPU intensive, therefore it’s set to ‘off’ by default.” It is disabled initially, and the company does not imply that every ray-traced option uses path tracing.
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On PC, use Settings → Graphics → Quick Preset → Ray Tracing: Overdrive, or open Settings → Graphics and enable Path Tracing (Technology Preview) in the Ray Tracing section. Path tracing can alter the character of global illumination, reflections and shadows, but it can also reduce the ungenerated frame rate sharply. If consistent responsiveness matters more than the most advanced lighting, Ray Tracing Ultra is the more moderate choice.
Path-traced screenshots in Photo Mode
Photo Mode has a separate path-traced screenshot feature for supported ray-tracing GPUs. CDPR gives minimum video-memory thresholds of 8 GB at 1080p, 10 GB at 1440p and 12 GB at 2160p for those screenshots. These are Photo Mode support thresholds, not general game VRAM requirements. A higher resolution or less powerful GPU can take seconds or minutes to render one image.
DLSS: what it does and when Ray Reconstruction appears
DLSS Super Resolution
DLSS renders internally at a lower resolution and reconstructs an image at your output resolution. In the game’s DLSS Super Resolution menu, the quality presets trade internal resolution for performance. Update 2.3 adds more detailed tooltip information to help you choose a preset for your setup and fixes an issue involving CNN and Transformer preset selection. A tooltip does not establish that one preset is universally best; inspect fine geometry, motion and distant detail on your own display.
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Update 2.0 introduced DLSS 3.5 Ray Reconstruction, which CDPR says improves the quality of ray-traced effects. It requires a GeForce RTX card and is available only when Path Tracing is enabled. Therefore, seeing a DLSS option does not mean Ray Reconstruction is active in every graphics mode. The original Update 2.0 notes specified Game Ready Driver 537.42 as a minimum at that time; driver requirements are historical and should be checked against the current driver release before troubleshooting.
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With path tracing enabled on a compatible RTX card, test Ray Reconstruction at your target resolution and compare moving foliage, reflections and indirect light. If artifacts or an unstable frame rate are more distracting than the lighting improvement, turn path tracing off rather than assuming another DLSS preset will solve the underlying GPU load.
FSR upscaling versus FSR Frame Generation
They are separate controls
CDPR describes AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution 3 (introduced in Patch 2.13) as combining image upscaling with frame-generation technology. In the game, however, the upscaler and Frame Generation controls have different roles. The original FSR 3 Frame Generation setting can be enabled only when FSR 3 upscaling is selected. CDPR retained both FSR 2.1 and FSR 3 so players can choose the visual-quality and performance trade-off that suits their hardware.
What Update 2.3 adds
The PC Update 2.3 notes add AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution 4 for compatible AMD GPUs; the supporting AMD driver must be installed before the FSR 4 option appears. They also add AMD FSR Frame Generation 3.1, which can be combined with any upscaler, and Intel XeSS 2.0 with XeSS Frame Generation on compatible hardware. These capabilities describe the build covered by the July 16, 2025 notes; verify the current game version, GPU compatibility and driver support if your menu differs.
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The official documentation does not establish a universal image-quality winner among DLSS, FSR and XeSS. Use the option your hardware supports, then compare a repeatable scene at the same output resolution and base frame rate. Look for shimmering, ghosting, thin-wire stability and clarity during camera movement rather than judging from a static screenshot alone.
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Frame Generation: the base-rate rule that matters
Generated frames are inserted between conventionally rendered frames. They can make the displayed frame counter higher, but they do not remove the rendering and input delay of the base frames. CDPR recommends achieving at least 60 FPS before enabling FSR Frame Generation. It warns that lower base rates can make artifacts more visible and produce frame-pacing problems.
CDPR strongly advises a monitor with a refresh rate of 120 Hz or higher for FSR Frame Generation. A 60 Hz display cannot show the full benefit of a high generated-frame output, while a high-refresh panel gives the additional frames room to be displayed. Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling also needs to be enabled for the supported setup. Driver numbers in the original support guidance are volatile, so install a current driver that explicitly supports your GPU and the selected frame-generation path.
A practical sequence
- Disable Frame Generation and choose your output resolution.
- Adjust conventional or ray-traced settings until the game maintains roughly 60 FPS in the most demanding locations you visit.
- Select an upscaler and a quality preset, then check image stability while moving.
- Enable the frame-generation option that your selected upscaler and hardware support.
- Confirm that your display is running at 120 Hz or above and watch for uneven pacing, UI artifacts or delayed input.
If the base rate is well below 60 FPS, lower ray-tracing quality, disable path tracing, reduce resolution or choose a less demanding upscaler before adding generated frames.
CDPR’s official PC targets
The following table is CD PROJEKT RED’s Update 2.0/Phantom Liberty system-requirements guidance for the base game and expansion. It requires DirectX 12. “Expected” frame rates are vendor targets, not guarantees for every system, and the Overdrive measurement explicitly used DLSS Frame Generation.
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| Rendering target | Preset, resolution and expected rate | Processor | Graphics card | Memory and storage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conventional minimum | Low, 1080p, 30 FPS | Core i7-6700 or Ryzen 5 1600 | GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB, Radeon RX 580 8 GB or Intel Arc A380 | 12 GB RAM; 70 GB SSD |
| Conventional recommended | High, 1080p, 60 FPS | Core i7-12700 or Ryzen 7 7800X3D | GeForce RTX 2060 Super, Radeon RX 5700 XT or Arc A770 | 16 GB RAM; 70 GB SSD |
| Conventional Ultra target | Ultra, 2160p, 60 FPS | Core i9-12900 or Ryzen 9 7900X | GeForce RTX 3080 or Radeon RX 7900 XTX | 20 GB RAM; 70 GB NVMe |
| Ray-tracing minimum | RT Low, 1080p, 30 FPS | Core i7-9700 or Ryzen 5 5600 | GeForce RTX 2060, Radeon RX 6800 XT or Arc A750 | 16 GB RAM; 70 GB SSD |
| Ray-tracing recommended | RT Ultra, 1080p, 60 FPS | Core i9-12900 or Ryzen 9 7900X | GeForce RTX 3080 Ti or Radeon RX 7900 XTX | 20 GB RAM; 70 GB NVMe |
| Ray Tracing: Overdrive | 2160p, 60 FPS | Core i9-12900 or Ryzen 9 7900X | GeForce RTX 4080 | 24 GB RAM; 70 GB NVMe |
The Overdrive row is especially easy to misread: CDPR measured it with DLSS Frame Generation switched on. It is a useful reference for the combination of 2160p, path-traced lighting and generated frames, not a promise that every GeForce RTX 4080 system will deliver identical performance.
How to choose settings for your hardware
If you want steadier responsiveness
- Start with conventional rendering or Ray Tracing Ultra rather than Overdrive.
- Set a frame-rate target your system can sustain in busy streets, combat and interiors, not only in an empty scene.
- Use an upscaler only after selecting the visual preset; increase its quality before lowering the output resolution if fine detail is important.
- Leave Frame Generation off if your base rate is under about 60 FPS or if input latency is a priority.
If you want path-traced lighting
- Enable Path Tracing (Technology Preview) or the Overdrive quick preset.
- On a compatible GeForce RTX card, test DLSS Ray Reconstruction because it is available only with path tracing.
- Expect to rely on upscaling and possibly Frame Generation, but verify the base rate first.
- Use the Overdrive requirements as a reference point, not as a guarantee for an unlisted GPU.
If you use AMD or Intel hardware
Choose among the FSR versions or XeSS options that your current build exposes. Update 2.3’s FSR 4 support is limited to compatible AMD GPUs and requires the supporting driver; XeSS 2.0 and XeSS Frame Generation likewise require compatible hardware. The names alone do not determine which image will look best on your particular card and display.
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- Use the same resolution, ray-tracing mode, field of view and graphics preset for every test.
- Pick a demanding, repeatable location and move the camera through foliage, neon signs, fences and reflective surfaces.
- Record the base frame rate with Frame Generation disabled.
- Compare each upscaler at a similar base rate, checking thin objects, motion, reflections and distant signs.
- Enable the compatible Frame Generation option only after the base-rate check, then look for pacing irregularities and UI or particle artifacts.
- Keep the setting that meets your own balance of clarity, smoothness and latency; official pages do not name a universal winner.
Common problems and fixes
Overdrive or Path Tracing is missing
Confirm that you are using the PC build and the current graphics menu. Path Tracing is a separate option in the Ray Tracing section, while Overdrive is available through the Quick Preset. Unsupported hardware, an outdated build or a driver problem can prevent an option from appearing.
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Frame Generation is greyed out
For the original FSR 3 Frame Generation control, select FSR 3 upscaling first. The later FSR Frame Generation 3.1 implementation can work with any upscaler, but still depends on compatible hardware and the correct game and driver support.
The frame counter is high but movement feels uneven
Turn Frame Generation off temporarily and measure the base rate. If it is below the recommended 60 FPS baseline, reduce the GPU-heavy settings or output resolution. Check that Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling is enabled and that the monitor is operating at its intended refresh rate, preferably 120 Hz or higher for this use case.
Photo Mode takes a long time to render
Path-traced screenshots can take seconds to minutes, particularly at higher resolutions or on less powerful GPUs. The 8 GB, 10 GB and 12 GB VRAM figures are Photo Mode thresholds, not a promise of real-time gameplay performance.
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A decision framework you can reuse after updates
Make six checks in order: target resolution; sustainable base frame rate; GPU, VRAM and processor headroom; preference for path-traced lighting versus consistency; upscaler and driver compatibility; and display refresh rate when using generated frames. This prevents a high displayed-FPS number from hiding an unsuitable base rate and prevents an advertised hardware tier from being treated as a guarantee.
Because Update 2.3 is the latest update identified here rather than a statement that no later patch exists, recheck the current PC patch notes and driver requirements whenever a setting, tooltip or compatibility result differs from these instructions.
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