Nvidia shows The Witcher 4 forest demo running path tracing on an RTX 4070

[Daniel Sims]

Something to look forward to: Nvidia and Epic Games recently outlined new level-of-detail methods that will enhance ray and path tracing performance in densely forested environments for upcoming games, including The Witcher 4. Nvidia just published a longer demonstration suggesting that its new path tracing features can achieve reasonable frame rates on mid-range graphics cards.

Nvidia has published its full GDC 2026 presentation on its upcoming path tracing and micropolygon tools. The video offers a new glimpse at assets and engine functionality that will feature in the PC version of The Witcher 4.

While Unreal Engine 5's Nanite system dynamically adds and subtracts polygons to adjust the level of detail of objects based on their distance from the camera, mitigating the "pop-in" effect common in large video game environments, Nvidia's RTX Mega Geometry optimizes how those polygons interact with ray tracing. A section of Nvidia's new video explains how updates to RTX Mega Geometry will enable high-quality path tracing in dense forests for the first time.

Epic Games published a video last year explaining how new Unreal Engine 5 updates allow developers to apply Nanite to trees and other plants. Using character models and scenes from The Witcher 4, Epic and CD Projekt Red demonstrated how UE5 can now handle ray tracing in thick vegetation at 60 frames per second on the standard PlayStation 5.

Nvidia's version pushes the same fundamental concept to a new level with path tracing on PC. Using a new voxel-based level-of-detail system, the company showcased a forest using The Witcher 4's tree assets, which contained approximately 1 million trees. Distant trees turn into simple voxels, while close-up trees at the maximum level of detail consist of up to 10 million polygons to render individual pines without relying on flat cards.

Although the 5-by-5-kilometer scene does not contain characters or game logic, it achieves roughly 80 frames per second on an RTX 5090 in 1440p, upscaled to 4K. Furthermore, a 4070 can run the scene at about 58fps in 1440p DLSS Balanced mode, which upscales from an internal resolution of 960p, fitting within the GPU's 12GB of VRAM.

Nvidia plans to open-source the technology later this year. Remedy Entertainment will incorporate it into the PC version of Control Resonant, which is set to launch sometime in 2026. The Witcher 4, which will also feature path tracing and RTX Mega Geometry, is expected to emerge no sooner than 2027.

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Nvidia shows The Witcher 4 forest demo running path tracing on an RTX 4070

 

[Axeia]

Heavy NVIDIA influence in a Witcher game.
Well, let's hope the performance debacle on non-NVIDIA (and older NVIDIA) hardware we had with NVIDIA hairworks in the Witcher 3 doesn't repeat itself.

I mean Cyberpunk 2077 is fairly GPU neutral at least so perhaps there is hope.
Or perhaps NVIDIA is up to its old tricks again, targeting something that will work great on their latest generation of cards and nothing else - it's good for sales after all.

 

[ScottSoapbox]

Here's a demo of beautiful trees made blurry by YouTube compression because we can't be bothered to upload a 4K version.

I can't tell if that's incompetence or trying to hide how it doesn't show anywhere near the number of polygons and triangles the speaker is claiming in the voiceover.

 

[MasterMace]

"a 4070"
Ok...

"can run the scene"
Uh huh....

"at about 58fps"
Alright....

"in 1440p"
Ok....

"[with fake frames]"
Lame.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

"a 4070"
Ok...

"can run the scene"
Uh huh....

"at about 58fps"
Alright....

"in 1440p"
Ok....

"[with fake frames]"
Lame.

Nowhere is there any mention of frame generation.

Heavy NVIDIA influence in a Witcher game.
Well, let's hope the performance debacle on non-NVIDIA (and older NVIDIA) hardware we had with NVIDIA hairworks in the Witcher 3 doesn't repeat itself.

I mean Cyberpunk 2077 is fairly GPU neutral at least so perhaps there is hope.
Or perhaps NVIDIA is up to its old tricks again, targeting something that will work great on their latest generation of cards and nothing else - it's good for sales after all.

Or maybe, just maybe, it's Nvidia being willing to work with programmers to integrate their technology in games so it runs well, while the competition sits back with fingers up their noses wondering why other people won't do the work for them. As has been the story of the last 20 years.

Also saying they're making something that will only work well on the latest cards....when they are testing on Ada.....bruh.

 

[MasterMace]

Nowhere is there any mention of frame generation.
Or maybe, just maybe, it's Nvidia being willing to work with programmers to integrate their technology in games so it runs well, while the competition sits back with fingers up their noses wondering why other people won't do the work for them. As has been the story of the last 20 years.

Also saying they're making something that will only work well on the latest cards....when they are testing on Ada.....bruh.

DLSS has AI frame generation

 

[digibluez]

Would not blame NVIDIA of getting ahead, AMD is lacking far far behind in GAMES, either they change their perspective and actually make something new themselves instead of copy paste opponents and in a worse way.

sux for us who bought expensive 9070xtxt and can not afford to jump ship

 

[Theinsanegamer]

DLSS has AI frame generation

That doesnt mean FG was used.

That's like saying it used FG because it used DX12. That's now how that works. You can use DLSS without using FG.

Please treat your nvidia derangement syndrome

 

[MasterMace]

That doesnt mean FG was used.

That's like saying it used FG because it used DX12. That's now how that works. You can use DLSS without using FG.

Please treat your nvidia derangement syndrome

Saying that DLSS frame rates are equivalent, whether it was upscaling the resolution or with frame generation, is fanboyism. Fervently defending it furthers my point. I am disappointed when they use DLSS frame rates. I posted it. For some reason you felt offended by my opinion and decided it was your duty to defend the company, even though you don't know to what extent the technology was used. Textbook definition of fanboyism.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

Saying that DLSS frame rates are equivalent, whether it was upscaling the resolution or with frame generation, is fanboyism. Fervently defending it furthers my point. I am disappointed when they use DLSS frame rates. I posted it.

There is a huge difference between upscaling and FG, but I doubt that actual facts matter to you very much....

For some reason you felt offended by my opinion and decided it was your duty to defend the company, even though you don't know to what extent the technology was used. Textbook definition of fanboyism.

Ironic the guy calling others offended is also calling people fanboys. All I did was call out your misinformation and you seem really butthurt about it.

 

[Hecate91]

Or maybe.... just maybe the influence Nvidia has on game developers is a bad thing, sadly people are only realizing that as it's already too late.
Their end goal is putting a full proprietary ecosystem around PC gaming, with any other choice but Nvidia looking worse.
Saying people have "nvidia derangement syndrome" is really ironic for someone constantly defending a multi-trillion dollar company.

 

[OortCloud]

DLSS has AI frame generation

I'm no Jensen fan but given that they very specifically say they used upscaling it would seem bizarre if they omitted mentioning the critical information that they also used frame gen. But this is Nvidia so you never know (a 5070 was going to way quicker than a 4090 according to Jensen after all).

 

[darkzelda]

I would rather enjoy smooth and high frames over this most likely stutter fest eye candy. Perhaps I'm being biased, but I don't see much difference between these images and say Kingdom Come deliverance 2 that doesn't even have Ray Tracing and looks amazing and more important, runs buttery smooth.