RTGI ReShade Shader Gets Major Update, Surpassing ReSTIR GI as Claimed by Its Creator

Major Update for RTGI ReShade Shader Released by Pascal Gilcher

After a considerable hiatus of six months, Pascal Gilcher, widely recognized in the gaming community as Marty McFly, has unveiled a significant update to his acclaimed RTGI ReShade shader. This new version is now accessible for his Patreon supporters and promises substantial enhancements.

Innovative Enhancements and New Sampling Techniques

Initially, Gilcher aimed to integrate the ReSTIR GI algorithm into his shader. However, he faced several challenges, including issues like chroma noise—stemming from reservoir sampling’s limitation to single-direction light—alongside sample correlation that interfered with the denoiser’s variance estimation, and unwanted white noise outputs. After much deliberation, Gilcher devised his own sampling algorithm, which he confidently claims surpasses the quality of ReSTIR GI.

Additionally, the update brings notable improvements to the shader’s reflections. Utilizing HiZ Min-Max Tracing, the reflections now deliver pixel-perfect results, elevating the overall graphical fidelity.

Future Developments for RTGI

Looking ahead, Gilcher has plans to separate the RTGI shader’s diffuse and specular components into distinct shaders, allowing for more straightforward management and improved performance.

Marty's Mods | Update June 2025 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PImgAUIoyZw)

Improvements Across Other Shaders

Other shaders developed by Gilcher have also seen enhancements. For instance, MXAO has received fixes for low-radius halos around objects, while the Launchpad shader now features an advanced gradient descent-based algorithm. This new approach effectively addresses subpixel shifts, outperforming the conventional grid-based search methods.

New Gradient Descent Optimizers

Users can select from two primary gradient descent optimizers:

Newton: Offers rapid convergence, making it ideal for lower-quality settings.
SophiaG: While it converges more gradually, it identifies better minima, suitable for high-quality settings.

Introduction of Path Traced Volumetric Fog Shader

In an exciting addition, Gilcher has also introduced a path traced volumetric fog shader. This shader was originally conceptualized as a ground truth reference for a real-time effect, but due to the enjoyment derived from its development, it is now available in beta testing—although it is recommended primarily for use in screenshots.

This innovative volumetric fog shader is exclusively available to supporters at the highest tier of Gilcher’s Patreon, known as ‘Photon Mappers’, which requires a $20 monthly subscription.

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