The centerpiece of update 0.36.1 is Gilcher's decision to abandon a widely respected industry algorithm in favor of his own creation. Originally, he tried to implement NVIDIA's ReSTIR GI algorithm into his shader, but he encountered significant and persistent issues. These included "chroma noise" (because the reservoir sampling method could only hold light from a single direction), sample correlation problems that broke the denoiser's variance estimation, and an unstable white noise output.
The RTGI 0.36.1 shader is a proprietary add-on. It is generally distributed via the developer's Patreon page (Marty McFly). Once downloaded, you will receive the specific ReShade_GI_Beta_0.36.1 files.
In the world of PC gaming graphics mods, few innovations have generated as much excitement and anticipation as the ReShade Ray-Traced Global Illumination (RTGI) shader. Created by the legendary developer Pascal Gilcher, also known as "Marty McFly," this shader has consistently pushed the boundaries of what's possible with real-time post-processing. Among its various iterations, version stands as a monumental leap forward, often hailed by its creator as the single largest update ever made to the shader. This article serves as your comprehensive guide to ReShade RTGI 0.36.1, covering everything from its groundbreaking features to installation and configuration.
: You need a recent version of ReShade (preferably with Full Add-on Support to access the depth buffer in multiplayer games, though this can trigger anti-cheat). Depth Buffer Access
in the effect list. Also enable qUINT_mxao.fx (ambient occlusion) and qUINT_lightroom.fx (color grading) – RTGI works best as a middle layer. Reshade Rtgi 0.36.1
If you just want something that works without tweaking:
If a red laser hits a white wall in a dark room, the wall will emit a soft red glow. Without RTGI, the wall remains unlit or is lit by a generic ambient light.
| Feature | RTGI 0.36.1 | RTGI v1.0 (Legit) | NVIDIA RTX (Hardware) | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | Any DX11 GPU | RTX 2060+ / RX 6000+ | RTX 2060+ | | Denoiser | Temporal only | Advanced spatial-temporal | Dedicated hardware | | Screen-space artifacts | Moderate (edges flicker) | Low | None | | Performance hit | 20-35% | 35-50% | 10-25% | | Ghosting | Noticeable in fast motion | Minimal | None | | Price | Free | Patreon ($5+ access) | Hardware purchase |
Paste them into your game directory's reshade-shaders folder, overwriting any existing files. Step 4: Configure the Depth Buffer Launch the game and press Home to open the ReShade overlay. The centerpiece of update 0
Note: The RTGI shader is a paid shader available through Pascal Gilcher’s official Patreon account. Extract the downloaded RTGI 0.36.1 zip archive.
Because RTGI relies on ReShade, which works at the driver level, its potential compatibility is vast. In theory, it can work with any game that can run ReShade and provides a usable depth buffer. A strong factor in success is the ability to capture the game's depth buffer, a prerequisite for the 3D information needed for ray tracing.
, adding depth and immersion that standard ambient occlusion often misses. How to Install and Setup
Choose the correct rendering API for your game (DirectX 9, 11, 12, or Vulkan). The RTGI 0
It's crucial to understand what RTGI is not. It is a full, hardware-accelerated path tracer like the ones found in games such as Cyberpunk 2077 or Control . Instead, the RTGI shader computes its lighting in screen space . This means only light emitters, shadow casters, and surfaces within the current camera view are visible to the effect. It works by reading the game's depth buffer (the 3D geometry information) and then simulating how light bounces off these surfaces, resulting in natural secondary illumination that dramatically enhances depth and material definition. This screen-space approach is what allows RTGI to be far less demanding than full-scene path tracing and what enables it to work on a wide variety of GPUs.
Allows you to tweak settings dynamically while playing the game.
Transforming Game Visuals with ReShade RTGI 0.36.1 ReShade (Ray Traced Global Illumination) is a breakthrough post-processing shader developed by Pascal Gilcher, commonly known as Marty McFly . This version stands as a significant milestone in bringing cinematic lighting to games that lack native ray tracing support. By utilizing depth data from the game engine, RTGI 0.36.1 simulates how light realistically bounces off surfaces to illuminate entire scenes, bridging the gap between standard rasterised graphics and true real-time ray tracing. Core Features of Version 0.36.1
: Move the qquint_rtgi.fx file above your game UI shaders in the ReShade list, or use a specialized UI mask add-on.
Video game graphics evolve rapidly, leaving older hardware and classic titles behind. Screen-space reflections and static lighting often look flat compared to modern ray-tracing tech.