Free Portal DLC is an unexpected treat 15 years after Valve released it as part of the Orange Box collection, and it brings the platformer into 2022 with style. Dubbed Portal with RTX, the update doesn’t add any new gameplay elements, but it does completely transform the iconic puzzle game with RTX ray tracing and Nvidia DLSS 3.0.
Ray tracing isn’t a new concept, and you probably already know that it adds dynamic lighting in real-time if you own a graphics card that supports the feature. Portal with RTX shows just how far the technology has come four years and three generations later, though, as each portal you open creates a new light source that the game needs to react to. It’s a sight to behold that you’re best witnessing for yourself.
The Portal with RTX update is completely free for those that own the original game and will be released in November. Any RTX-enabled graphics card will be able to play with ray tracing and Nvidia Reflex enabled, but team green says you’ll get the best performance with Nvidia DLSS 3.0, which only works on GeForce RTX 4000 GPUs.
Portal with RTX is just the beginning, as it uses the new Nvidia RTX Remix tool to create its updated look. This is a modding platform that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to not only enhance textures, but build custom assets using Omniverse. Nvidia will eventually release this tool for free, where creators can give any mod-supported game a makeover, including The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. Let’s face facts, though… Portal 2 is the obvious choice.
New Nvidia GeForce RTX 4000 GPUs are on the way starting with the RTX 4080 and 4090. Either could end up being the best graphics card, so stay tuned for our review.