Reshade Ray Tracing Shader Rtgi 033

Use RTGI v0.33 if:

Skip it if:

You cannot find RTGI 0.33 on the official ReShade shader repository (Shadez) anymore. You must find the legacy archive (usually hosted on GitHub or community forums).

Later versions of Marty McFly’s RTGI shader (such as 0.38+ and the newer qUINT RTGI) moved to a different licensing model, frequently locked behind Patreon paywalls or integrated into the "qUINT" suite with different algorithms. RTGI 0.33 remains a fan-favorite because:

Reshade’s RTGI 0.33 (Ray-Traced Global Illumination) is a community shader that simulates real-time global illumination inside Reshade by tracing rays in screen-space and reconstructing indirect lighting. It’s widely used to boost scene depth, color bleeding, and realistic indirect illumination in unsupported engines without native ray tracing. This post summarizes what RTGI 0.33 does, how it works, installation and setup, configuration tips, common trade-offs, and troubleshooting.

Report prepared: March 2025 – based on community knowledge and technical analysis of version 0.33.

The RTGI (Ray Traced Global Illumination) shader, specifically version 0.33, represents a significant update in Marty McFly’s (Pascal Gilcher) ongoing development of screen-space ray tracing for ReShade. Core Technical Features

Version 0.33 was a landmark update that introduced major architectural changes to how lighting is calculated:

Motion Vectors Integration: This version added support for motion vectors, which allows the shader to track object movement across frames. This drastically reduces "ghosting" and shimmering artifacts during movement.

Infinite Bounces (Approximated): Unlike standard screen-space ambient occlusion (SSAO), RTGI 0.33 simulates how light bounces off surfaces to illuminate the rest of the scene, creating realistic color bleeding and soft shadows.

Depth-Based Path Tracing: The shader extracts the game's depth buffer to determine where objects are in 3D space, allowing it to "trace" rays against the environment. Implementation Details

Compatibility: It works as a generic post-processing layer, meaning it can be applied to almost any game that allows depth buffer access via ReShade, regardless of whether the game natively supports RTX. Requirements:

ReShade Version: Typically used with ReShade 5.3 or newer to leverage the full feature set of 0.33.

Access: RTGI is primarily distributed through Pascal Gilcher’s Patreon, where it remains a "early access" or "beta" feature for supporters.

Performance Cost: As a ray tracing solution, it is demanding. Users often report a significant frame rate drop, especially at 4K resolutions or when high ray counts are used. Performance vs. Visual Quality

Here are a few options for a social media post (Instagram, Twitter/X, Facebook) about the ReShade RTGI 0.33 shader release. You can choose the one that fits your style best!

RTGI v0.33 isn’t the future of real-time rendering—it’s a clever hack from a brilliant modder (Marty McFly) who refused to wait for game devs to catch up. In the right game, on the right hardware, it feels like magic. In the wrong game, it’s a performance-killing noise machine.

But when it works? You’ll find yourself just looking at walls. Admiring how light finally behaves like light. And for $0 and an hour of setup, that’s a pretty good deal.

Download: Get ReShade + qUINT from the official forums.
Support the dev: Marty McFly accepts donations on Patreon.

Have you tried RTGI v0.33? Which game surprised you the most? Drop your preset configs in the comments.

ReShade RTGI (Ray Traced Global Illumination) shader, specifically version , is a post-processing tool developed by Pascal Gilcher

(also known as Marty McFly). It is designed to inject real-time ray-traced lighting effects into almost any game that supports Core Functionality

Unlike native hardware ray tracing (RTX) which is integrated into a game's engine, RTGI 0.33 uses a technique called Screen Space Ray Tracing

. It analyzes the game’s depth buffer—the data telling the computer how far away objects are—to calculate how light should bounce between surfaces in the visible scene. Global Illumination reshade ray tracing shader rtgi 033

: Simulates "bounce lighting," where light reflects off one surface (like a red rug) and subtly tints nearby surfaces (like a white wall). Ambient Occlusion

: Provides deep, realistic shadows in corners and crevices where light naturally struggles to reach. Compatibility

: Because it is an injection-based shader, it can add modern lighting to older titles that were never designed for ray tracing. Key Features of Version 0.33 While newer versions are available on Marty's Mods

, version 0.33 is often cited in community guides for its stability and specific feature set: Infinite Bounces

: Simulates multiple light bounces for more natural-looking interior lighting. Denoising Filters

: Includes built-in filters to clean up the "noise" or graininess typical of real-time ray tracing. Z-Thickness

: Advanced settings that allow the shader to better estimate the "thickness" of objects in the scene, preventing light from leaking through thin walls. Performance and Trade-offs

Using RTGI 0.33 comes with significant performance considerations: FPS Impact : Users typically see a 25% to 50% drop in frame rate depending on settings and resolution. Hardware Agnostic : Unlike Nvidia’s RTX, this shader works on any graphics card

(AMD, Nvidia, or Intel), though a powerful GPU is still recommended for smooth gameplay. UI Artifacts

: Since the shader acts on the final image, it can sometimes accidentally "ray trace" the game's user interface (HUD), causing menus or maps to look blurry or shadowed. How to Use Install ReShade : Download the latest version from the official site Acquire the Shader : RTGI is typically available through the Marty's Mods Patreon : Place the files into the reshade-shaders folder of your game directory. Configuration

: In-game, open the ReShade menu (usually the Home key) and enable qUINT_rtgi Copy Depth Buffer

is enabled in the ReShade settings, or the shader will not have the data needed to work. optimizing specific settings

within the RTGI menu to balance visual quality and performance? How To Install Shaders - A ReShade Tutorial 6 Nov 2025 —

RTGI (Ray Traced Global Illumination) is a highly popular post-processing shader developed by Pascal Gilcher (Marty McFly). It uses a technique called Screen Space Ray Tracing to simulate how light bounces off surfaces, adding realistic lighting, shadows, and color bleeding to games that do not natively support Ray Tracing.

Version 0.33 introduced significant refinements in denoising and performance overhead compared to earlier experimental builds. Key Features and Improvements

Infinite Bounces: Simulates complex light paths where light hits a surface, picks up its color, and bounces onto another.

Improved Denoising: Version 0.33 features a more "stable" denoiser, reducing the "flickering" or "boiling" effect common in older screen-space implementations.

Z-Thickness Logic: Better detection of object depth, which prevents light from "leaking" through thin walls or character models.

Performance Toggles: Includes options to scale the ray count and step size, allowing users to balance visual fidelity with frame rate. How to Install and Use

Requirement: You must have Reshade installed for your specific game.

Shader Placement: Place the qUINT_rtgi.fx and its associated textures into the reshade-shaders/Shaders folder of your game directory.

Depth Buffer Setup: RTGI requires access to the game's Depth Buffer to work. In the Reshade overlay (Home key), ensure the "DisplayDepth" shader looks correct (smooth gradient from black to white). Configuration: Ray Length: Adjusts how far the light travels.

Ray Amount: Higher values provide cleaner lighting but lower FPS. Use RTGI v0

Indirect Lighting Intensity: Controls how much "glow" the bounced light produces. Comparison to Native Ray Tracing

While RTGI 0.33 provides a massive visual upgrade for older titles (like Skyrim, GTA V, or The Witcher 3), it is limited to Screen Space. This means it can only calculate lighting for objects currently visible on your screen. If an object moves behind the camera, its light contribution disappears.

The following draft serves as a technical white paper overview for the ReShade Ray Traced Global Illumination (RTGI) shader, specifically highlighting the advancements found in version 0.33. Technical Overview: RTGI Shader Version 0.33

Subject: Real-Time Post-Process Ray Traced Global IlluminationAuthor: Based on the work of Pascal Gilcher (Marty McFly)Version Focus: 0.33 (August 2022 Update) 1. Abstract

The ReShade RTGI shader is a post-processing effect designed to inject physically-based lighting into existing video games by utilizing screen-space depth and normal data. Version 0.33 represents a significant milestone in temporal stability and performance efficiency, introducing native motion vector support to reduce noise and artifacts in dynamic scenes. 2. Core Methodology

Unlike hardware-native ray tracing, RTGI operates at the end of the rendering pipeline via ReShade.

Data Acquisition: The shader extracts the Depth Buffer and surface normals from the game engine.

Ray Casting: It traces rays within the screen-space to determine light occlusion and indirect bounces.

Hardware Independence: Because it is a software-based post-process, it does not require dedicated RTX hardware and is compatible with any GPU supporting modern APIs like DirectX 9-12 or Vulkan. 3. Key Innovations in Version 0.33

Version 0.33 introduced several critical features that improved the "playable" quality of the shader:

Motion Vector Integration: The most significant addition to 0.33 is the use of motion vectors. This allows the shader to track pixel movement between frames, significantly reducing the "ghosting" or "smearing" often associated with temporal denoisers in previous versions.

Enhanced Image-Based Lighting (IBL): Improvements to the IBL algorithm allow the shader to better approximate light coming from outside the immediate screen-space, leading to more natural transitions at screen edges.

Stabilized Denoiser: A refined denoising filter helps smooth out the inherent noise of low-count ray tracing without sacrificing sharp contact shadows (Ambient Occlusion). 4. Technical Constraints ReShade RTGI | Ray Traced Global Illumination

The ReShade Ray Tracing Shader RTGI 0.33 update, released in August 2022, introduced a significant technological leap for the popular post-processing tool by adding motion vectors support. Developed by Pascal Gilcher (also known as Marty McFly), the RTGI (Ray Traced Global Illumination) shader allows players to simulate advanced lighting effects like bounce lighting and realistic shadows in older games that lack native ray tracing support. Key Features of RTGI 0.33

The 0.33 version was a major milestone for the Marty's Mods collection. Its primary advancement was the integration of motion vectors, which dramatically improved temporal stability.

Realistic Bounce Lighting: Simulates how light physically interacts with objects, allowing colors from the floor or walls to "bounce" and illuminate the rest of a scene.

Hardware Independence: Unlike native RTX solutions, this shader operates on depth data alone, making it compatible with non-RTX video cards.

Motion Vector Support: Introduced in version 0.33, this feature helps the shader track object movement, reducing the "ghosting" or flickering artifacts common in earlier post-process ray tracing attempts.

Customizable Parameters: Users can fine-tune "Ray Amount" and "Ray Step Amount" to balance visual fidelity with hardware performance. Performance and Setup

Implementing RTGI 0.33 is a demanding task for any GPU. It works by "ray marching" through the screen space depth buffer to approximate lighting, which is different from true hardware ray tracing that calculates data for the entire 3D scene.

Installation: The shader is typically available through Pascal Gilcher’s Patreon. Installation involves dragging the shader and texture files into the reshade-shaders folder of a game's directory.

Performance Cost: Activating full RTGI (Diffuse and Specular) can impact frame rates significantly, sometimes halving them depending on the game and hardware.

Technical Requirements: ReShade must have access to the game's depth buffer to function. This often requires disabling in-game anti-aliasing (MSAA) and sometimes using wrappers like DXVK to convert older DirectX versions to Vulkan for better compatibility. Why Use Version 0.33? Skip it if:

While newer versions like 0.51 have since been released with features like "Sky Color", version 0.33 remains a popular reference point in the community because it was the first to implement the robust motion vector system that bridged the gap between basic screen-space effects and more stable, modern lighting techniques.

The ReShade RTGI 0.33 shader, created by Pascal Gilcher (popularly known as Marty McFly), is a post-processing tool designed to bring advanced lighting techniques—specifically Ray-Traced Global Illumination—to games that do not natively support them. Version 0.33, released as a significant update in August 2022, introduced key enhancements such as motion vectors to improve temporal stability and overall image quality. What is RTGI?

Ray-Traced Global Illumination (RTGI) simulates how light bounces off surfaces to illuminate areas not directly hit by a primary light source.

Dynamic Lighting: It adds realistic shadow casting and material interactions that bridge the gap between real-time gaming and pre-rendered visuals.

Screen-Space Limitation: Unlike "true" hardware-based ray tracing, this shader operates on depth buffer information. This means it can only "trace" what is currently visible on your screen, acting as a highly advanced form of ambient occlusion.

Compatibility: Because it relies on the depth buffer rather than specialized hardware, it works on almost any GPU, including older non-RTX cards. Key Features of Version 0.33

The 0.33 update was a major milestone for the shader's development: Ray-Traced Global Illumination - GitHub Pages

ReShade RTGI (Ray Traced Global Illumination) shader, specifically version

, is a post-processing tool developed by Pascal Gilcher (also known as Marty McFly). It simulates ray-traced lighting effects in games that do not natively support them by using the screen's depth buffer. Key Features of RTGI 0.33 Motion Vectors Support

: The 0.33 update (released around August 2022) introduced support for motion vectors

, which significantly improves the stability of the lighting during fast movement. Screen-Space Simulation

: Unlike native hardware ray tracing (RTX), which calculates light based on an entire 3D scene, RTGI is a screen-space effect

. It only calculates "rays" for objects currently visible on your screen. Hardware Compatibility : Because it is software-based, it works on both GPUs, including older non-RTX cards. Installation Requirements

The ReShade RTGI (Ray Traced Global Illumination) shader, specifically version 0.33, is a landmark post-processing tool developed by Pascal Gilcher (Marty McFly). It is widely praised for its ability to inject modern lighting effects into older games that don't natively support ray tracing.  Key Performance & Quality Insights 

Reviews and community consensus from platforms like Marty's Mods and user discussions on Reddit highlight several critical aspects of version 0.33: 

Universal Compatibility: Unlike native hardware ray tracing (RTX), RTGI is hardware independent. It works by analyzing the game's "depth buffer" to simulate how light bounces off surfaces, meaning it can run on non-RTX cards, though it is still hardware-demanding.

Visual Transformation: Users frequently note that RTGI 0.33 significantly improves ambient occlusion and indirect lighting. It fills in shadows in areas where traditional screen-space effects (SSAO) fail, making environments feel more grounded and "physical".

Temporal Stability: One of the most praised "interesting" features of the 0.3x versions is improved stability. It minimizes the "shimmering" or flickering artifacts common in earlier screen-space ray tracing attempts, providing a cleaner image during movement.

Customization vs. Complexity: Reviewers often point out the "Fine-Grained Controls." You can tweak rays per pixel and bounce counts to find a balance between visual fidelity and framerate.  Trade-offs to Consider 

Performance Hit: Even though it doesn't require RT cores, it is not free. Depending on the game and settings, users often report a 20–40% drop in FPS. It is recommended for users who aren't already struggling to hit their target framerate.

VRAM Usage: Recent feedback on Reddit suggests that while ReShade itself is lightweight, intensive shaders like RTGI can lead to significant jumps in VRAM usage, sometimes by several gigabytes in high-resolution or VR scenarios.

UI Limitations: Because it relies on the depth buffer, the effect cannot "see" what is behind the player or hidden by the UI. This can sometimes cause light to "bleed" through menus or disappear at the edges of the screen. 

Are you looking to install this for a specific game, or do you need help optimizing the settings for better performance? 

ReShade RTGI | Ray Traced Global Illumination - marty's mods

This version is a legacy Martys Mods release (before the switch to the newer "qUINT" and "Pathtracing" frameworks). It is known for its performance efficiency and classic "bounce lighting" effect.