NVIDIA announces Portal with RTX, and RTX Remix modding tool that can upscale retro PC games
Almost 15 years to the day of Portal 1's release, NVIDIA is releasing a version of the game that utilizes ray tracing and AI upscaling. Portal with RTX will be free to all existing owners of Portal on Steam, featuring re-done textures and models, and better lighting--all facets of NVIDIA's RTX technology, serving as a remaster of sorts for the classic game. This news also comes with the announcement of NVIDIA releasing their new RTX Remix modding tool, which allows users to take older games and import their assets into the software, making it easier to release graphical mods for older games that wouldn't normally be able to be modded or have its textures altered. Portal with RTX showcases what can be possible with RTX Remix, with visual improvements shown in a trailer, alongside direct screenshot comparisons between older PC games like The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and Mount & Blade that benefit from the ray tracing enhancements.
RTX Remix simplifies and accelerates the art remastering process using AI. AI Super Resolution increases the resolution of the extracted textures by up to 4X, turning 1080p-class textures into higher-quality 4K assets. And AI Physically Based Materials scans the game’s environment to add PBR properties to all extracted assets. As demonstrated by these screenshots from TaleWorlds Entertainment's Mount & Blade, a cobblestone floor immediately goes from a flat surface with a basic texture, to a detailed stone surface with a roughness map that interacts with light realistically.