Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. News

Half-Life 2 is getting Nvidia’s RTX treatment with DLSS 3

Tomas Franzese
By
Summer Gaming Marathon Feature Image
This story is part of the Digital Trends Summer Gaming Marathon series

Nvidia announced Half-Life 2 RTX at Gamescom, which means one of the best games of all time will get a community-made remaster with ray-tracing, DLSS 3, and more, similar to what happened with Portal.

Half-Life 2 RTX is the latest in a long stream of fan-made remasters for classic PC games that demonstrate the power of Nvidia’s latest technology. Last year, Valve Software’s Portal got this treatment, and Digital Trends called it the most demanding PC game we’ve ever tested. It’s not surprising that Nvidia would move on to what is probably Valve’s other most influential game, Half-Life 2. This game, which was originally released in 2004, set a new bar for first-person shooters and has a vibrant modding community. Now, some of those modders have come together to form Orbifold Studios and are working with Nvidia to release Half-Life 2 RTX.

Recommended Videos

So far, Nvidia has confirmed that Half-Life 2 RTX will support DLSS 3, RTX IO, and other “modernized assets.” It’s likely the closest we’re getting to a full-on Black Mesa-style remake for Half-Life 2. If it’s anything like Portal with RTX, though, Half-Life 2 RTX will be a demanding game that will only run on some of the most powerful PCs. Nvidia released lots of screenshots to give us a taste of what Half-Life 2 RTX will look like, and it shows off some impressive visual improvements.

Half-Life 2 RTX does not have a release date, as Nvidia claims development on it has “just begun.” In the same presentation where Half-Life 2 RTX got announced, Nvidia also stated that over 80 games are getting what it’s now calling the “RTX Remix” treatment.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Tomas Franzese
Tomas Franzese
Gaming Staff Writer
Tomas Franzese is a Staff Writer at Digital Trends, where he reports on and reviews the latest releases and exciting…
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2’s new trailer is frighteningly immersive
Senua looks into the water in Hellblade 2

During the Xbox Games Showcase today, we got a new look at Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 and learned that it will come out next year.

After a brief introduction from Senua actor Melina Juergens, we jumped into nearly four minutes of gameplay. We see Senua explore a misty, mysterious cave that seems to be shifting all around her. Senua continues to struggle with the voices in her head, which eventually lead her to look at her reflection in the water and proclaim that everything she's done has led her to this place. She then gets pulled into the water at the end of the trailer.

Read more
Alan Wake 2 is more True Detective than Twin Peaks
Saga stands in front of an evidence board in Alan Wake 2.

Since its release in 2010, Alan Wake has been synonymous with Twin Peaks. Remedy Interactive and director Sam Lake have never been shy about how David Lynch’s classic TV show shaped the horror game. Alan Wake wears that inspiration on its sleeve, with its midwestern setting and eccentric cast of characters that feel like they could be regulars at the Double R Diner.

Alan Wake 2 - Gameplay Reveal Trailer | PS5 Games

Read more
Mortal Kombat 1’s Kameo system lets me get real bloody creative
Key art for Mortal Kombat 1 shows Liu Kang.

After over three decades, how many ways can you make the same game?

That’s a question NetherRealm Studios would need to ask itself when developing its follow-up to the ultrapopular Mortal Kombat 11. Its next installment would need to find a way to up the ante, both in terms of wild fatalities and its core fighting systems. It would require a lot of creativity, and that word is at the front of my mind while demoing Mortal Kombat 1.

Read more