Disable the game’s native Ambient Occlusion (SSAO/HBAO). RTGI replaces it and will conflict, causing double-dark shadows.
To help me tailor this guide to your specific gaming setup, let me know: What are you trying to mod? What graphics card do you have installed?
Unlike native hardware ray tracing (like Nvidia RTX or AMD DXR), RTGI reads the game's depth buffer. This means it works on older graphics cards, though it only calculates lighting for objects visible on your screen. The Problem with "Free" RTGI 0.33 Downloads
You can subscribe to Marty McFly’s Patreon to receive the absolute latest, most stable, and supported versions. 2. Free Alternatives and Older Versions
Pascal Gilcher funds shader development through Patreon. Paid tiers: New beta builds require a monthly subscription. reshade ray tracing shader rtgi 033 free
Skyrim’s engine (Creation Engine) handles bounced light poorly. RTGI 0.33 fixes this instantly. Caves no longer look uniformly dark; torches cast warm glow on stone walls. Note: Use with an ENB? No—RTGI replaces the need for heavy ENB ambient occlusion.
: Minimum Nvidia GTX 1060 / AMD RX 580. Recommended RTX 2060 / RX 6600 or higher.
💡 Because it solely relies on screen-space data, some graphics experts categorize RTGI more technically as a "screen-space global illumination" (SSGI) shader, not a true independent ray-tracing solution. However, given its sophisticated path-tracing algorithm and dramatic visual impact, the "RTGI" name remains both popular and conceptually fitting.
The shader does not require dedicated RT cores. Disable the game’s native Ambient Occlusion (SSAO/HBAO)
Check the box for the correct depth buffer matching your game's resolution.
Because this is screen-space ray tracing, it requires tuning. Here is the "Sweet Spot" configuration for 60 FPS gaming on mid-range hardware (GTX 1060 / RX 580 or better):
ReShade RTGI 0.33 is a post-processing shader created by developer Pascal Gilcher (Marty McFly). It simulates real-time ray-traced global illumination, ambient occlusion, and physical light bounces. Unlike native hardware ray tracing built into game engines, RTGI calculates lighting using information directly from the game's depth buffer. Key Features of Version 0.33
RTGI can be very demanding. Optimizing is crucial, especially for lower-end systems or graphically intense games. What graphics card do you have installed
ReShade RTGI 0.33, developed by Pascal Gilcher, introduced motion vector support to improve lighting performance and reduce ghosting, offering realistic, screen-space global illumination
Choose the correct rendering API (DirectX 11, DirectX 12, or Vulkan). Download the standard sweet of sweetFX or qquint shaders. Step 2: Add the RTGI Files Extract the RTGI shader files (the .fx and .fh files). Open your game directory folder. Navigate to the reshade-shaders/Shaders folder. Paste the RTGI shader files directly into this directory. Place the texture files in reshade-shaders/Textures . Step 3: Configure the Depth Buffer Launch your game and press Home to open ReShade.
The RTGI (Ray-Traced Global Illumination) shader was developed by Pascal Gilcher (also known as Marty McFly). Unlike hardware-accelerated ray tracing found on NVIDIA RTX graphics cards, Gilcher's approach is a . This means it analyzes and enhances the lighting based only on the information currently displayed on your monitor, using the game's depth buffer to simulate global illumination. The effect is often described as a significant step up from standard SSAO (Screen Space Ambient Occlusion), adding realistic bounce lighting and soft shadows to 3D environments.
Pascal Gilcher develops the RTGI shader as a passion project funded through Patreon. Early access and development versions require a subscription. However, legacy versions like RTGI 0.33 are frequently shared by the community or made available during specific public tier shifts. Avoiding Malware Risks
While you wait for the final release of RTGI to become FOSS, or if you want to experiment, several excellent free shaders achieve similar results.
