DOOM: The Dark Ages is Finally Adding Path Tracing and DLSS Ray Reconstruction

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Doom The Dark Ages with path tracing looks spectacular but I think FPS is more important in boomer-shooters so I'll stick with standard ray-tracing option

Original Article: Bethesda and id Software have announced that a major visual update featuring path tracing is coming to DOOM: The Dark Ages today, June 18, 2025. In addition to path tracing, the update brings DLSS Ray Reconstruction, aiming to push the game’s graphics and lighting fidelity to new heights, especially for players with high-end graphics cards.

Obviously, this update is exclusive to PC players since PS5 and Xbox Series X consoles are not quite capable of delivering the standard ray-tracing experience, let alone path tracing goodness.

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Doom: The Dark Ages Review – Brutal, Beautiful, and Occasionally Bizarre

Semir OmerovicJUNE 12

Path Tracing and DLSS Explained

Path tracing, also known as full ray tracing, is a rendering technique that simulates how light behaves in real life. In DOOM: The Dark Ages, this means more realistic global illumination and dynamic lighting. Light from the sun, moon, or hellish skyboxes now bounces multiple times across surfaces, dynamically illuminating characters, environments, and reflective surfaces with more detail than in the standard ray-tracing preset.

The game already includes always-on ray-traced global illumination, but this new update takes that system further by adding path-traced lighting that reacts more realistically in complex scenes. Light sources like torches, lamps, and even the DOOM Slayer’s weapons now cast more accurate light into the environment, dynamically lighting hallways and tight spaces in a way that enhances the game’s dark medieval aesthetic. Check out some comparison shots below, courtesy of Digital Foundry.

Doom The Dark Ages Path Tracing ON vs OFF

Digital Foundry

Doom The Dark Ages - In some cases, Path Tracing is barely noticeable

Digital Foundry

Doom The Dark Ages - Some scenes can see massive benefits from Path Tracing turned on. Look at the fire reflections on the weapon.

A Visual Leap – But at a Cost

While the results are visually striking, players should be aware that enabling full path tracing can come with a noticeable performance hit. On supported RTX GPUs, frame rates can drop 50% in demanding scenes, even with DLSS active. This makes the feature more suitable for those prioritising visual fidelity over high frame rates, or for users with top-tier GPUs like the RTX 4090 or 5080.

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