Comparing Original Half-Life 2 to RTX Version

Digital Foundry's YouTube channel recently unveiled a comprehensive, hour-long video comparing Valve's 2004 classic, Half-Life 2, with Half-Life 2 RTX, an impressive remaster spearheaded by Orbifold Studios. This team of seasoned modders, utilizing NVIDIA's powerful tools, has delivered a visually stunning overhaul. Expect significantly enhanced lighting, revamped assets, breathtaking ray tracing, and a performance boost courtesy of DLSS 4 support. Best of all, this upgrade is free for existing Steam owners of the original Half-Life 2, although a release date remains unannounced.

A free demo, dropping March 18th, will let players explore two beloved locations: the eerie Ravenholm and the imposing Nova Prospekt prison. A previous trailer showcased the game's impressive ray tracing and the FPS-enhancing capabilities of DLSS 4.

Digital Foundry's in-depth, 75-minute analysis meticulously compares gameplay footage from Ravenholm and Nova Prospekt, highlighting the transformative impact of Orbifold Studios' work. The team's dedication to high-resolution textures, advanced lighting techniques, ray tracing, and DLSS 4 integration is evident. While Digital Foundry's experts noted some minor frame rate inconsistencies in specific areas, the overall visual transformation is nothing short of remarkable, breathing new life into this legendary title.