Cyberpunk 2077 introduces support for DLSS4 Multi-Frame Generation and Transformer-based upscaling

Having previously spoken at length about Nvidia’s insistence on using AI wherever possible, I do have to admit to personal curiosity about the tech. It just so happens that I won’t have to wait long to see it in action because Cyberpunk 2077‘s new Patch 2.21 is all about DLSS4.

Cyberpunk 2077 has historically been Nvidia’s flagship tech-testing vehicle, featuring the latest and greatest up🔥samplers and ray-tracing doodads as soon as they hit the market. Even though the game is now effectively done, it’s still receiving bug fixes and tech upgrades, and Patch 2.21 is precisely just that. Its biggest draw? The DLSS4 AI tech-suite, specifically Transformer-based supersampling and Multi-Frame Generation. In case you haven’t been keeping up with the Joneses, these are effectively the RTX 5000 GPUs’ respective calling cards.

Cyberpunk 2077 Patch 2.21 is all about that DLSS4, with plenty of fixes thrown in for good measure

Nvidia’s RTX 5000 series of graphics processors is set to debut on January 30, with the RTX 5080 and RTX 5090 GPUs here to mark the occasion. The lower-spec cards are to follow suit in February and beyond, from what we’ve been told so far. While the value proposition of this new generation of hardware is rather iffy still, there’s no denying the fact that RTX 5000 will be the go-to choice for ray-tracing and AI-based supersampling. DLSS4 is here to help things along, though game developers may need to put in some elbow grease to get it all working properly.

It was, perhaps, to be expected that CD Projekt RED’s Cyberpunk 2077 would be among the first adopters of these exciting new features. Patch 2.21 specifically adds support for DLSS4, which state “boosts FPS by using AI to generate up to three times per traditionally rendered frame – enabled with GeForce RTX 50 Series on January 30th.” Latency concerns aside, this means we’ll presumably be able to test MFG on the day of the new Nvidia GPUs’ release.

Far more exciting in my book is DLSS4’s new supersampling model: Transformer. This feature can be enabled right this instant on any old Nvidia RTX graphics card, and it will be downright transformative for DLSS users. that DLSS with Transformer model upscaling looks much, much better than the old CNN model in action, with the game no longer looking like an oil painting due to AI smearing and other artifacting. Note that Transfomer-based DLSS supersampling comes at a performance cost compared to CNN-based DLSS, though the good news is that you can switch between the two willy-nilly.

For non-Nvidia users, 2.21 is still a pretty decent update with an impressive list of Photo Mode improvements and bug fixes. Problems with CrystalCoat vehicle customizations h🐈ave also been fixed, and various quests have been revised to accommodate previously unresolved problems. A d𒈔ecent showing overall, but DLSS4 really is the star of the show. Give it a shot if you can!