A recent trailer has announced that 2007's Portal will be getting a visual upgrade, specifically that it will be implementing the RTX algorithm. RTX is Nvidia's answer to ray tracing technology which is important for video game lighting. The AI works by defining how best to render light in a game's world based on where the player is standing. While Nvidia currently holds a lot of the chips for this technology, it is used by other companies and has pretty much become an industry standard.
As for the game itself, Valve's critically acclaimed puzzle release is fast approaching its 15th anniversary, and while it still looks pretty good, many would agree that it could do with a modern coat of paint. In fact, there have already been efforts made to improve the visuals, such as the Portal video that shows the game in Unreal Engine. Despite the game's age, it's still beloved to this day, with many praising its brilliant story and mind-bending mechanics, so an RTX upgrade is something many will be looking forward to.
The trailer itself, which was uploaded to Nvidia's YouTube channel, gives a delicious teaser to what fans can expect in this upcoming iteration of Portal. It shows what the game looks like without ray tracing and then shows the same area with RTX turned on. The difference is very much obvious, with the lighting, shadows, and just general graphics of the game looking a lot more slick. The trailer ends by saying this update will be coming this November, and will be a free DLC for those who already own the game on PC.
With the Portal: Companion Collection coming to Switch not long ago, the darkly-comical puzzle series is still finding its way into the hearts and hard drives of many gamers. The sequel came out in 2011, so it's been well over a decade since the last installment, yet fans are still talking about both entries. In fact, the first game in particular is popular among speedrunners, with many players taking great strides to break world records.
It's a shame there's little chance of a Portal 3 as many would relish the opportunity to play a new title in this universe, especially given the popularity of the franchise's antagonist GLaDOS. At the very least, the RTX update that's coming soon will likely renew interest in this modern classic, and for those who have yet to play it, this will be a good opportunity to see why it's such a celebrated puzzle game.
Portal is available on Mobile, PC, PS3, Switch, and Xbox 360.