Cyberpunk 2077 Hits Over 120 FPS at 4K with Full Path Tracing on RTX 5080 and NVIDIA DLSS 4
NVIDIA’s DLSS 4 has taken center stage as a groundbreaking innovation at CES 2025, promising transformative improvements in image quality and performance. Paired with the newly announced GeForce RTX 5080, the technology was showcased running Cyberpunk 2077, achieving stunning results that redefine what’s possible in gaming visuals and performance.
Cyberpunk 2077 Powered by DLSS 4
In a detailed hands-on analysis from Digital Foundry, NVIDIA’s DLSS 4 demonstrated incredible capabilities on an RTX 5080. Running Cyberpunk 2077 at 4K resolution with full path tracing, the game exceeded 120 FPS even in the most graphically intensive areas, such as the Petrochem stadium black market.
This remarkable performance uplift is driven by DLSS 4’s Multi Frame Generation, an RTX 50 series-exclusive feature that generates up to three additional frames per traditionally rendered frame. When enabled, frame rates saw dramatic boosts:
535% increase with single-frame generation (x2).
725% increase with two generated frames.
935% increase with three generated frames, pushing well past the 120 FPS threshold.
Enhanced Visuals and Reduced Artifacts
DLSS 4 leverages a vision transformer-based AI model, replacing the older convolutional neural network used in DLSS 3. Key improvements include:
Greater image stability and reduced ghosting.
Enhanced anti-aliasing and detail, even in complex scenes.
Drastically reduced VRAM usage with RTX Neural Texture Compression.
These advancements address long-standing issues with prior iterations, delivering unparalleled image quality for gamers.
Trade-offs: Latency vs. Performance
With DLSS 4’s Multi Frame Generation, NVIDIA introduced higher frame rates at a slight cost in latency. Digital Foundry measured:
55.50 ms average latency with DLSS 4 x3.
57.30 ms average latency with DLSS 4 x4, compared to 50.97 ms with single-frame generation (x2).
The additional 6.4 ms of latency is offset by a 71% frame rate increase with x4, making it a worthwhile trade-off for most gamers.
Broader Adoption of DLSS 4 and RTX Kit
Cyberpunk 2077 is among the first games to support DLSS 4 natively, with other titles like Alan Wake 2, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and Marvel Rivals set to follow. Additionally, NVIDIA is rolling out RTX Hair and RTX Mega Geometry, part of the RTX Kit, to enhance realism further in supported games.
What are your thoughts on the performance boost and visual quality improvements DLSS 4 brings? Is it worth the slight trade-off in latency? Share your take in the comments!
