Once installed, the default settings are often too heavy or too subtle. Here is a proven configuration for realistic results without killing your frame rate.
By version 0.36.1, the shader had matured significantly. This build strikes a careful balance between visual fidelity, performance, and usability.
Installing RTGI 0.36.1 is more involved than a modern ReShade preset. You need the specific shader files, which are often hosted on the ReShade forum or the author’s Patreon (the free version is usually available after a delay).
Crucial Disclaimer: RTGI 0.36.1 does not require an RTX card. It runs via compute shaders on any GPU that supports DirectX 11 or Vulkan.
Pure ray marching in screen space creates a "noisy" (grainy) image because only a few rays can be cast per pixel to maintain playable frame rates. Version 0.36.1 relies heavily on Temporal Accumulation. The shader compares the current frame with previous frames, reprojecting history buffers to align with the current camera view. This allows the shader to accumulate rays over time, effectively creating hundreds of samples per pixel over several frames, resulting in a smooth, converged image.
Q: Is RTGI 0.36.1 a virus? A: No, if downloaded from the official ReShade repository or Marty McFly’s GitHub. Avoid executable installers from third-party sites.
Q: Will this get me banned in online games? A: Yes. Never use ReShade with RTGI in any multiplayer game with EasyAntiCheat, BattlEye, or Vanguard. It reads the depth buffer, which triggers anti-cheat software as a potential wallhack.
Q: Can I use this with AMD FSR or Nvidia DLSS? A: Yes, but with caution. Using RTGI after DLSS (as a post-process) works fine. Using RTGI before upscaling will denoise the ray tracing, then the upscaler will re-introduce artifacts.
Q: Where is the download link?
A: Due to policy, this article does not provide direct links. Search "Marty McFly RTGI 0.36.1 ReShade" on Google, and look for pages hosted on github.io or patreon.com (the free public posts). Ensure the file is a .fx shader, not an .exe. Reshade Rtgi 0.36.1
This article was last updated for ReShade 6.3.3 and RTGI 0.36.1 compatibility. Game on.
Reshade RTGI 0.36.1 is a high-end post-processing shader developed by Pascal Gilcher (Marty McFly) that brings path-traced lighting effects to almost any 3D game. By leveraging Screen Space Global Illumination (SSGI), it simulates how light bounces off surfaces to create more realistic shadows and color bleeding. Key Features and Tech
Ray-Traced Global Illumination (RTGI): Unlike standard lighting, RTGI calculates how light from primary sources (like the sun or lamps) interacts with the environment, generating natural secondary bounces and soft shadows.
Depth-Based Interaction: It uses the game's depth buffer to understand the 3D layout of a scene, allowing for accurate light occlusion and depth-of-field effects.
Compatibility: While traditionally distributed via Marty's Mods on Patreon, version 0.36.1 has been widely used to enhance titles ranging from Assassin's Creed Unity to Portal.
Screen Space Limitations: It is important to note that this is not "true" hardware ray tracing. Since it is a post-processing effect, it only calculates lighting for what is currently visible on your screen; objects behind the camera or off-screen will not cast reflections or light. Setup and Optimization
For the best results with version 0.36.1, proper configuration is essential: Adding Raytracing to ANY Older Game? (Without an RTX Card)
RTGI 0.36.1 represents a significant milestone in the evolution of Marty McFly’s (Pascal Gilcher) groundbreaking Ray Traced Global Illumination shader for ReShade. Often referred to as "Screen Space Ray Tracing," this specific version remains a popular reference point for users seeking to bridge the gap between traditional rasterized graphics and modern ray-traced lighting without requiring hardware-specific RT cores. What is RTGI 0.36.1? Once installed, the default settings are often too
RTGI stands for Ray Traced Global Illumination. Unlike official hardware ray tracing (like NVIDIA’s RTX), which uses specialized hardware to calculate light paths across an entire scene, RTGI 0.36.1 is a software-based post-processing shader. It analyzes the depth information provided by the game engine to simulate how light bounces off surfaces, fills shadows, and bleeds colors into the environment. Core Features of Version 0.36.1
Diffuse Global Illumination: This version refined the way light "bounces." If you stand next to a red wall, the light hitting that wall will cast a subtle red tint onto your character and the floor, a feature often missing in standard game engines.
Ray Traced Ambient Occlusion (RTAO): It provides much more accurate contact shadows. Small details, like the gap between a cup and a table or the folds in clothing, receive realistic shading that grounds objects in the world.
Performance Optimization: Version 0.36.1 introduced early iterations of "infinite bounces" through temporal accumulation, allowing for more complex lighting calculations without the massive frame-rate hit of earlier alpha builds.
Z-Thickness Logic: This version improved the shader's ability to guess the thickness of objects it can't "see" behind, reducing the "ghosting" or halo effects that often plague screen-space effects. Technical Limitations
Because it is a ReShade shader, RTGI 0.36.1 is limited by Screen Space Information. It only knows about what is currently visible on your screen.
The "Edge" Problem: If a bright light source moves off-camera, its illumination will disappear from the scene because the shader no longer has the data to calculate its light path.
UI Interference: Since ReShade applies effects to the final frame, RTGI can sometimes "bleed" onto the game's HUD or menus if not properly masked using a depth buffer. Impact on the Modding Community This article was last updated for ReShade 6
Version 0.36.1 was a pivotal release during the shader's Patreon-only early access phase. It proved that older titles—like Skyrim, GTA V, or even The Witcher 3 (before its official Next-Gen RT update)—could achieve a visual fidelity comparable to modern AAA releases. It turned "flat" environments into high-contrast, atmospheric worlds, making it a staple for virtual photographers and graphics enthusiasts. Legacy and Evolution
While Marty McFly has since moved on to much more advanced versions (such as those found in his Marty's Mods Guides), 0.36.1 is often remembered as the version that stabilized the technology for a wider audience of PC gamers. It paved the way for the current "iMMERSE" suite, which offers even more sophisticated denoising and physical accuracy.
ReShade RTGI 0.36.1, developed by Pascal Gilcher, provides screen-space ray-traced global illumination and diffuse lighting to improve visual fidelity in games. This iteration offers enhanced motion stability and accuracy over earlier versions, while typically requiring a 15% performance decrease to simulate realistic light bouncing. For further technical details, visit Marty's Mods. ReShade RTGI | Ray Traced Global Illumination
| Setting | What it does | Recommended start | |--------|--------------|------------------| | Quality | Ray sample count (Low = noisy, High = slower) | Medium or High | | Radius | How far light bounces (small = local, large = room-scale) | 0.4 – 0.8 | | Bounce Intensity | Brightness of indirect light | 0.6 – 1.2 | | Bounce Saturation | Color bleed strength (red brick reflecting red onto wall) | 0.3 – 0.6 | | Ambient Occlusion Mix | Blends SSAO-style darkening with GI | 0.4 – 0.7 | | Temporal Amount | Reduces flicker using previous frames | 0.65 – 0.85 (higher = less noise, more ghosting) |
Avoid overdoing Bounce Intensity above 1.5 – it crushes shadows and washes out contrast.
After this release, Marty McFly moved RTGI to a closed beta on Patreon (v0.37+), introducing features like:
Consequently, v0.36.1 became the final free, open‑source RTGI (licensed under BSD‑3). It remains actively used for three reasons: