Before diving into the specifics of version 0361, let’s establish the basics. ReShade is a generic post-processing injector for games. It allows developers and artists to create custom shaders (FX files) that alter the game’s render output.
RTGI, or "Ray Traced Global Illumination," is a shader that approximates how light bounces off surfaces. Unlike simple screen-space ambient occlusion (SSAO), which only darkens corners, RTGI analyzes the depth buffer and color buffer to cast light and shadow from nearby surfaces.
The result? Corners are no longer just dark; they are filled with naturally colored bounce light.
While newer versions of the RTGI shader exist, the 0.361 build has gained a cult following among enthusiasts. It strikes a critical balance between computational complexity and visual noise reduction.
Earlier builds were often plagued by heavy flickering and "fireflies" (bright white pixels in shadows) during motion. Later builds sometimes prioritized performance to a fault, losing some of the subtle ambient depth. Version 0.361 introduced refined denoising algorithms that hold up remarkably well even at lower resolutions.
The version numbering can be confusing. Pascal Gilcher initially released the RTGI shader for free on Patreon. As development progressed, versions 0.18 through 0.36 became the "golden era" for free users. Version 0361 specifically refers to a minor patch or compiled build of the 0.36 codebase.
The "Extra Quality" tag is not an official Pascal Gilcher label, but rather a community-modified compilation. Here is what sets it apart:
The gaming landscape has changed. Hardware-accelerated ray tracing is now common. However, for older titles (Skyrim LE, Fallout New Vegas, Dark Souls 3, Mass Effect Legendary Edition), ReShade RTGI 0361 Extra Quality remains the king of free lighting overhauls.
It sits in a perfect niche: It is more stable than the original 0361, cheaper than the proprietary versions, and easier to configure than Marty McFly’s later shaders.
If you want cinematic bounce lighting in your favorite game without spending a dime on Patreon, hunt down the 0361 Extra Quality build. It transforms flat, 2016-era rasterized lighting into a soft, volumetric dream. Just remember to thank the community modders who optimized this diamond in the rough.
Final Note: Always scan downloaded .fx files with an antivirus, and never use ReShade in online competitive games. Happy modding.
Getting Reshade RTGI 0.361 running requires a few steps, as it is not a plug-and-play solution:
The story of ReShade RTGI 0.36.1 is a landmark chapter in the journey of Pascal Gilcher (widely known as Marty McFly
), a former NVIDIA engineer who brought ray-traced lighting to games that were never designed for it. The Visionary: Marty McFly In May 2019, Gilcher released the first version of the Ray Traced Global Illumination (RTGI)
shader. Unlike native ray tracing that requires specific hardware (RTX cards) and game engine support, RTGI operates in screen space
. It uses the "Depth Buffer"—the game's data on how far objects are from the camera—to calculate how light should bounce off surfaces and cast realistic shadows. The Significance of Version 0.36.1 By the time version
arrived, RTGI had transitioned from a experimental mod into a "must-have" for graphics enthusiasts. This specific version was a "sweet spot" for many users due to its balance of quality and stability: The "Farplane" Tweak
: Community members discovered that for 0.36.1 to look its best, users often needed to set the Farplane to 2500
, allowing the light to bounce realistically across much larger distances than previous versions. Extra Quality Presets reshade rtgi 0361 extra quality
: This era of RTGI introduced more refined quality presets, allowing users to push "Extra Quality" settings that accurately modeled both (soft, scattered light) and (shiny, reflective) global illumination. The Bridge to "iMMERSE"
: 0.36.1 was one of the final major iterations before Gilcher began evolving the shader into the iMMERSE Pro spectral rendering
systems, which aimed to solve long-standing issues like color oversaturation and light leaking. A Cultural Phenomenon
The release of these versions sparked a revolution on platforms like YouTube and Reddit. Modders used 0.36.1 to "remaster" classics like The Witcher 3 , often leading to viral "Next-Gen" graphics videos. Even
took notice of the movement's success, eventually adopting a similar technology called into their own driver modules.
In the world of high-end PC gaming, RTGI 0.36.1 Extra Quality represents a pursuit of visual perfection that blurs the line between software modification and digital art. Created by Pascal Gilcher (known online as Marty McFly), this specific version of the Ray-Traced Global Illumination shader for ReShade acts as a bridge for games that never originally supported hardware-accelerated ray tracing. 💡 The Core Technology
At its heart, RTGI 0.36.1 is a screen-space ray tracing solution. Unlike native RTX, which calculates light hitting objects from all directions (even behind the player), RTGI uses the game's depth buffer to estimate how light should bounce off visible surfaces.
Extra Quality Mode: This specific setting increases the number of rays and steps calculated per pixel.
Visual Impact: It creates soft, realistic shadows in corners and adds "color bleeding" (e.g., light hitting a red rug reflects a subtle red glow onto a nearby white wall).
Compatibility: It works on almost any GPU, including older NVIDIA GTX or AMD cards, because it doesn't rely on specialized hardware cores. 🎨 The "Extra Quality" Story
The "Extra Quality" setting in version 0.36.1 became a milestone for the modding community for several reasons:
The Performance Trade-offRunning RTGI on "Extra" is a heavy tax on your system. It is often used by virtual photographers—players who treat games like The Witcher 3 or Skyrim as a studio for high-resolution captures. While it might drop frame rates by 30-50%, the depth it adds to the scene is transformative.
The "Screen-Space" LimitationBecause it only knows what is on your screen, objects can sometimes "flicker" or lose their shadows at the very edges of the monitor. Version 0.36.1 introduced refined "backface" estimation, which helps the software "guess" what the back of an object looks like to make shadows more consistent when you move the camera.
A Community of ArtisansThis shader isn't just a "plug and play" file; it requires fine-tuning. Users spend hours adjusting "Ray Amount," "Z-Thickness," and "Infinite Bounces." In the deep-dive community, 0.36.1 is often cited for its stability and the specific way it handles Ambient Occlusion, making environments feel "heavy" and grounded rather than floaty. 🛠️ Key Features of 0.36.1
Temporal Filtering: Reduces the "noise" or graininess often seen in ray-traced shadows.
Next-Gen Lighting: Allows for light to bounce multiple times, creating much more natural transitions from light to dark.
Depth Awareness: Specifically tuned to ignore "UI elements," so your health bar doesn't accidentally cast a shadow on the game world.
If you are looking to set this up or want to dive deeper into the technical side, I can help with: Before diving into the specifics of version 0361,
Optimal settings for specific games (like Skyrim or Cyberpunk 2077).
Troubleshooting common issues like "bleeding" or depth buffer flickering.
Comparison between RTGI and newer alternatives like Marty's iRT.
To set up RTGI version 0.36.1 with high-quality settings, you need the official shader files from Pascal Gilcher (Marty McFly) and a properly configured ReShade environment. 1. Obtain the Shader Files
RTGI is a premium shader. While older versions may exist in public mirrors, the most reliable way to get the 0.36.1 files and future updates is through official channels: Official Source: Accessible via the Marty's Mods Patreon.
Discord Access: After joining the Patreon, you must link your account to the PGHUB Discord to download the latest builds from the #beta-access channel.
Alternative: Some legacy links for specific versions like 0.36.1 appear in community repositories like this Google Drive link. 2. Installation Steps
Install ReShade: Download the latest version from ReShade.me. Select your game's .exe and the correct rendering API (DirectX 11/12, Vulkan, etc.).
Add Shader Folders: Extract your RTGI .zip file. Drag and drop the Shaders and Textures folders into your game's reshade-shaders directory.
Depth Buffer Setup: RTGI requires access to the game's depth data to work. Open the ReShade menu (Home key).
Navigate to the Add-ons tab (or DX11/DX12 tab in older versions) and ensure "Copy depth buffer before clear operations" is checked if you don't see a depth map.
Use the DisplayDepth shader to verify the screen looks like a grayscale 3D map. 3. Tuning for "Extra Quality" To achieve the best visual results with 0.36.1: ReShade RTGI | Ray Traced Global Illumination
ReShade RTGI 0.36.1 shader, developed by Pascal Gilcher (widely known as Marty McFly
), represents a pivotal era in post-processing injection, bringing high-end ray-traced lighting to classic and modern titles. This version was a significant step in the shader's evolution toward the current iMMERSE Pro series The "Extra Quality" Advantage In the 0.36.1 version, the Extra Quality
setting was the pinnacle of its fidelity options, designed to maximize the precision of light bounces and the density of the ray-traced grid. Precision Bouncing : Unlike standard settings, Extra Quality increases the Ray Step Amount
, allowing the shader to detect smaller geometric details and avoid light "leaking" through thin walls. Enhanced Denoising
: Higher quality levels in this era were paired with improved temporal filtering to reduce the "flicker" often seen in older real-time ray-tracing solutions. Realistic Shadows : It significantly improves Ray-Traced Ambient Occlusion (RTAO)
, creating deep, realistic contact shadows where objects meet surfaces. Key Technical Features in 0.36.1 ReShade RTGI | Ray Traced Global Illumination Final Note: Always scan downloaded
To prepare a high-quality paper on Reshade RTGI 0.36.1, you should focus on its technical implementation of Screen Space Ray Traced Global Illumination (SSRTGI) and its impact on real-time rendering.
Below is a structured outline and key technical points to include in your paper. 1. Abstract
Briefly explain that RTGI (Ray Traced Global Illumination) is a shader developed by Pascal Gilcher (Marty McFly) for the ReShade post-processing framework. Highlight that version 0.36.1 introduced specific optimizations for "Extra Quality" modes, enhancing light bounce accuracy and noise reduction in real-time environments without native ray tracing support. 2. Introduction to SSRTGI
Definition: Define Screen Space Ray Tracing as a technique that uses the depth buffer and color information already present on the screen to calculate lighting.
The Problem: Explain how traditional games often use static "baked" lighting or simple ambient occlusion, which fails to capture dynamic light "bleeding" (e.g., a red rug reflecting red light onto a white wall).
The ReShade Solution: Describe ReShade as an injector that allows this advanced lighting pass to be applied to almost any DX9, DX11, or DX12 title. 3. Technical Features of Version 0.36.1 Focus on what makes this specific version "Extra Quality":
Enhanced Ray-Step Logic: Discuss how 0.36.1 refined the intersection tests to reduce "leaking" (light appearing where it shouldn't).
Temporal Filtering: Explain the use of temporal accumulation to smooth out "noise" or graininess, which is a common byproduct of low-sample-count ray tracing.
Infinite Bounces: Detail the approximation of multiple light bounces, which significantly improves the realism of darkened corners and recessed areas. 4. Hardware Impact and Performance
Computational Cost: RTGI is heavy on the GPU. Discuss the trade-off between the "Extra Quality" settings and frame rate.
Resolution Scaling: Note that the shader's performance is tied to the internal rendering resolution, making features like DLSS or FSR important companions to RTGI. 5. Implementation and Comparison
Include a section (or placeholders for images) comparing "Vanilla" game visuals vs. "RTGI 0.36.1 Enabled."
Contact Shadows: How RTGI improves the "grounding" of objects.
Color Bleeding: Examples of vibrant surfaces influencing the lighting of nearby neutral surfaces. 6. Conclusion
Summarize that while RTGI 0.36.1 is a "post-processing" effect with inherent limitations (it can only trace what is visible on screen), it represents a massive leap in bringing high-end visual fidelity to older or non-RT-capable game engines.
If your FPS drops below 60 with Extra Quality:
| Feature | Standard (Balanced) | Extra Quality (0.361) | |---------|--------------------|------------------------| | Indirect Lighting | Subtle fill light | Pronounced color bleeding (e.g., green grass tinting a white wall) | | Shadow Detail | Soft, uniform shadows | Contact hardening + realistic penumbra | | Cavity Detection | Medium depth | Deep crevices reveal true darkness | | Specular Response | Metallic surfaces look flat | Metals reflect indirect light sources realistically | | Noise Pattern | Noticeable grain in motion | Nearly noise-free after 2–3 frames |
Example Scenario: In Skyrim inside a dungeon: