‘Portal’ is getting a makeover with December’s free RTX update

Portal with RTX. Credit: Valve, Nvidia.

Nvidia has announced launch details for Portal with RTX, free downloadable content (DLC) that brings raytracing and DLSS 3 to Valve‘s puzzle-platformer.

Set to launch on December 8, the Portal with RTX DLC will be free for existing Portal owners and adds a series of modern-day visual updates to the game, which first launched in 2007.

These visual upgrades include RTX, which significantly improves the lighting of games, along with support for Nvidia’s DLSS 3 – which lets players run more graphically-demanding games at a lower input resolution as the feature upscales it, making the game easier to run without it affecting how the game looks.

“Every frame of gameplay is upgraded with stunning full ray tracing, new, hand-crafted hi-res physically based textures, and new, enhanced high-poly models evocative of the originals, all in stunning 4K,” reads the Steam page for Portal with RTX.

Ahead of the DLC’s December launch, Nvidia has shared a blog post that includes the system requirements for Portal with RTX – which is worth checking out, as not all graphics cards are able to use RTX and DLSS3.

“Updating much-loved games requires a balance of applying new, bleeding-edge techniques, while staying true to the original spirit of the game,” shared John Spitzer, the head of Nvidia’s Lightspeed Studios.

Spitzer added that Lightspeed Studios’ prior experience bringing RTX to Minecraft and Quake 2 “gave Valve the confidence to entrust us to bring modern graphics techniques to their legendary game.”

Portal with RTX comes months after Portal turned 15 – and while the game received a sequel in 2011, there has been no word on whether a third Portal is in the works.

In September, voice actor Ellen McLain – the voice of Portal villain GLaDOS – gave fans of the series her “blessing” to email Valve and ask for Portal 3, several months after Portal writer Erik Wolpaw said he “would love to” return to the series.

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