| Alternative | Cost | Highlights | |-------------|------|------------| | | Free (with revenue cap) + optional paid tiers | Built‑in RTGI, excellent community support, frequent updates. | | Unreal Engine – Lumen | Free until you hit the commercial revenue threshold | Fully integrated RTGI, no extra plugins required. | | Open‑Source RTXGI | Free (MIT/Apache licenses) | Works with Vulkan & DirectX 12, community‑maintained. | | Trial / Indie Licenses | Usually free for a limited time or low‑cost for small teams | Vendors like Otoy , Marmoset , or SpeedTree often provide time‑boxed trial builds. | | Academic Licenses | Free for students & researchers | Many commercial RTGI solutions have educational programs that grant full features. |
The RTGI shader is often distributed through a subscription model on Patreon. While this supports the developer's ongoing work, it has led to the emergence of "cracked" or pirated versions.
to optimize performance in a specific game?
RTGI works by using the "depth buffer" of a game to trace rays and calculate lighting.
The visual difference between a legitimate, free SSGI shader and a cracked RTGI shader is often negligible in motion. The difference between a clean PC and a PC infected with a RedLine stealer is catastrophic.
Technically, cracked versions of the ReShade RTGI shader do exist in the wild. However, by the time a shader is cracked, it is usually six months out of date, riddled with performance bugs, and swimming in viruses.