Nvidia Job Listing hints at RTX Remasters for Classic PC games

As fascinating as raytracing technology is, it lacks the “killer apps” that are necessary to propel the technology into the hearts of all PC gamers. Yes, it is undeniable that raytracing is the future of video game graphics, but it remains far from the mainstream market. Games like Metro Exodus and Control may be fun to play and graphically gorgeous, but it takes more than that to sell a new technology. The solution? Bring raytracing into more games. 

Nvidia’s Lightspeed Studios is about to kick off a new “remastering program“, where the studio plans to bring Nvidia’s RTX effects into a range of classic PC titles to deliver better graphics and a reason to adopt the company’s RTX series graphics cards. Quake II RTX is an example of Nvidia’s success in this regard, and now Nvidia is looking to expand into other gaming titles. This new remastering effort came to light after DSO Gaming spotted a new job listing for Nvidia’s Lightspeed Studios. 

Lightspeed Studios is well known for creating PC game ports to Nvidia’s Shield platform. These Android ports include Half-Life 2, Portal and DOOM 3: BFG. For the Chinese version of Nvidia’s Shield TV, Lightspeed Studios has also worked on ports of Nintendo’s New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Super Mario Galaxy, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Punch-Out! and Donkey Kong Returns. This makes Lightspeed Studios an expert in video game remasters for new hardware platforms. 

The question now is what games do Nvidia plan on remastering? Could Nvidia create Half-Life 2 RTX, which is more than possible given Nvidia’s previous work on that title. A raytraced remaster of Crysis would also be an amazing move for Nvidia. Ultimately, the success of Nvidia’s remastering efforts will come down to which developers are willing to work with Lightspeed to create Nvidia-focused versions of their classic games.