007 First Light debuts path tracing on PC: you'll need an RTX 5070 to make it shine

IO Interactive has released an update for the PC version of 007 First Light that officially adds path tracing, the most demanding lighting technique available in consumer gaming today. According to Vandal, the patch improves the lighting, shadows and reflections of the James Bond adventure, and relies on DLSS Ray Reconstruction so those additions look as sharp as possible.

The news matters for two reasons. The first is obvious: the Bond game is now one of the top technical showcases on PC. The second is less flashy but just as relevant: the studio has also confirmed another delay for the Nintendo Switch 2 version. In other words, while the most powerful platform gets pampered, the most modest one keeps waiting.

What you need to know

• The update adds official path tracing to 007 First Light, exclusively on PC.
• It comes alongside DLSS Ray Reconstruction, NVIDIA technology designed to clean up the noise from ray-traced lighting.
• The minimum setup to enable it, according to Vandal, starts at an Intel Core i5 13500 or an AMD Ryzen 5 7600, 16 GB of RAM and a GeForce RTX 5070.
• With that configuration the target is 1080p at 60 fps with the path tracing setting on medium.
• At the same time, IO Interactive has confirmed another delay for the Nintendo Switch 2 version.

What changes and what you need to see it

Path tracing is not just a filter: it replaces a large part of the traditional lighting system with a physical calculation of how light bounces off every surface. The result is more coherent shadows, reflections that respond to what is actually in the scene, and interiors that no longer look flat. In a spy game full of luxurious settings, casinos and night-time locations, it is exactly the kind of technology that shines.

The price is horsepower. Vandal details the hardware needed for the entry tier, and it is hardly modest:

Vandal also mentions a native 1440p at 60 fps scenario with path tracing on medium quality, although the full details of that tier are best checked directly at the source. What is clear is that the minimum reference point is a current-generation NVIDIA card: no RTX 30 series and no AMD cards on the list, at least as far as has been communicated.

The contrast with Switch 2

The other side of the coin is the Nintendo Switch 2 version, which racks up yet another delay. There is no date or detailed reason in Vandal's report, so we are not going to speculate about the causes. But the takeaway is obvious: IO Interactive is prioritizing the platform where the game can flex all of its technical muscle, and adapting it to portable hardware is proving more complicated than expected. For anyone hoping to play Bond on Nintendo's console, patience is still required.

Our take

Here at the Underworld Lordz newsroom we view this update with a mix of admiration and skepticism. Admiration because path tracing truly is the visual frontier of PC gaming, and a narrative single-player game officially adopting it is good news for anyone investing in high-end hardware. Skepticism because the entry bar, an RTX 5070 to reach 1080p at 60 fps on medium quality, leaves out the vast majority of the community. We are talking about a setting most people will turn on once, grab a pretty screenshot, and then turn off to play comfortably.

For content creators, however, the equation is different. A stream or a video of 007 First Light with path tracing enabled stands out at a glance from any other, and that visual impact sells. If you have the rig, it is free marketing. That said, keep an eye on real-world performance: 60 fps at a medium setting in 1080p is a tight margin if you are also encoding and broadcasting from the same machine. Before promising a stream at maximum quality, run some tests.

And we have not forgotten about Switch 2. Delaying one version while another receives cutting-edge technology is a legitimate business decision, but it is also an uncomfortable reminder that studios' priorities do not always line up with those of all their players. Hopefully the extra time turns into a worthy port rather than a compromised adaptation.

What do you think?

Path tracing promises the most spectacular Bond ever, but it demands an RTX 5070 just to get started. Do you think it is worth upgrading your rig for this kind of improvement, or would you rather have stable performance and studios focused on reaching every platform on time? Let us know in the team chat or on our Discord.