It’s been a while since gamers have got to step into the shoes of iconic MI6 spy James Bond, but they will soon get that opportunity once again when 007 First Light launches in May. IO Interactive is taking its experience working on the Hitman franchise, putting a decided focus on action and gunplay, and trying to push itself to the next level with First Light.
Part of upping the ante with 007 First Light includes a partnership with Nvidia to make the game look even better. Specifically, 007 First Light will utilize path tracing to bring realistic lighting to the James Bond adventure, and we were offered an early preview of the enhanced visuals of the game.
At GDC 2026, GameRant attended a presentation highlighting the implementation of RTX in 007 First Light. It was an impressive look at the little details that may go unnoticed to many who play IO Interactive’s game, but will go a long way toward increasing the realism.
Everything from more realistic lighting on a balcony in direct sunlight, to a little tiny sliver of light shining between pots, there are so many small touches of Path Tracing in 007 First Light that were stunning to look at. Don’t get me wrong, the rasterized lighting in the game looks incredible as well, but there’s something special about Path Tracing that, when you are allowed to really pore over it, brings a greater appreciation for the development team’s work.
Perhaps the most impressive part of the presentation was a bar scene that featured a small glass-fronted refrigerator stocked with beverages. In the RTX off version of the screen, the glass on the refrigerator was frosted so you couldn’t see inside. In the RTX On version, the glass is opaque, and you can see every beverage and detail, as well as the lighting passing through the glass and bouncing off the individual bottles. It’s such a small detail, but one that left me very impressed.
And even those who may not have an Nvidia GPU to take full advantage of Path Tracing or RTX will still see the benefit of that work. According to IO Interactive's Technical Director of their Glacier engine, Henrik Schlichter, seeing the Path Tracing on levels helped inform how the rasterized lighting should look. So while you might not have an RTX 5090 running DLSS 4.5 and getting the highest fidelity and high frame rate, there are still trickle down effects that will ensure 007 First Light looks excellent on your machine (or even on console).
007 First Light releases May 27, 2026 for Nintendo Switch 2, PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. Game Rant was provided travel and lodging for this Nvidia GDC event.