Gamers are reporting a significant performance issue in the recently released Resident Evil Requiem when using NVIDIA’s RTX 40 series graphics cards with path tracing enabled. The problem, first noted by players and detailed by DSOGaming, appears to stem from the latest GeForce drivers, causing unexpectedly low frame rates. A temporary fix involves reverting to an older driver version.
Users with high-end cards like the RTX 4070, RTX 4080, and RTX 4090 have observed substantial performance drops. In some cases, the RTX 4090—NVIDIA’s flagship GPU—has reportedly performed worse than the RTX 5070 Ti when path tracing is activated, a result that contradicts expectations given the hardware specifications. This issue is particularly concerning as Resident Evil Requiem is the first game in the series to offer full path tracing support on PC, a feature designed to dramatically enhance visual fidelity.
Significant Performance Gains with Older Driver
The community quickly identified a potential solution: downgrading to the GeForce 576.88 driver. Reports indicate substantial performance improvements after making this change. One user reported a 60% increase in frame rates after switching from driver version 591.86 to 576.88. Another player saw improvements of up to 70% in demanding areas of the game, such as the main street region.
Testing has revealed several key details about the issue:
- The performance problem is isolated to scenarios where Path Tracing is enabled.
- Traditional Ray Tracing functions normally.
- Rasterized mode is unaffected.
- The bug primarily impacts RTX 4070 Super, RTX 4080, and RTX 4090 graphics cards.
This explains why initial performance tests may not have detected the problem, as they were conducted with different hardware or without specifically focusing on path tracing.
Hahaha I just tested it myself and I can confirm that it’s true:
– Latest NVIDIA Game Ready Driver (595.59): 79 FPS
– GRD 576.88 from July 2025: 133 FPSExact same scene, 1440p path tracing with DLSS SR Quality + FG 2X + RR.
What. A. Mess! https://t.co/HAkECHICe2 pic.twitter.com/YO9PJn8piC
— Sebastian Castellanos (@Sebasti66855537) February 27, 2026
Temporary Solution While NVIDIA Investigates
Until NVIDIA releases a corrected driver, players with RTX 40 series GPUs who seek to experience Resident Evil Requiem with path tracing enabled are advised to use driver version 576.88. This older driver currently provides more stable performance. The situation is unusual, as newer drivers typically introduce performance improvements rather than significant regressions.
Resident Evil Requiem, which launched on February 26, 2026, has received positive reviews and features advanced graphical technologies like path tracing, DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation, and DLSS Ray Reconstruction. The game is available on Steam and is also accessible through NVIDIA’s GeForce NOW cloud gaming service. NVIDIA’s RTX 50 Series is also being promoted alongside the game, with several giveaways currently running for PCs and GPUs featuring the new hardware.
NVIDIA has not yet issued a statement regarding the driver issue, but the company is likely investigating the reports given the widespread impact on its RTX 40 series customers. Gamers experiencing performance problems with Resident Evil Requiem can discover more information and discuss potential solutions on gaming forums and communities. The next step for players is to monitor NVIDIA’s driver release notes for a fix addressing the path tracing performance issue.
What are your experiences with Resident Evil Requiem and NVIDIA’s RTX 40 series? Share your thoughts and solutions in the comments below.
