It seems Capcom is preparing not just a game, but a real benchmark for PC hardware. “Pragmata”—that mysterious project with the girl and the robot—is coming out in a few days, and TechPowerUp has already tested its performance. However, there’s one huge “but”: Capcom only allowed benchmarks on the GeForce RTX 5090 until the embargo was lifted on April 16th. Everyone else will have to wait.
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RE Engine Surprises Again: Why Ray Tracing Is So Old
The studio that brought us Resident Evil and Monster Hunter traditionally uses its own RE Engine. It has always been renowned for its balance between image quality and performance. But in Pragmata, the developers have gone further: they’ve added not only classic ray tracing (selective reflections and shadows), but also full-fledged path tracing. The difference is like the difference between a fluorescent lamp and the sun.
Path tracing simulates the physical behavior of each ray: light bounces off materials multiple times, filling the scene naturally, and shadows become eerily realistic. Plus, ray reconstruction technology removes noise and improves clarity. Roughly speaking, ray tracing is “enhanced graphics,” while path tracing is “another reality.”
How many frames will the RTX 5090 deliver? Spoiler: path tracing kills performance
Let’s get to the numbers—it’s both predictable and shocking. At maximum settings in 4K without ray tracing, Nvidia’s flagship delivers 138 frames per second. Enable regular ray tracing, and the frame rate drops to 121 fps, which is perfectly normal for the RE Engine. But with path tracing… brace yourself. 62 fps. And that’s without DLSS or frame generation.
Yes, you heard right. Even the RTX 5090, with its insanely powerful graphics, delivers exactly half the frame rate. Like last year’s Resident Evil, path tracing in Pragmata only works on Nvidia graphics cards. Radeon owners are out.
What does this mean for the industry?
Pragmata isn’t just another Capcom exclusive. It’s the first sign that path tracing is no longer a technological toy and is becoming a true standard. In 2026, the gap between traditional rendering and full path tracing will no longer be ignorable. The question isn’t whether path tracing will become mainstream. The question is when PC hardware will stop choking at 60 frames per second in 4K.
We can only hope that Nvidia and AMD keep up with Capcom’s ambitions. Pragmata is released in just a couple of days. Keep your fingers crossed if you plan to play at ultra settings.
