DLSS Ray Reconstruction may be nearing the end of its relevance, as DLSS 4.5 demonstrates a remarkable ability to reconstruct ray-traced reflections with exceptional accuracy. The latest iteration of NVIDIA’s AI upscaling technology goes beyond simple image enhancement, delivering tangible improvements in visual fidelity for ray-traced graphics. Digital Foundry’s testing reveals that DLSS 4.5, particularly in its Presets M and L, can nearly perfectly reconstruct ray-traced reflections in supported games—provided the game’s built-in denoising filters are disabled. This behavior was observed in both Crysis 3 and Silent Hill 2, where turning off the in-game denoisers led to dramatic improvements in reflection quality. In Crysis 3, disabling the engine’s denoiser reduced visual artifacts like boiling and noise, resulting in cleaner, sharper reflections. In Silent Hill 2, the difference was even more striking—turning off the denoiser eliminated most blur and instability, producing reflections that were far more stable and realistic, with minimal image degradation. These findings suggest that DLSS 4.5’s Ray Reconstruction feature is not just a supplementary enhancement but a powerful tool capable of outperforming native denoising methods in certain scenarios. This capability could signal a shift in how developers approach ray tracing, potentially reducing reliance on in-game denoisers and letting DLSS handle the heavy lifting. As DLSS continues to evolve, its ability to reconstruct complex lighting effects may redefine expectations for real-time ray-traced visuals.