Vintix II: Decision Pre-Trained Transformer is a Scalable In-Context Reinforcement Learner

arXiv cs.LG / 4/8/2026

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Key Points

  • The paper presents Vintix II, a Decision Pre-Trained Transformer (DPT) extended to large-scale, diverse multi-domain in-context reinforcement learning.
  • It uses Flow Matching as a training method to scale DPT while maintaining an interpretation aligned with Bayesian posterior sampling.
  • Experiments across hundreds of diverse tasks show improved generalization to held-out test tasks compared with prior Algorithm Distillation (AD) scaling approaches.
  • The resulting agent delivers stronger performance in both online and offline inference, positioning ICRL as a viable alternative to expert distillation for generalist agents.
  • Overall, the work addresses a key open question: whether DPT-style ICRL can be made genuinely scalable beyond simplified environments.

Abstract

Recent progress in in-context reinforcement learning (ICRL) has demonstrated its potential for training generalist agents that can acquire new tasks directly at inference. Algorithm Distillation (AD) pioneered this paradigm and was subsequently scaled to multi-domain settings, although its ability to generalize to unseen tasks remained limited. The Decision Pre-Trained Transformer (DPT) was introduced as an alternative, showing stronger in-context reinforcement learning abilities in simplified domains, but its scalability had not been established. In this work, we extend DPT to diverse multi-domain environments, applying Flow Matching as a natural training choice that preserves its interpretation as Bayesian posterior sampling. As a result, we obtain an agent trained across hundreds of diverse tasks that achieves clear gains in generalization to the held-out test set. This agent improves upon prior AD scaling and demonstrates stronger performance in both online and offline inference, reinforcing ICRL as a viable alternative to expert distillation for training generalist agents.