Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Animator Criticises DLSS 5, Says it “Isn’t Just Some Lighting”

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Following criticism of Nvidia’s recent DLSS 5 demonstration, experienced animator Mike York – known for his work on games like God of War Ragnarök and Death Stranding 2: On the Beach – has shared his perspective on the technology. In a reaction video to Digital Foundry’s analysis of DLSS 5, York focused on the example of Grace Ashcroft from Resident Evil Requiem.

When York first saw how much Grace had changed, he was clearly stunned, exclaiming, “Whoa, hold on” as he took a closer look. He explained that the improvements from DLSS 5 weren’t just about better lighting; they were so significant, it was “like a complete AI re-render” of the image.

“Absolutely not,” he insisted, repeating himself emphatically. “This isn’t just a trick of the light. Seriously, it looks like the whole thing has been completely recreated using artificial intelligence.”

Honestly, I was so confused! She said, “Who is that? It looks like a completely different person.” And then she pointed out the eyes – one was looking one way, and the other was looking another, which is so creepy! Apparently, the AI also added wrinkles around her lips that weren’t there before, and just kept adding details that didn’t exist in the original. It was like it was creating a whole new face!

They’re rebuilding the game from scratch, essentially recreating every single image. It’s no longer the original game you’re seeing, and it’s a bit unsettling.

As a fan, I was really happy to hear Nvidia explain how DLSS 5 works. They emphasized that developers and artists aren’t just slapping a filter on the game – they have total control over how it looks. It’s not just an ‘AI filter’ at all! From what I understand, DLSS 5 actually looks at each frame of the game and uses that information to improve the visuals, making it feel much more integrated and natural.

NVIDIA emphasized that game developers have complete creative control over how DLSS 5 looks in their games, allowing them to preserve their intended artistic style. The software development kit (SDK) provides tools to adjust the strength, colors, and specific areas where the effect is applied. Unlike a simple filter, DLSS 5 analyzes the game’s colors and movement, and uses this information to create a result that’s firmly rooted in the original 3D graphics.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has been responding to criticism of DLSS 5 since it was announced. He strongly disagrees with the negative feedback, explaining that DLSS 5 uniquely combines control over all aspects of a game’s visuals with the power of generative AI.

According to a new report, developers and artists at both Capcom and Ubisoft weren’t informed about the DLSS 5 presentation beforehand. A Ubisoft developer, speaking anonymously, said they found out about the technology at the same time as everyone else – when Nvidia publicly revealed it.

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2026-03-19 19:41