DLSS 5 reactions arrive online as NVIDIA reveals divisive AI-enhanced game graphics

by

Nvidia’s Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) has long been praised for its ability to enhance game graphics – taking lower resolution images and making them look as good as, or even better than, native resolution. But with the release of DLSS 5, some players now believe Nvidia has gone too far.

Rather than simply sharpening a game’s image and saving resources through upscaling, DLSS 5 significantly changes how a game looks, and many players criticize the resulting visuals as appearing artificial and messy – often calling it ‘AI slop’.

At Nvidia’s GTC 2026 event in San Jose, Nvidia demonstrated DLSS 5 with games like Resident Evil Requiem, Starfield, Hogwarts Legacy, and Assassin’s Creed Shadows. According to Nvidia, the technology uses AI to create incredibly realistic lighting and textures, making games look more cinematic while maintaining visual consistency, as detailed in their press release.

Want to see this content?

This page includes videos from YouTube. We need your permission to load them because YouTube uses cookies and similar technologies. If you choose ‘Accept and continue,’ you’ll allow YouTube to work as intended.

If you’ve been following social media, you’ll know the gaming community has strongly disliked it.

A lot of the complaints about DLSS 5 focus on how it changes the way games look. Some characters, like Grace in Resident Evil Requiem, appear overly smoothed or digitally enhanced – some people are even jokingly calling it a ‘yassification’ effect.

The latest version of DLSS is raising concerns about how accurately it reflects an artist’s original vision, as demonstrated by noticeable differences in game appearances, according to observations shared by Synth Potato on X.

Want to see this content?

This page includes content from Twitter. We need your permission to load it because Twitter uses cookies and similar technologies. If you choose ‘Accept and continue,’ you’ll allow Twitter to work as intended.

A user named Genki, who frequently posts online from Japan, recently pointed out the remarkably realistic character models in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, suggesting that the game might not even need technology like DLSS 5 to look this good.

Want to see this content?

This page includes content from Twitter. We need your permission to load it because Twitter uses cookies and similar technologies. By selecting ‘Accept and continue,’ you’ll allow Twitter to function and serve its intended purpose.

This situation brings to mind the recent discussions about fans changing character appearances in games – like Aloy from the Horizon series – and how that’s been described as ‘fixing’ the game.

Want to see this content?

This page includes content from Twitter. We need your permission to load it because Twitter uses cookies and similar technologies. If you choose ‘Accept and continue,’ you’ll allow Twitter to work as intended.

DLSS 5 is generating a lot of debate. In response, Nvidia explained in a YouTube comment that game creators have complete control over how DLSS 5 looks in their games, allowing them to preserve their intended artistic style.

Nvidia is providing developers with a software kit (SDK) that lets them fine-tune visual effects. This kit includes tools for adjusting things like brightness, color, and precisely controlling where the effects appear in a scene.

Nvidia has responded to criticism that its technology appears like an AI filter, clarifying that it isn’t one. Instead, DLSS 5 uses the game’s color and movement data for each frame and integrates it with the 3D graphics to create the final image.

Want to see this content?

This page uses a security feature called Google reCAPTCHA. Before it loads, we need your permission because reCAPTCHA might use cookies. If you agree, click ‘Accept and continue’ to enable it.

It’s still uncertain how many games will actually use DLSS 5, but Nvidia has announced it will be available in titles like AION 2, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Black State, CINDER CITY, Delta Force, Hogwarts Legacy, Justice, NARAKA: BLADEPOINT, NTE: Neverness to Everness, Phantom Blade Zero, Resident Evil Requiem, Sea of Remnants, Starfield, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, and Where Winds Meet, among others.

Bethesda Game Studios CEO Todd Howard praised DLSS 5, explaining that it allows the artistic details in their games to truly stand out without being limited by current rendering technology. He announced they plan to integrate DLSS 5 into Starfield and other upcoming Bethesda games.

Currently, DLSS 5 sometimes looks like the graphics you’d see in a mobile game ad, similar to those for games like Evony.

Want to see this content?

This page includes content from Twitter. We need your permission to load it because Twitter uses cookies and similar technologies. By selecting ‘Accept and continue,’ you’ll allow Twitter to function as intended and display the content.

Even though only a few games have been officially modified, many players are using AI filters on other games to show their frustrations with the technology. For example, one player, under the name VideoArtGame, playfully imagined what a character from Resident Evil Requiem might look like using these filters.

Want to see this content?

This page includes content from Twitter. We need your permission to load it because Twitter uses cookies and similar technologies. If you choose ‘Accept and continue’, you’ll allow Twitter to display its content and operate as intended.

Others, such as the official account for Worms, are taking a sillier approach.

Want to see this content?

Hey, just a heads-up! This page includes stuff from Twitter. Before I can show it to you, I need your okay. Twitter uses cookies and things like that, so I want to be transparent about that. If you’re cool with it, hit ‘Accept and continue’ and you’ll be able to see everything. It’s just to make sure you know what you’re getting into!

Currently, the latest version of DLSS 5 needs two powerful Nvidia RTX 5090 graphics cards to work in Resident Evil Requiem – one to handle the game’s advanced graphics and another to power DLSS itself. Nvidia is working to reduce this to a single graphics card and plans to release this improved version by fall.

Authors

Cole LukeFreelance Writer

Cole Luke is a freelance journalist and video creator who works with TopMob Gaming. His work also appears on websites like Digital Foundry, PC Gamer, and Network N.

  • Visit us on Twitter

Read More

2026-03-17 18:37