In the year 2026, Nvidia and its AI department have taken over the world of AI computing. Powering corporations and the masses, Nvidia now looks to bring DLSS 5 into the homes of gamers everywhere.
“Twenty-five years after NVIDIA invented the programmable shader, we are reinventing computer graphics once again,” said Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA. “DLSS 5 is the GPT moment for graphics — blending handcrafted rendering with generative AI to deliver a dramatic leap in visual realism while preserving the control artists need for creative expression.”
After revealing the above trailer, Jen-Hsun took center stage at GDC:
Article continues below"Computer graphics comes to life, now what did we do? We fused controllable 3D graphics, the ground truth of virtual worlds, the structured data of virtual worlds, and the generated worlds. We combined 3D graphics with generative AI and probabilistic computing.
"One of them is completely predictive, the other one, probabilistic yet highly realistic. The content is beautiful as well as controllable. This concept of fusing structured information and generative AI will repeat itself in one industry after another. Structured data is the foundation of trustworthy AI."
I am speechless, for all the wrong reasons
During the entirety of the trailer, all I kept thinking was “That looks exactly like the first AI image I made.” In some instances, it did make the current-looking image more realistic and pleasant to look at. Again, sometimes.
In terms of environments, the difference was night and day, especially during the Starfield shots during the game’s opening tutorial. The lighting effects presented were uncanny in terms of their realism, but that’s where the uncanny stopped to benefit, and instead, began to haunt me.
I mean, I think Resident Evil: Requiem speaks for itself when you look at Grace Ashcroft. They turned her into some anime waifu AI garbage that you see when people “fix” the character models to look sexier. The image is completely and utterly changed from the original presentation into something unrecognizable by comparison.
In the shot of the older woman in Hogwarts Legacy, the initial rendering showcases a soft blend of wrinkles that creates a better illusion of movement in the face. When DLSS 5.0 is turned on, it recreates the wrinkles under the new lighting system, but in turn, makes it seem as though a piece of bark with lips is speaking to the character, ruining that initial facial movement.
Which, perhaps, is the leading issue? I don’t know, and I’m obviously not an Nvidia AI engineer working on the latest neural networks, but according to Digital Foundry, none of the original assets are touched by DLSS 5. The only thing changed is the lighting presentation, meaning every geometry point in use comes from the original render; nothing new is being created in terms of surfaces.
Given that the face of the woman in Hogwarts Legacy isn’t changed, all it does is highlight the shortcomings of the original 3D image to create somewhat of a horror show. So, maybe it comes down to developers using it to their advantage?
In the Digital Foundry video, they also mention that Todd Howard signed off on this implementation in Starfield. Saying this preserved the original artistic integrity of the game. Maybe I’m wrong, maybe I’m just washed when it comes to what artistry is supposed to look like if the director says otherwise, but I can factually say it looks completely different than anything I’ve ever played.
I can argue that this is the best example of this technology, as the original textures are rough by comparison to anything else in the trailer. Starfield was never a game where character models looked good, so the fidelity increase is actually preferred, for me, in this game.
In fact, I’d argue the AI neural rendering of DLSS 5 feels more like facial replacements you’d find on Nexus mods for Starfield, Skyrim, and other Bethesda titles. This doesn’t look or feel anything like the game, but rather, some fan creation.
Even the main character from Hogwarts Legacy, arguably the second-best result in the trailer, falls apart the longer you look because he’s supposed to be 15. Instead, he ends up looking like some 22-year-old dude playing a 15-year-old student.
"DLSS 5 will come to games including 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, Where Winds Meet, and more."
At the end of the day, DLSS 5 is clearly pushing NVIDIA’s tech in a bold new direction, but the reaction shows just how sensitive players are to anything that changes the “feel” of a game. If the YouTube comments are any indication, NVIDIA has some convincing to do before these AI‑driven filters win people over. The conversation isn’t slowing down, and neither is the scrutiny: DLSS 5 is going to be one to watch.
🗣️What do you think about DLSS 5's new AI filters?
NVIDIA’s DLSS 5 reveal has sparked one of the harshest community reactions we’ve seen in a while, with YouTube comments going almost entirely negative. Some players say the AI filters look uncanny, others think it’s just early footage, and a few believe NVIDIA is pushing too far into “AI‑beautified” visuals.
Where do you land on this? Are the new filters a step forward, a step too far, or something that just needs more time in the oven? Drop your take below and take our poll.
Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
