Nvidia opened its GTC conference with a key note on CEO Jensen Huangfeaturing the company’s latest technology. Among the company’s series of AI developments, players were treated to a near-term version of its AI-enhancing technology, DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), which has been called “a major breakthrough in computer graphics”.
Nvidia has published a video showing how DLSS 5 can improve graphics Bad Need for Residents, Starfield and other games, showing a before and after take. But the players were not happy. In fact, the response to DLSS 5 is more like a collective backlash, full of memes, mockery and outrage.
Gamers were quick to point out that DLSS 5 transformed the original graphics into something completely different. Some call the visuals “AI slop” because they look like “yassified” AI generated filters.
Many worry that DLSS 5 may deviate from the creator’s artistic vision. Critics also fear that if this technology becomes an industry standard, video game graphics may begin to look the same, losing their distinct visual identity.
“Everything about this is a betrayal of the art of the game,” YouTuber The Sphere Hunter said in a post on X on Monday. “Painting over hand-crafted, purposely 3D art that is shiny, wrinkled, indented, porous, blended, fake, filtered is deeply disrespectful. If you want this, just watch gen-AI videos all day.”
Dozens of memes poking fun at the exaggerated features of tech are flooding the internet. Some on social media have pointed out the effects DLSS 5 can produce on other games.
Ok, you confirmed us, NVIDIA DLSS 5 is coming to “Copycat” too 😅 pic.twitter.com/WT2qRRz9EC
— Copycat // GET OUT NOW 😻 (@GameCopycat) March 17, 2026
In a Q&A on Tuesday, Huang addressed the backlash from gamers, calling them “absolutely unfair.” Huang stressed that DLSS 5 “improves and adds production capabilities, but does not change creative control” and that it is “directly controlled by the game developer.”
The team at Digital Foundry, which specializes in game technology and hardware reviews, called it “disruptive and transformative” but was generally positive about it, although they did see some disruption.
“[The images] It looks abstract, I would say, but the overall expression of those characters is very complex,” said Oliver Mackenzie, video producer and writer for Digital Foundry.
Bethesda’s official X account responded to comments from members of Digital Foundry about Starfield and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, both published by Bethesda.
“This looks to be very early, and our art teams will tweak the lighting and final effect to look the way we think works best for each game. This will all be under the control of our artists, and completely optional for players,” the publisher said.
DLSS 5 is set to be released sometime in the fall.
What is DLSS?
Nvidia released its first DLSS tech back in 2018 with its RTX 2080 card: The RTX architecture introduced Tensor cores, which are essential for accelerating the calculations used by DLSS AI. Deep learning technology is designed to enhance images and videos from low resolutions in real time to achieve high frame rates.
Gamers were not impressed at firstbut the latest versions of the technology have done better in games that support it. DLSS 4, released last year and upgraded to 4.5 as of January, has made significant improvements in rendering detail, reducing motion artifacts, increasing frame rate, and producing more realistic lighting through path tracking (including ray-traced lighting).
What does DLSS 5 do?
DLSS 5 works differently than previous versions of the technology. According to Nvidia, DLSS 5 is changing from simple pixel processing to 3D rendering. By making characters into specific parts — like skin, hair and clothing — the AI ​​can use them consistently. This results in faster processing and more realistic details, especially for texture and lighting.
Game developers control how and to what level DLSS 5 enhances graphics, ensuring that it matches the beauty of the game. The demo video showed some nice improvements, but some look like major changes to the characters and environment.
What games will support DLSS 5 at launch?
On Monday, Nvidia released a list of games scheduled to support DLSS 5:
- AION 2
- Assassin’s Creed Shadows
- The Dark World
- Cinder City
- Delta Force
- Hogwarts Legacy
- Justice
- Naraka: Bladepoint
- NTE: Neverness to Everness
- Phantom Blade Zero
- Bad Need for Residents
- Sea of ​​Relics
- Starfield
- The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered
- Where Spirits Meet
Which cards will support DLSS 5?
Nvidia is yet to offer a range of GPUs that will support the new technology. In the FAQ, the company says it will release a list of supported cards closer to its release.
