Nvidia has introduced a new generation of its scaling technology — DLSS 5, but the first demonstrations have sparked a wave of criticism from players. Instead of the usual performance boost or frame generation, the new version uses artificial intelligence to completely rework the lighting in the game in real time.
According to the developers, DLSS 5 is capable of significantly improving the visual component of projects without changing geometry, textures, or materials. The technology adds photorealistic lighting, more complex light scattering on the skin, improved hair rendering, and more accurate shading.
In the demonstration, Nvidia showed DLSS 5 working on several well-known games, including Resident Evil Requiem, Hogwarts Legacy, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, and Starfield.
However, it was the comparative screenshots that caused a negative reaction. Players note that the technology does not just change the lighting, but actually changes the appearance of the characters, replacing the original artistic style with a more "hyperrealistic" picture.
The most discussed example was from Resident Evil Requiem. Users noticed that the heroine Grace with DLSS 5 enabled looks like a completely different person — her face becomes smoother and as if created using the prompt "draw an ultra-realistic and beautiful girl," which, according to fans, completely diverges from the original artistic style of the game.
Commentators are furious and do not understand how Nvidia spent billions of dollars on a technology that simply passes the original idea of artists and designers through a "neural slop filter."
"I thought it was an April Fool's joke, but it's still March on the calendar," — reads one of the most popular comments under the Digital Foundry video.