Get ready for a wild ride, gamers! Nvidia is about to unleash its controversial DLSS 5 technology, an AI-powered graphics enhancement system that promises to revolutionize visuals but has already sparked heated debates. While it aims to elevate graphical fidelity, early reports suggest it might come at the cost of performance.
The Dawn of Neural Rendering
DLSS 5 isn’t just another iteration; it introduces “neural rendering,” a bold step beyond DLSS’s previous focus on improving frame rates. Nvidia wrote in a blog post that this technology aims to transform visual fidelity by leveraging AI to generate richer lighting and material details, effectively allowing developers to realize their original artistic vision. Instead of simply reconstructing existing scene data, DLSS 5 uses the game engine’s rendered frame as a foundation, infusing scenes with lifelike elements while preserving the artist’s intent.
The “Yassification” Controversy
However, the unveiling of DLSS 5 wasn’t without its drama. The technology initially drew criticism when Nvidia shared images of Resident Evil Requiem main character Grace Ashcroft altered by neural rendering. Her face appeared noticeably changed, leading to accusations of “yassification” – artificially beautifying a character according to skewed social media standards.
This controversy was amplified when leaked examples of DLSS 5-altered game characters’ faces surfaced online. Modders experimented with DLSS 5 in Remedy’s Control, and also tried it in games like DLSS 5 in GTA 5, Cyberpunk 2077, and The Witcher 3. Even Geralt of Rivia got the “treatment,” sporting a noticeably aged appearance.
Nvidia attempted to address these concerns in a follow-up blog post, providing more detailed explanations of the neural rendering process and emphasizing the importance of preserving artistic intent. They also highlighted that developers and players have control over how much DLSS 5 is applied, with the option to simply turn it off.
The initial release will be for NBA 2K7, and GeForce drivers for DLSS 5 arrive Thursday night in the US (9pm PDT) and early Friday morning here (5am BST). This is only available for GeForce 50-series graphics cards, laptops and GeForce Now.
A couple of ‘before and after’ screenshots of NBA 2K7 show basketball players Cade Cunningham and Tyrese Haliburton lit with, what appears to me, more realistic lighting.
Performance Concerns Emerge
While Nvidia touts the visual enhancements, a significant concern has emerged: performance. Reports indicate that DLSS 5 can drastically impact frame rates, potentially negating any gains from improved visuals. The blog post boasts high frame rates, but as PC Gamer pointed out, these numbers are based on 6x multi-frame generation, which needs to be adjusted for a more accurate representation.
Suddenly, a GeForce RTX 5060 card in a good machine only runs NBA 2K7 in 1080p on Ultra settings at 43 FPS, and a shiny GeForce RTX 5090 just breaks 60 FPS in 4K on Ultra. Still, it’s better than the two 5090s the blog says it took to run DLSS 5 back in March, when it was announced.
“Since the initial announcement of DLSS 5 in March, our progress has been rapid: from running on dual GeForce RTX 5090s to now a single graphics card, we’ve achieved a 5X performance gain in just six months,” Nvidia wrote, “making DLSS 5 available for all GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs and Laptop GPUs.
“Our optimisation curve isn’t flattening out, and we have further optimisations in active development. We expect upcoming model updates coming in the [autumn] to boost performance beyond today’s baseline. Backed by over a decade of DLSS expertise, we remain committed to continuously pushing the boundaries of performance and image quality, and this is only the beginning.
“Together, these innovations mark the beginning of a transformative era which blends hand-crafted rendering with neural graphics to deliver a dramatic leap in visual realism while preserving the control artists need for creative expression.”
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