GoKawiilNVIDIA's DLSS 5 debuts with NBA 2K27 amid backlash over AI-altered visuals
NVIDIA is launching DLSS 5, its latest AI upscaling technology, alongside NBA 2K27 on September 3. Early demos from Resident Evil: Requiem and Starfield drew heavy criticism for producing unnatural, over-processed character models, though NBA 2K27's implementation reportedly applies the effect more subtly with improved shadows and texture depth. The feature is exclusive to NVIDIA's RTX 50-series graphics cards.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
DLSS 5's focus on altering visual appearance rather than just boosting frame rates marks a shift in what AI upscaling is meant to accomplish, and the backlash suggests gamers are wary of tech that changes artistic intent without consent. Its hardware exclusivity also echoes the slow, uneven rollout pattern seen with ray tracing, where flagship features remain inaccessible to most players for years.
- DLSS 5 launches with NBA 2K27 on September 3, exclusive to RTX 50-series GPUs.
- Early demos in other games sparked criticism for distorting character appearances.
- The feature works best when applied subtly, similar to how ray tracing took years to mature.
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Graphics Card — If you want to actually try DLSS in the newest games, you need a current-gen GeForce RTX card, and the RTX 5070 is the sweet-spot option for 1440p gaming. It handles ray tracing and NVIDIA's upscaling stack, so you can judge DLSS 5's controversial new look for yourself instead of squinting at leaked screenshots.
See NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Graphics Card on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: engadget.com — Devindra Hardawar, 2026-09-01
Published there as: “NVIDIA's DLSS 5 launches with NBA 2K27 on September 3, but there's little reason for excitement”
Read the original report → The summary and analysis above are GoKawiil's own, written from reporting by the source above. Facts and quotes belong to the original publisher.