DLSS 5 divides players over game graphics and identity

GTA IV with DLSS 5 divided players on Reddit: some loved the refreshed graphics; others missed the original atmosphere.¹

That disagreement helps explain the DLSS 5 controversy. NVIDIA uses artificial intelligence to change a game’s lighting and the appearance of its materials.² Some players see a way to breathe life into older graphics. Others feel it changes the very look that made a game distinctive.

Why the faces bothered people

Criticism of the Resident Evil Requiem demonstrations focused partly on Grace Ashcroft and Leon Kennedy. Some players thought the characters looked too different, with an artificial makeover replacing their familiar appearance.³

That objection goes beyond preferring simpler graphics. A tired face, a deep shadow or muted colors can help tell a story. Changing those details may make an image more attractive to one person and less expressive to another.

Artist Jeff Talbot objected to that tradeoff: in his view, the demonstrations added detail while stripping images of character.⁴ His criticism concerned the resulting appearance and the artistic choices it displaced.

Why older games such as GTA IV won fans over

Commenters praised the environments and defended the freedom to experiment. Others disliked the faces.¹ These are impressions from that discussion, rather than a survey of players.

The GTA IV comparisons come with an important qualification: they combine DLSS 5 with RTX Remix and other graphics mods. RTX Remix lets modders rebuild older games’ lighting; the GTA IV project also receives changes to materials and models.⁵ The person who posted the Reddit video credits the RTX mod with having the biggest influence on the appearance shown.⁶

Putting the original beside that modified version therefore doesn’t reveal how much of the difference comes from DLSS 5 alone. The enthusiasm can be sincere while the transformation remains the work of several tools. A visual improvement doesn’t establish a performance gain, either.

NVIDIA’s response

NVIDIA says developers can adjust the effect’s strength and choose where it applies. They can treat environments differently from characters. The company also describes the feature as optional for players.²

Jensen Huang responded more sharply during the March announcement. At a press briefing attended by Tom’s Hardware, he said the critics were completely wrong and argued that studios retained control.³

Those controls help artists limit changes. They don’t make an aesthetic preference wrong: someone can understand how the feature works and still prefer the original face or lighting.

Where mods fit in

Modders — people who modify games — experimented with the technology before its official debut. On August 27, TechSpot reported that the RenoDX community had adapted a component found in NBA 2K27’s files to work in Control.⁷ The official launch followed on September 3.⁸

These adaptations let people explore appearances that a studio hasn’t prepared. They also call for care when interpreting videos: an exaggerated mod shows that particular combination of game and settings. To judge DLSS 5’s contribution, a useful comparison keeps the other mods unchanged and shows the same scene in motion with the feature on and off.

A better-looking image can cost smoothness

Adding this AI work also uses graphics-card processing power. An image that looks better in a comparison can come with less fluid gameplay. The size of that loss depends on the game, hardware and settings; an attractive video alone doesn’t measure the tradeoff.⁹

There’s also a concern that studios could become complacent. If AI can improve an image’s finish, it creates an incentive to leave work to the tool that could have received more care in the lighting and materials. That’s a possible risk, rather than a consequence already established by DLSS 5’s existence.

DLSS 5 can produce images some players prefer, while costing performance or changing a game’s style. Its strongest use would be one in which artists choose the transformation, the studio still gives the version without AI proper attention, and players decide whether the difference is worth it.

Sources

1. GTA IV with DLSS 5 discussion · r/GTAIV / Reddit · accessed September 9, 2026.
2. DLSS 5: features and artistic controls · NVIDIA · accessed September 9, 2026.

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3. Jensen Huang responds to DLSS 5 criticism · Tom’s Hardware · accessed September 9, 2026.
4. Jeff Talbot’s response to the demonstrations · Bluesky · accessed September 9, 2026.
5. GTA IV RTX Remix mod release notes · xoxor4d / GitHub · accessed September 9, 2026.
6. GTA IV video and the author’s explanation of the mods · r/GTAIV / Reddit · accessed September 9, 2026.
7. Modders get DLSS 5 working in Control before launch · TechSpot · accessed September 9, 2026.
8. DLSS 5 launches in NBA 2K27 · NVIDIA · accessed September 9, 2026.
9. DLSS 5: Generative Neural Rendering · NVIDIA ADLR · accessed September 9, 2026.