Nvidia DLSS 5 Officially Launches Sept 3 With NBA 2K27 Despite Leaks and Uncanny Valley Backlash

Reviewed byNidhi Govil

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Nvidia launches its controversial DLSS 5 AI rendering technology on September 3 with NBA 2K27, exclusively for RTX 50 series GPUs. The technology promises photorealistic graphics but has faced significant backlash after leaked versions produced uncanny valley results. Official support for RTX 40-series GPUs is planned for fall 2025.

Nvidia DLSS 5 Makes Official Debut After Controversial Leak

Nvidia officially launches its controversial DLSS 5 AI rendering technology on September 3 at 9 p.m. PT, debuting exclusively with NBA 2K27 on RTX 50 series GPUs, laptops, and GeForce NOW

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. The launch comes after modders already ported a leaked version from NBA 2K27's early-access build to over two dozen games, producing results ranging from impressive photorealistic graphics to nightmare-inducing uncanny valley transformations

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. Jensen Huang, Nvidia's CEO, described the technology as "the GPT moment for graphics -- blending hand-crafted rendering with generative AI to deliver a dramatic leap in visual realism while preserving the control artists need for creative expression"

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RTX 40-Series Support Coming This Fall

In a significant policy reversal, Nvidia confirmed that DLSS 5 will officially expand to RTX 40-series GPUs later this fall, despite initially positioning the technology as exclusive to the RTX 50 series

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. Nvidia spokesperson Rajal Maharaj stated, "Our current focus is on optimizing performance for the GeForce RTX 50 Series with model updates expected later this fall. Once RTX 50 Series performance is more fully tuned, we plan to work on expanding official support to the GeForce RTX 40 Series"

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. Support for earlier RTX 30 and RTX 20-series GPUs remains uncertain, with Maharaj noting "one step at a time" when asked about older hardware

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. Modders have already demonstrated DLSS 5 running on these older GPUs, though with significantly reduced performance and frequent crashes

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Source: TweakTown

Source: TweakTown

5X Efficiency Gain But Significant Performance Hit

Nvidia claims DLSS 5 now runs 5x more efficiently compared to the original demonstration that required two RTX 5090 graphics cards

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. The company's benchmarks show NBA 2K27 running at over 200fps at 1080p resolution even on the RTX 5060, though these results rely heavily on Multi Frame Gen 6X, which generates five additional AI-created frames for every traditionally rendered frame

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. Despite the optimization, users should expect a substantial performance hit of 50-60 percent when enabling the AI-powered upscaling technology

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. The 6X multi-frame generation has drawn criticism for introducing blur and strange artifacts in game scenes

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Developer Controls But Limited Gamer Options

Nvidia's 3D-guided Neural Rendering technology gives developers precise control over how DLSS 5 transforms their games, with the AI model smart enough to automatically detect character faces, clothing, objects, and settings

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. Developers can choose from three different AI models and apply DLSS 5 selectively to specific characters, objects like food or silverware, or entire scenes

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. However, gamers won't get the same granular control that modders currently enjoy. Nvidia confirmed "For gamers, DLSS 5 is a simple on-or-off toggle," though developers could potentially pass along certain controls through their own settings menus

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. The company emphasizes that DLSS 5 models run on every single frame with no minimum frame rates required

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Source: Wccftech

Source: Wccftech

Yassification Controversy and Missing Launch Titles

The technology sparked immediate backlash after its March announcement, with critics mocking the "yassification" of Resident Evil Requiem protagonist Grace Ashcroft and other dramatic character transformations

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. Modders have since created uncanny valley nightmares by applying the leaked DLSS 5 to games like Super Mario Odyssey, turning Nintendo's cartoony art style into painfully realistic renderings

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. Notably, many games showcased during the March reveal—including Resident Evil Requiem, EA Sports FC, Starfield, Hogwarts Legacy, and Assassin's Creed Shadows—still don't support DLSS 5 at launch

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. When asked to reconfirm these titles, Nvidia only stated "Many developers are actively integrating DLSS 5, and we'll share updates on upcoming titles as partners finalize their integrations," suggesting some companies may have backed away from the controversial technology

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. The NBA 2K27 implementation appears more restrained, with shadows and textures making players look more realistic rather than producing AI caricatures

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Source: Creative Bloq

Source: Creative Bloq

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