When Nvidia announced its new graphics technology, DLSS 5, it immediately sparked an unusual mix of excitement and derision. Nvidia sees the next version of its Deep Learning Super Sampling technology as a game-changing moment in graphics that uses generative AI to enhance frames in real-time by adding lighting details, materials, and other visual touches.
However, some believe this technology produces generic AI slop that takes game art out of the hands of developers. Nvidia’s demo showed that DLSS 5 “improves” Capcom’s Resident Evil Requiem and Bethesda’s Starfield. But while Bethesda insists that its artists will continue to take control, Capcom seems to have no idea about that.
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The application of DLSS 5 to Grace Ashcroft in Resident Evil: Requiem is one of the most controversial examples Nvidia has demonstrated. This quickly sparked internet memes poking fun at how Nvidia’s technology would completely change the character and follow AI beauty standards.
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Many have suggested that this technique’s “yassing” of game graphics creates an eerie and generally sophisticated look.
Анет, я осибался 🤣 pic.twitter.com/nHmCw6DFBBMarch 16, 2026
Nvidia listed Ubisoft and Capcom as partners for games that support DLSS 5, but that seems to have been news to them, or at least to the developers working with them.
According to Insider Gaming, Capcom developers were surprised by the announcement. Capcom has traditionally opposed the use of AI. Now, some staff at the publisher are reportedly worried that the announcement of DLSS 5 will cause Capcom leadership to change its view on generative AI in games.
Insider Gaming also quoted an anonymous Ubisoft developer as saying, “We discovered it as soon as it was released to the public.”
As for Nvidia itself, our sister site Tom’s Hardware first reported that Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang dismissed the DLSS 5 criticism. Speaking at the GTC, he said critics were “completely wrong.”
“As we’ve carefully explained, DLSS 5 marries geometry, texture control, and everything about games with generative AI,” he said, claiming that it will allow developers to “fine-tune generative AI.” “This is generative control at the geometry level rather than post-processing at the frame level,” he said, adding, “This is very different from generative AI. It’s content-controlled generative AI. That’s why we call it neural rendering.”
Thank you for your excitement and analysis of the new DLSS 5 writing. This is a very early look, and the art team plans to further tweak the lighting and final effects in a way that they think is best for each game. All of this is under the artist’s control. and…March 16, 2026
Bethesda also values creative control. Replying to Digital Foundry’s post on X, they said, “This is a very early look, and our art team will further adjust the lighting and final effects to get the look we think best for each game. This is all under the control of our artists and completely optional for players.”
However, some gamers say, “I want upscaling, but I don’t want the AI face.” This will require more customizability than the current option to turn DLSS on or off.
