NVIDIA has unveiled DLSS 5 at GTC, introducing a new neural rendering system designed to push real-time game graphics closer to cinematic realism.
With the launch of Blackwell, NVIDIA introduced DLSS 4, bringing multi-frame generation to supported titles and making it possible for GPUs to push games at much higher frame rates than they could natively. Now, NVIDIA has pulled back the curtain on the next iteration, DLSS 5, at GTC. From the look of the demos shown at the event, it represents a major leap for the technology.
Set to launch this fall, DLSS 5 moves beyond simply boosting frame rates and takes a big step toward making games look realistic in ways once reserved for big-budget movie studios, at least if the final results match the impressive demos shown at the event.
From what NVIDIA showed, the new DLSS 5 features a real-time neural rendering model. It takes a game’s colour and motion data for each frame and feeds it into an AI model that adds photorealistic lighting and materials on the fly. This process delivers visuals anchored to the original 3D content and holds up consistently from frame to frame, all while running at up to 4K resolution.
This is a massive leap considering where DLSS was when it first appeared in 2018, when it was mainly used to upscale resolution and give players a performance boost. Even then, it represented a major step forward for gaming PCs, giving NVIDIA a leg up when it comes to picking a GPU for your next PC build.
Since then, DLSS has found its way into more than 750 games, becoming something of an industry standard and a feature many gamers consider when buying a GPU. Earlier this year at CES, NVIDIA showed DLSS 4.5, which used AI to generate 23 out of every 24 pixels on screen. From what NVIDIA has said, DLSS 5 takes things in a different direction, shifting the focus from raw performance to visual quality that closes the gap between what you see in a game and what you would expect from a Hollywood VFX pipeline.
“Twenty-five years after NVIDIA invented the programmable shader, we are reinventing computer graphics once again,” said Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA. “DLSS 5 is the GPT moment for graphics — blending handcrafted rendering with generative AI to deliver a dramatic leap in visual realism while preserving the control artists need for creative expression.”
Industry support is already broad, with NVIDIA showing which studios and publishers are working to implement the technology. Major publishers and studios such as Bethesda, Capcom, Ubisoft, Tencent and Warner Bros. Games are already on board. Confirmed titles include Starfield, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Hogwarts Legacy, Resident Evil Requiem, Phantom Blade Zero and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, among others.
Todd Howard, studio head at Bethesda Game Studios, spoke about the early results. “When NVIDIA showed us DLSS 5, and we got it running in Starfield, it was amazing how it brought it to life,” Howard said. “We’ve played it. We can’t wait for all of you to do so as well.”
DLSS 5 is expected to arrive this fall alongside supported game updates. Until then, we can watch the released trailers for a taste of what to expect when it finally reaches GPUs.
