Nvidia's DLSS 5 neural rendering technology is set to officially launch on September 3rd, with NBA 2K27 being the first title to feature the new feature. The technology, which faced some criticism earlier this year for its character alterations, aims to generate detailed lighting and material information using artificial intelligence.
According to Nvidia, DLSS 5's 3D-Guided Neural Rendering differs from previous iterations by not just reconstructing existing scene data for higher resolution or improved ray tracing. Instead, it leverages AI to create rich lighting and material details that might otherwise be omitted due to real-time performance constraints. This allows developers to potentially realize their original artistic visions more fully.
The process uses the game engine's rendered frame, including its geometry, textures, and lighting buffers, as a foundational element. DLSS 5 then acts as a final rendering stage, injecting lifelike lighting and materials while ensuring that the game engine's frame dictates what remains constant and what can be altered by the AI.
Nvidia maintains that the technology preserves artistic intent by retaining the underlying facial proportions and geometry designed by developers, focusing AI enhancements on elements like light responses and material details. While early demonstrations of DLSS 5 had drawn comparisons to controversial AI "makeovers," the examples shown with NBA 2K27 appear less drastic. The choice to debut DLSS 5 in a sports simulation game, which aims for photorealism in recreating a real-world sport, may help to mitigate some of the artistic intent debates that arose when the technology was applied to games with different artistic styles.
Nvidia also highlighted the rapid development of DLSS 5, noting a five-fold performance increase in six months, enabling its availability on all GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs and Laptop GPUs. The company anticipates further performance boosts with upcoming model updates planned for the fall, building on over a decade of DLSS expertise.
To utilize DLSS 5 in NBA 2K27, players will require a GeForce RTX 50 Series graphics card. Alternatively, access is available through streaming via GeForce Now. Specific instructions for driver installation are expected to be provided.