Nvidia has confirmed that DLSS 5, the latest instalment in its signature rendering tech, will debut alongside NBA 2K27. Utilizing new AI systems to bring graphics more in line with Hollywood’s realism, the tech rolls out on September 3 alongside 2K’s latest, and will be available on all 50 series products, as well as GeForce NOW.
The NBA 2K27 choice, which seemingly odd at first glance, actually makes a lot of sense. Given that the game utilizes real humans’ likeness, it feels like the perfect place to debut the tech. “Players will see how light naturally passes through player ears, the natural lighting of skin, and how light catches hair,” Nvidia writes in a press release, while highlighting that DLSS 5 “preserves the facial geometry scanned from real-world athletes.”
DLSS 5 has come under fire post-reveal for overly ‘AIing’ in-game visuals. Resident Evil Requiem’s Grace Ashcroft, for example, looks like a completely different person with DLSS 5, trading out her bloodied aesthetics for pristine makeup, perfect contouring, and an odd, uncanny shine. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang bit back at criticisms, saying they were “completely wrong,” and the company has since stressed that the tech isn’t just “AI replacing graphics;” instead, it’s “AI extending graphics.”
I can’t say I liked DLSS 5’s improvements – it removed some of Resi’s signature grit and grime for me – but I’m interested to see how it looks in 2K27. Nvidia’s had a while to refine it, after all.
DLSS 5 launches with NBA 2K27 on Thursday, September 3.
