Nvidia's new DLSS 5 gaming tech launches—but it's demanding and divisive
Nvidia is releasing DLSS 5 on September 3rd, a technology that uses AI to make video games look smoother and sharper. However, it requires expensive graphics hardware and has sparked debate about whether it actually improves gaming.
What is DLSS 5?
DLSS 5 is a new technology from Nvidia that uses artificial intelligence (AI—computer systems that can learn and make decisions) to improve how video games look. Think of it like a smart filter that makes games run faster while keeping them looking beautiful. Nvidia says it's their biggest breakthrough in gaming graphics since real-time ray tracing arrived in 2018—a technology that makes game lighting look more realistic.
When can you use it?
DLSS 5 officially launches on September 3rd, but right now only one game supports it: NBA 2K27 (a basketball game). The technology works on Nvidia's newest RTX 50-series graphics cards—the expensive chips inside high-end gaming computers and laptops. You can also access it through GeForce Now, which is a cloud gaming service that lets you play demanding games without needing a super-powerful computer at home.
Why is everyone talking about it?
When Nvidia announced DLSS 5 earlier this year, gaming experts had mixed reactions. Some were excited, but others compared it to a "real-time generative AI filter"—basically, AI creating images on the fly as you play. Critics worried that the technology might make games look artificial or odd, similar to how some AI-generated images can look strange. So while Nvidia calls it revolutionary, the gaming community isn't entirely convinced yet. For now, only people with very expensive graphics cards can even try it.
Original source: The Verge AI