Nvidia DLSS 5 Players React as AI Alters Lighting, Materials, and Character Looks
When Nvidia first showed off DLSS 5, the pitch didn’t land with everyone. The new version of the technology isn’t just about pushing higher frame rates or sharpening image quality—it also uses generative AI to change elements like lighting and materials, and in some cases it can noticeably alter how characters look. That last part sparked major backlash as players worried the system was moving too far beyond what game creators intended.
The controversy grew loud enough that Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang addressed it directly during a presentation in March. Huang said players were “completely mistaken,” arguing that DLSS 5 combines control over geometry, textures, and other game elements with generative AI. Even with that explanation, many remained concerned that the approach could interfere with a game’s artistic vision, particularly when character faces are reshaped in ways players don’t expect.
Now the debate has taken on a new twist, because DLSS 5 appears to have leaked early into the hands of the community. DLL files tied to the technology were reportedly found in NBA 2K27, and—almost immediately—people began trying to run it in other games. On Reddit, YouTube, and in the RenoDX modding Discord community, experiment clips and screenshots have been spreading, with multiple cases showing that the final image can diverge so strongly from the original—especially character appearance—that it can be hard to recognize what the character looked like at baseline.
One of the clearest examples came from Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, where a comparison posted to Reddit showed the same heroine before and after DLSS 5 changes. Commenters reacted with surprise at how dramatically her look shifted, with many saying she appeared to be “a completely different person.” Similar complaints followed another set of tests, this time tied to Final Fantasy XVI. Players there didn’t only point to character face changes; they also flagged that entire scenes could shift, with one user calling the result “fatal” and saying it “completely changes the game’s mood.”
Not everyone focused purely on aesthetics. Some players also raised performance concerns with the current state of the technology, with one comment warning that DLSS 5 “literally takes away half” of the frames per second. Community testing on forums also included Control and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, and the reactions were often sharply negative when the technology altered well-known faces. In particular, Cloud Strife’s modified look drew backlash, described by some as “scary,” while additional clips featuring Tifa and Aerith were met with criticism that the system was again going too far in rewriting the original presentation. In the discussion, harsh phrases such as “AI slop” and “disgusting” appeared alongside the comparisons.
Other tests drew equally memorable reactions. A comparison involving Ellie from The Last of Us: Part II led one commenter to claim the changes made her look “like she’s 40 years old.” Yet DLSS 5 experiments aren’t uniformly disliked. Some players reported more positive outcomes in other titles, including Cyberpunk 2077, where community reaction to one material referenced by SwurvGaming centered on potential, and Palworld, which players said “looks surprisingly good” after applying the technology.
The most emotional responses, both positive and dramatic, have also come from The Last of Us: Part II. Clips showing Abby’s conversation with Jerry are being framed as among the most impressive demonstrations the community has produced so far. Viewers pointed to large changes in lighting, materials, and character appearance, and many comments around the example were enthusiastic, with one user saying the result was the best DLSS 5 effect they’d seen and another claiming it looked like jumping “from PS4 to PS6” with a single click.
But those standout visuals come with a steep cost. One of the showcased recordings was reportedly run on a PC with a graphics card offering 30 GB of VRAM, and even then the game reportedly ran at around 50 frames per second. The community’s experiments therefore highlight DLSS 5’s core promise—dramatic changes to lighting and materials—while also emphasizing the biggest fear: when configured aggressively, it may drift far from the look intended by developers.
For now, players are being urged to keep their distance from early comparisons, because these tests are being done with a pre-release version of the technology. That means the final behavior and visual output of DLSS 5 may end up different from what the community is seeing today.
