NVIDIA is bringing its DLSS 5 technology to RTX Remix, the free modding platform it has offered since early 2024, and the move arrives as online criticism of the feature shows no sign of letting up. DLSS 5 will be added to RTX Remix on October 23. Before that, on October 16, it comes to RTX Spark, the company's new system-on-a-chip.

RTX Remix lets users add ray tracing and AI-upscaled textures to older titles. DLSS 5 extends that by adding neural rendering, which radically changes in-game character lighting. NVIDIA has also said the tech will be officially added to Hogwarts Legacy on November 5. Based on the footage NVIDIA has shown so far, the effect appears to be toned down from the initial reveal, when students at the wizarding school looked far more glossy.

Can you install DLSS 5 in older games?

The official rollout is not the only way to try it. Modders gained access to DLSS 5’s Neural Rendering after an early build of NBA 2K27 leaked, and community apps now let owners of NVIDIA RTX GPUs inject the tech into almost any PC game. Tools such as DLSS 5 Manager and DLSS 5 Swapper work with Vulkan and DirectX titles, including DX9, DX10, DX11 and DX12 games.

How the mods work

Engadget’s reviewer, who used DLSS 5 Swapper, described the setup as simple. The app scans a PC’s drives and game libraries for compatible titles. Users select a game and click “Install DLSS 5,” and the necessary DLL files and Reshade are installed within seconds. The app detects the correct rendering API on its own. If users dislike the result, a “Restore originals” button removes the neural rendering files and returns the game to its original state.

There is one major obstacle. DLSS 5 mods generally do not work with games that use anti-cheat software. The reviewer wanted to try the tech in GTA V: Enhanced Edition, but the mandatory BattlEye software prevented the game from launching. The reviewer expects the problem to fade once NVIDIA officially supports DLSS 5 in more games.

The performance cost

How much does DLSS 5 lower frame rates?

Performance is where DLSS 5 differs most from earlier versions of the technology. Unlike previous generations of DLSS, which boost frame rates, DLSS 5 lowers them. When the first third-party apps launched, frame rates fell by 30 to 60 percent once Neural Rendering was enabled through Reshade.

A recent update improved that. PC Gamer reported that NBA 2K27 now drops by 25 percent at 1440p. The Engadget reviewer, testing on an NVIDIA RTX 5090 after installing the update through an NVIDIA app beta driver, saw gains in several games. In Control at 4K with maximum settings, frame rates rose from around 80 with DLSS 5 enabled to close to 100. With the recent remaster of Metal Gear Solid 4, the average at 4K went from below 55 frames per second before the update to about 70. Without DLSS 5, the reviewer said, both games would run well above 120 frames per second.

Which GPUs do you need to run DLSS 5?

The reviewer’s verdict is that the tech remains expensive to run. The reviewer recommends owning at least an RTX 5070 or an AMD Radeon RX 9070 before turning it on. The reviewer also said the effect is most noticeable on characters. In Cyberpunk 2077, Control, and the Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3 remakes, the reviewer preferred the look with DLSS 5 enabled, with the biggest changes appearing on faces. Changes to environments were more subtle, so the reviewer suggested turning the feature on only in games where characters’ faces are often on screen.

Critics have argued that the technology betrays the artistic integrity of the games it touches, and that its 3D-Guided Neural Rendering amounts to an AI-driven beauty filter. The reviewer said those complaints are understandable. Because mods can now apply DLSS 5 to thousands of titles at the press of a button, that debate is likely to continue.

Este artículo fue escrito con la asistencia de IA.
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