The next generation of Deep Learning Super Sampling, DLSS 5, was announced earlier this year at Nvidia GTC in March 2026. It was met with mixed reviews, to say the least, centered around its new neural rendering feature. Either way, Nvidia officially announced its release for fall this year, and that date is just around the corner – we’ve put together everything you need to know.

A poll we ran after its announcement revealed that more than half of PC gamers weren’t too convinced by what the new AI-powered visuals offer. Of course, there’s much more to technology than just neural rendering, but it remains the focus of Nvidia’s comparisons so far. DLSS 5 “infuses pixels with photoreal lighting and materials” to provide a real-time visual overhaul.

DLSS 5 release date

Nvidia recently announced that DLSS 5 will be available on September 3 and will debut in NBA 2K27 at 9 PM Pacific Time. Other supported games are due to follow, though no specific date(s) have been announced just yet. The company had only previously released a generic “fall” release window, so it’s nice to finally have a concrete date and time.

As expected, the technology is exclusive to RTX 50 series GPUs and laptops, which means it’s also available via GeForce Now (Nvidia’s cloud gaming service) on the flagship Ultimate tier, thanks to access to RTX 5080-class servers. Nvidia hasn’t had any new GPUs to offer in 2026, and current expectations say we’ll be waiting until early 2027 for RTX 50 Super.

DLSS 5 side-by-side comparisons

The quickest way to see how Nvidia DLSS 5’s neural rendering compares to non-DLSS counterparts is to check out Nvidia’s announcement video below. The video shows sweeping comparisons for Resident Evil Requiem, Hogwarts Legacy, Starfield, and EA Sports FC. Full, interactive 4K renders are available on Nvidia’s official blog post, which also includes the Zorah Tech Demo.

Several months after the original reveal, Nvidia also showed off more DLSS 5, largely focusing on how it preserves artistic intent and how the tools can be used by developers, as it looked to downplay fan backlash. During its DLSS 5 release date announcement, Nvidia also showed off some more comparisons in NBA 2K27. You can read more in the official blog post here.

As mentioned above, we expect to see more comparisons from Nvidia around the time of release, which could be some time in October based on the dates of the next Nvidia GTC. On top of that, based on the initial response from fans earlier this year, we’d expect to see some more variation in DLSS 5’s use cases and different art styles showcased next time around.

Which games will support DLSS 5?

So far, the DLSS 5 games list is relatively short, but we’re sure it will continue to grow as the technology develops and support widens. As mentioned, gamers were quick to criticize the new neural rendering technology, and that may deter some developers from offering it straight away. We’ve already seen devs clash over the tech. Either way, Nvidia-backed titles aren’t slowing down.

• AION 2
• Assassin’s Creed Shadows
• Black State
• Cinder City
• Delta Force
• EA Sports FC
• Hogwarts Legacy
• Justice
• NARAKA: BLADEPOINT
• NBA 2K27
• NITE: Neverness to Everness
• Phantom Blade Zero
• Resident Evil Requiem 
• Sea of Remnants
• Starfield 
• The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered
• Where Winds Meet

Is DLSS 5 an AI filter?

Despite the immediate comparisons to an ‘AI filter’ in online chatter, Nvidia was quick to address this concern. The company says game developers will have full artistic control over the technology to make sure the neural rendering technique stays true to the aesthetic. A follow-up explainer revealed developer controls, with slider controls and auto masking to control particular assets.

Important to note with this technology advance – game developers have full, detailed artistic control over DLSS 5’s effects to ensure they maintain their game’s unique aesthetic. The SDK includes things like intensity, color grading and masking off places where the effect shouldn’t be applied. It’s not a filter – DLSS 5 inputs the game’s color and motion vectors for each frame into the model, anchoring the output in the source 3D content.

Nvidia, via YouTube

How does DLSS 5 work?

Focusing on the neural rendering model, Nvidia says DLSS 5 “takes a game’s color and motion vectors for each frame as input, and uses an AI model to infuse the scene with photoreal lighting and materials”. This remains consistent on a frame-to-frame basis. The neural rendering feature requires RTX 50 series hardware, and we’ll have to wait for benchmarks. DLSS 5’s early demos leveraged two RTX 5090 cards, but Nvidia says it will be optimized to run on one card in time for release.

Following backlash, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang was quick to say people were “completely wrong” about how DLSS 5 works. He also went on to say that DLSS 5 can generate “the opposite of photoreal” – so it doesn’t have to stray into the uncanny valley that many people have worried about in its initial reveals. Huang notes the technique “is not post-processing,” and instead uses generative AI fused with the geometry and textures.

Nvidia says “the industry’s biggest publishers and game developers” will be supporting DLSS 5. Bethesda, CAPCOM, Hotta Studio, NetEase, NCSOFT, S-GAME, Tencent, Ubisoft, and Warner Bros. Games are listed so far. It’s clear DLSS 5 requires effort from the developer’s side to ensure the AI-generated visuals keep in line with the game’s aesthetic.

Can you turn off DLSS 5?

Yes, you will be able to turn off DLSS 5 and its Neural Rendering feature. However, it will be important to keep its other technologies enabled to enjoy enhanced performance with features such as upscaling and frame generation. While DLSS 5 seems to be moving away from fully focusing on boosting performance, these settings should still be available.

DLSS 4.5 was upgraded at the end of March with support for Dynamic Multi Frame Gen with an up to 6x mode, so you can expect to see continued support. Nvidia also announced DLSS 4.5 Ray Reconstruction coming this August, which looks to wrap up the last of the 4.5 technologies before DLSS 5 comes along in the fall.

About the Author

Jack Goodall

At PC Guide, Jack is mostly responsible for reporting on hardware deals. He also specializes in monitors, TVs, and headsets and can be found putting his findings together in a review or best-of guide.