- Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has defended DLSS 5 yet again
- Huang says he can understand where gamers are coming from, and doesn’t ‘love AI slop’ himself
- However, Huang clarifies that DLSS 5 ‘doesn’t change anything’, rather it enhances every frame in games
Nvidia has been on the receiving end of a major backlash from gamers since its DLSS 5 reveal, and its CEO has only added further fuel to the fire with additional comments regarding the controversy around its generative AI ‘misunderstanding’.
On Lex Fridman’s podcast, Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang addressed the bad feeling surrounding DLSS 5 once again, acknowledging the flak that’s been fired at the “content-controlled generative AI” tool.
If you recall, Huang’s initial response to the backlash was to tell gamers “they’re completely wrong” regarding how DLSS 5 works, but that tone has now mellowed – albeit a similar vibe persists.
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Huang clarified: “I think their [gamers] perspective makes sense, and I could see where they’re coming from, because I don’t love AI slop myself. I’m emphatic towards what they’re thinking. That’s just not what DLSS 5 is trying to do.
“It’s conditioned by the textures and the artistry of the artist. It enhances every single frame, but doesn’t change anything.”
Worries remain
The problem is, however, that Huang’s statements may fall on deaf ears, as numerous examples show DLSS 5 changing the appearance of character models considerably. Notably Grace Ashcroft in Resident Evil Requiem (as shown above), who almost looks like a completely different character when DLSS 5 is enabled.
Nvidia has until later in 2026 to refine DLSS 5 and ensure it’s working optimally for developers, but it seems to have glossed over the fact that many gamers aren’t convinced about how much ‘better’ DLSS 5 looks. The main concern stems from generative AI’s presence in games to begin with – in whatever form – and how it changes art styles or specific character details in the imagery shared so far.
DLSS 5 raises many more concerns besides, and one of those is the potential for game developers to rely on generative AI to ‘enhance’ visuals or characters to be more lifelike, rather than carrying out handcrafted work (as seen in multiple highly detailed modern games).
It doesn’t seem like Team Green will backtrack on DLSS 5, especially since it has months to weather the storm of the backlash from gamers. Of course, DLSS 5 will be optional for developers to use – and for gamers to enable – but the fear is that this is about the only positive that gamers can take away from this controversy right now.
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