By Kyle Barr
Publication Date: 2026-01-14 17:45:00
Nvidia’s latest version of its Deep Learning Super Sampling technology, aka DLSS, hit the scene early Wednesday. With the latest update in tow comes a slightly redesigned upscaler that is now better than ever, at least for most games. If you were hoping that you would be able to push your frame rates to ludicrous levels, you’ll need to wait.
DLSS 4.5, which Nvidia announced back during CES 2026 last week, incorporates a new version of the existing transformer model upscaler. The original transformer model was a major part of the DLSS 4 update from 2025, which took an AI model trained on gameplay to generate the look you should see at higher resolution. Upscalers like DLSS take a frame at a lower resolution and massage it so it appears at a higher resolution, which enhances the visual resolution to the size your display supports while improving performance. With AMD and Intel nipping at its heels, Nvidia felt it needed to show up with even more frame generation software for 2026. Instead, the latest update proves that small enhancements make a bigger difference than the oft-touted “fake frames.”
The big update for DLSS 4.5 is only perceivable when glancing at small environmental details. Previous versions of DLSS had a hard time picking up on minute environmental effects, like sparks from a fire. DLSS 4.5 is supposed to bring those details back. Plus, 4.5 should help sharpen textures and eliminate ghosting around some environmental details, where…
